Learner-centered leadership grounded in courage, integrity, and love for every child
The pressures of today’s political and cultural climate have created unprecedented roadblocks for school leaders striving to ensure success for all students. With mounting challenges from communities, conservative legislation, and misconceptions about student-centered instruction and inclusion efforts, leaders often feel isolated and threatened in their efforts to prioritize what learners need most.
Drawing on interviews with 67 education leaders around the world, Taming the Turbulence in Educational Leadership is a practical handbook, offering strategies to drive equity-focused and student-centered transformation, even in the face of opposition. Additional features include
Approaches to foster trust and build relationships across the campus and community to overcome resistance
Strategies to leverage data; include learner, teacher, and parent voices; and use intentional communication for effective decision-making
Tools for preparing teachers, adapting systems, and protecting staff as they implement equity-centered initiatives
Protocols, reflective questions, and worksheets to help schools determine readiness and create actionable plans
Rooted in real-world stories, this book offers solidarity and actionable strategies to education leaders committed to centering the needs of all learners in increasingly polarized societies.
Additional Praise for Taming the Turbulence:
"Jennifer D. Klein has gifted the field of education a masterwork—one that reads like a loving letter to every leader who dares to do right by learners in a world increasingly resistant to progress. Taming the Turbulence is both balm and blueprint: it names the storms, honors the fragility of our roles, and charts a path through resistance with clarity, compassion, and courage. Klein speaks directly and unabashedly to the realities of leadership today, centering students with intention and love while honoring the complexity of navigating political, cultural, and institutional pushback. What enchants most is how the book wraps practical, immediately usable strategies inside a heart-filled conversation—anchored in dignity, rightful presence, and the global movement for meaningful, humanizing education. Klein introduces a common vocabulary, powerful metaphors, and viscerally real stories that create space for nuanced understanding and courageous action. Whether you're a school leader, coach, or advocate, this book offers not just tools, but solidarity. You’ll leave feeling seen, resourced, and called to lead with both humility and hope." ~ Charity Marcella Moran, Ed.S., Author | PbLPath.com
"Taming the Turbulence weaves together the blatant and revelatory, the heart and vision, the triumphs and setbacks of leaders across every area of our educational terrain in a way that allows the reader to see a path forward. Klein’s own vulnerability in her personal reflections on leadership is honest and affirming. Every leader is reflected in the pages of this book and given the directive and tools to continue shifting the paradigm we label school—tools like Tim Carr’s 'third thing,' creating a fulcrum to turn division into discussion; a risk assessment matrix to help determine the pace of change; and, my favorite, a Student-Centered Insight Protocol to put student voice at the heart of any conversation. There’s no challenge faced by leaders that Klein avoids. She addresses the realities of inviting caregivers into the work of change while wayfinding with the North Star of a school’s core values, navigating the current hostility toward DEIJ by 'cultivating creative noncompliance' (Mari Jones), and practicing team- and self-care even when it seems nearly impossible to justify. We need this kind of practical hopefulness—this story-sharing, this 'you see me, therefore, we can do this hard thing.' We need what the leaders in this brave book have to say to us." ~ Erin Sanchez, Author | PbLPath.com
"The world feels deeply divided right now—across ideas, language, and politics. No matter where you fall on that continuum, this much is clear: educators are struggling with how to move forward. For school leaders, that kind of courage can come with a heavy emotional toll. In Taming the Turbulence, Jennifer D. Klein masterfully weaves together stories, examples, and practical, action-oriented tools. Together, these help clarify why this is happening, what role we each play in both the problem and the solution, and how we can take meaningful steps to support all learners, caregivers, and communities. Just when I was feeling rather hopeless, this book reminded me that there is a shared path forward—and that we can get on the same page about what learners need to grow into successful, whole human beings." ~ Robin Whitacre, Leadership Coach | Former Principal | Professional Learning Designer
"Taming the Turbulence in Educational Leadership is a call to action for innovative leaders who refuse to let outdated structures stifle engagement, relevance, and joy in learning. Through real-world examples and practical strategies, Jennifer D. Klein offers a compelling roadmap for those courageous enough to challenge the institutionalized inertia of the status quo and create the conditions for authentic, equitable, and transformative learning experiences for every child. We can, and must, do better—this book provides a clear and actionable guide for making that happen." ~ Ben Owens, Co-Founder / Director of Strategy & Innovation, Open Way Learning
