Urban school superintendents face unprecedented challenges. They must ensure that all students achieve a high level of performance despite a lack of resources, the intractable problems of race and poverty, a chaotic governance structure, and the often conflicting demands of teachers, parents, unions, and the community.

Urban school superintendents face unprecedented challenges. They must ensure that all students achieve a high level of performance despite a lack of resources, the intractable problems of race and poverty, a chaotic governance structure, and the often conflicting demands of teachers, parents, unions, and the community. This important book, edited by the co-directors of the prestigious Harvard Urban Superintendents Program (USP), explores the ways in which superintendents can make a difference in the lives of each child, every day, by being knowledgeable about and driven by what happens in the classroom.

The editors and distinguished contributors cover a wide range of vital topics that superintendents face from the day they are hired to the day they retire, such as how superintendents can most effectively communicate their vision, plan strategically, institute instructional reform, engage the community, and allocate resources. The book is filled with illustrative examples of well-known superintendents who are trailblazing new means to achieve educational fairness for all children and are changing the landscape of urban school systems today. In addition, Every Child, Every Classroom, Every Day highlights the Urban Superintendents Program's Leadership Framework, which is designed to aid administrators and educators in decision making and achieving equity. An ancillary Videos containing teaching notes and exhibits is also included as an aid to teachers who wish to scaffold material discussed in the text.