Sean Slade
Education Author, Speaker
Sean Slade is an Australian-American global education leader, speaker, and author, with three decades of experience in education, who resides in the Washington DC area.
New Release
The Power of the Whole: What Is Lost by Focusing on Individual Things
(2023)
This is a book about ourselves, and our world, but it is also a book about, and for education. Education is undergoing constant scrutiny – as it should. But what makes, or made, an education successful is too often left behind in the shadows when we focus too closely on what we think should be in the spotlight. It is the author’s belief that we are entering a period of time when re-looking at how these things interact and intersect will be pertinent to their and our success.
Read Now
The complex nature of education has led us to break it down into more manageable parts. Consequently, we can’t see the forest for the trees anymore. The Power of the Whole shows why we need a clearer big picture view of education and how holistic approaches in teaching and leading will pave the way to better and fairer education. Whether you are a teacher, parent, or policymaker, this is a must-read book to reimagine what education could be.
Pasi Sahlberg,
author of Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland
Praise & Reviews
A compelling call and an insightful analysis! In The Power of the Whole, Sean Slade presents a powerful case against focusing on individual things and invites us to focus on the whole in education.
Yong Zhao Ph.D., University of Kansas & University of Melbourne, and author of What Works May Hurt, and Catching Up or Leading the Way
With our infatuation with immediate things, we often miss the bigger picture. Sean Slade’s book takes us on a journey about the big picture - from the world around us to the world of education. A must-read for any educator, parent, policymaker, or anyone interested in learning about the big picture of education.
Michele Borba, Ed.D., educational psychologist, and author of Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine
Other publications
Go to Books for more details
Questioning Education: Moving from What and How to Why and Who (2022)
In the post-pandemic world, how can we rethink the future of education as a system, process, and tradition to make lasting changes? This thought-provoking book by Sean Slade reminds us that education prepares students for their futures and yet has become stuck in the past. Slade asks us to move from our focus on education as a content-delivery system and instead reflect on its overarching purpose(s). He shows how we can shift our systems and our curriculum discussions away from beginning with the What and How, and instead start with the Why and Who.
At a time when we’re facing immense challenges in our world, big ideas in education are back. After decades of prioritizing incremental performance gains in measurable outcomes, everyone, not just academics, or even the teaching profession, is asking where our schools are going, what are they for, and how can they help our kids face the future and make something of it. Sean Slade has the perfect book that is up to this task. With sweeping mastery of neuroscience, social studies, business thinking, and more, combined with up-to-date knowledge of the best things that are happening in our schools, Slade gives us a glimpse of the future and a shot at how our schools can shape it for the better. The time for transformation has come. Questioning Education will inspire you to be part of it.
Andy Hargreaves,
author of Well-Being in Schools, and Who Do Our Kids Think They Are . . . and How Do We Help Them Belong?
About Sean Slade
With a strong background in education reform and wellbeing, he has driven policy change, implemented initiatives, and developed educational leaders to enhance the social impact of education. He has helped lead the whole child movement in education, focusing on a more learner-centered and holistic approach to education, and has been a leading advocate for the alignment of health and education.