From The Author Our children and adults within our schools need you to be at your absolute best. An educator who is constantly working toward "Staying Grounded" will be someone who is a strategic leader who leads within and amongst the levels of self, others, and the organization they serve. Leadership of self includes the responsibility of being self-aware and proactive in developing personal strengths. This is what the 12 Principles will provide for you if you have what it takes. I know you do! I've heard that leadership is never about wielding one's authority, it's about empowering people. This book is meant to take that concept many steps further. For years my wife Erin has asked me when I would write a book about my views about the future of our education system and school leadership. The two are inextricably linked together. I hope this book will provide you with everything you will ever need to make that come true for the child(ren) or school(s) you have the privilege of serving. My work as a superintendent of schools, Fulbright specialist, TEDx speaker and associate professor of education has allowed me to acquire some insightful viewpoints into our education system and the people who work within it. I've been fortunate to work with children beginning in Pre-K through teaching educators and administrators working toward their doctorates in education. In many cases, their education spans thirty plus years. Editorial Reviews "Michael Hynes is one of America's most respected educators. A celebrated teacher and visionary superintendent, he is driven by a deep conviction that education must address the whole child - mind, body and spirit - and that leaders and administrators have crucial roles on making sure it does. He knows exactly how taxing those roles can be and that, whatever the pressures, they have to be guided by humane principles and compassionate practice. Staying Grounded is a trove of ethical and practical wisdom for managing the system as it is and for leading the changes that are needed for all our children to flourish as they must." Sir Ken Robinson, Educator and New York Times Best Selling Author "Michael Hynes is a visionary superintendent and Staying Grounded lays out a core set of principles to guide school leaders. In focusing on the inside work defining the leader's attitude and purpose, the outside work of creating a compelling philosophy of education, and the future work of understanding where we are going, he creates the architecture for a just and humane school system. By starting with a foundation built on a sense of purpose, relationships, and taking care of yourself, he reminds us of Oscar Wilde's famous aphorism: 'Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.'" James Harvey, President of the National Superintendents Roundtable "After reading Dr. Hynes' inspiring book, I found myself wondering what would happen if he became a State Commissioner of Education. The state's focus would shift 180 degrees, from obsessing over test scores and accountability to an entirely different paradigm of physical, mental, and emotional well- being for students and staff. This would be a Copernican revolution in education. If only." Diane Ravitch, Research Professor of Education at NYU and educational policy analyst