Educators often wonder if their schools are really helping our youth to become better human beings, and we constantly struggle to understand how to do the right thing as teachers and leaders, and make a difference, for our students.

The third edition of Leading and Creating Powerful Learning Relationships: A Whole-School Community Approach introduces an updated framework for focusing all school activity on the community factors - both human and non-human - that deliver the best learning outcomes for your students, ensuring their success.

The authors have always known that high levels of parent involvement lead to better student achievement, that strong in-depth relationships with students are critical to their success, that curriculum needs to be personalized and engaging, and that community partnerships and support have a positive effect on school success. The framework introduced in Leading and Creating Powerful Learning Relationships presents an integrated map of how to develop teaching and learning relationships that bring these four educational principles to the forefront of all school activity.

Teachers, school leaders and administrators can use this handbook as a guide to creating opportunities for teaching and learning that mobilize every stakeholder within the school and community. This framework has produced proven results, and will teach educators everywhere to lead by moral imperative, rather than personal preferences.

George Otero has worked extensively with students, teachers, administrators, community leaders, parents and policymakers in both the public and private sectors for over 15 years, and has been a pioneer in community learning and leadership at the international, national and state levels since 1970. His expertise in RelationaLearning and leading has led to many positive transformations in schools across Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

David Rothstadt and Robert Csoti are the respective principals of Noble Park Primary School and Elwood Primary School, both situated in Victoria, Australia. They both believe that every member of the local community can make a valuable contribution to the education of their youth, and that creating connections within the school, as well as between the school and community, is essential for students’ success.