Closing the Leadership Loop

Sustainability and Legacy Building for Late-Career Educational Leaders, Volume III

Edited by:
Ian Marshall, The University of the West Indies
Grace-Anne Jackman, The University of the West Indies

A volume in the series: Navigating the Leadership Continuum: Connecting Theory, Research, and Practitioners' Perspectives. Editor(s): Ian Marshall, The University of the West Indies. Grace-Anne Jackman, The University of the West Indies. Denise E. Armstrong, Brock University.

Call for Chapters

We invite you to contribute a chapter (approximately 25 pages) to the third and final volume of our three-volume book series Navigating the Leadership Continuum: Connecting Theory, Research and Practitioners’ Perspectives. Published by Information Age Publishing, this series addresses the unique challenges and growth opportunities at each stage of an educational leader’s career.

The generally held view in the literature on principal career stages, is that it is characterized by four stages as follows: the introduction stage; the induction stage; the maintenance/renewal stage; and the disenchantment stage (Oplatka, 2010). Nevertheless, even within the main view there are nuanced understandings of the late-career phase of leadership. Some studies suggest that principals in this stage often focus on exiting the profession, fearing disengagement or disillusionment before retirement (Sugrue, 2015).

Conversely, other researchers argue that this stage offers significant opportunities for identifying leadership talent and fostering succession planning. Peters-Hawkins, Reed, and Kingsberry (2017) emphasize that succession planning is a dynamic, interactive process that allows seasoned principals to actively prepare a new generation of leaders for a smooth transition into leadership roles. A third perspective of late career leadership focuses on the concept of system leadership, where late-career principals use their institutional and experiential knowledge to build capacity not only within their schools but across broader educational systems. System leaders act as mentors, coaches, and consultants to emerging leaders, either individually or collectively across multiple schools, becoming catalysts for change at a macro level (Constantinides, 2022; Forfang, 2021; Greany & Kamp, 2022; Harris et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2021). Lastly, research highlights the underutilized potential of retired principals, who can continue to contribute to education by sharing their knowledge and experience. It is against the foregoing that this third volume has been conceptualized.

We welcome submissions from a diverse group of contributors; however, priority will be given to educational researchers and practitioners who are either in the late stage of their leadership careers or have already published work in the area of late-career principalship and educational leadership. We invite prospective contributors to submit chapter proposals focusing on the following themes:

1. Leveraging the Institutional Knowledge and Expertise of Late-Career Educational Leaders
• Capturing and Promoting Institutional Knowledge
• Reinforcing Core Leadership Standards and Modeling Best Practices
• Crafting a Sustainable Late-Career Leadership Style

2. Fostering Leadership Growth: Mentorship and Capacity Building for Emerging Leaders
• Creating an Environment for Effective Mentorship
• The Late-Career Leader as a Coach and Mentor
• Building Professional Capital Among Staff

3. Strategies for Achieving Work-Life Balance in the Late-Career Stage
• Navigating Personal and Professional Challenges in the Latter Years
• Remaining Relevant Through Professional Development
• Transitioning to Retirement and New Roles

4. Engaging Legacy Building and Succession Planning
• Developing Sustainable Leadership Practices
• Core Elements of Succession Planning: Overcoming Challenges and Celebrating Success Stories
• Building a Legacy in Times of High Teacher and Leader Attrition

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Submissions should include the following:

1. Proposed Title and Abstract
Provide a tentative title and an abstract of 250-300 words that clearly outlines the chapter’s focus. The abstract must adhere to APA (7th edition) guidelines and include 4-5 keywords.

2. Selected Section and Sub-Theme
Specify the section of the book (e.g., Section 1, 2, 3, or 4) and the specific sub-theme (e.g., Strategies for Achieving Work-Life Balance in the Late-Career Stage - Navigating Personal and Professional Challenges in the Latter Years) that your chapter will address.

3. Teaching Tool Summary
Provide a brief summary (150-200 words) explaining how your chapter can serve as a teaching tool, including the use of a vignette, case study, or discussion questions that can facilitate learning and engagement.

4. Formatting
All submissions should be in Microsoft Word format, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, and using Times New Roman, 12-point font. References must adhere to APA (7th edition) guidelines.

PROPOSED SCHEDULE AND DUE DATES:
• Invitation to Authors: November 1, 2024
• Proposed Title, Abstract, and Teaching Tool Summary: November 30, 2024
• Abstract Feedback: January 30, 2025
• Chapter Manuscript Due: August 31, 2025
• Feedback to Authors: October 30, 2025
• Revised Manuscripts Returned to Editors: November 15, 2025
• Manuscripts Submitted to Publisher: November 18, 2025
• Anticipated Publication Date: December 2025

If you are interested in contributing a chapter to this edited volume, please confirm your intent by November 15, 2024. The deadline for abstract submissions is November 30, 2024. Recognizing the benefits of diverse perspectives and shared expertise, we value collaboration and encourage you to partner with other authors.

Should you require any additional information or clarification, please feel free to contact: Ian Marshall at ian.marshall@cavehill.uwi.edu or Grace-Anne Jackman at grace-anne.jackman@cavehill.uei.edu

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