Once again, Michael Fullan and his colleagues Sarah Fine and Santiago Rincon-Gallardo have written a book for educators that addresses a critical and timely topic. We have known for many years that the social, emotional, and psychological needs of kids affect how they perform academically. Yet, for too long, these issues have been approached separately, and more often than not, in a fragmented manner. This book shows how schools can address these needs in a coherent, thoughtful, and compassionate manner. Based on case studies of school districts where such an approach has been successfully implemented, the new vision they provide is one that all schools can and should embrace.

Pedro A. Noguera, PhD, Dean, Rossier School of Education

It is high time to leave behind the outdated factory-model approach to secondary education. Grounded in rich case studies and focused on coherence, purpose, and equity, this book provides system and school leaders with a path forward. Fine, Rincon-Gallardo, and Fullan offer a roadmap for how to build whole systems where adolescents can thrive as whole learners.

Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University

Beautifully written, imminently practical, and realistic yet hopeful, this book is a captivating must-read on how systems can support high school transformation. Highlighting places where adolescents are thriving, the authors share rich cases of pioneering systems that integrate student learning and wellbeing.

Amanda Datnow, University of California San Diego

Fine, Rincon-Gallardo, and Fullan share how six districts have made a real impact by focusing on students, prioritizing relationships, reimagining traditional structures, and recognizing the essential role of the system in sustaining change. This book will inspire and guide any district ready to truly transform their students’ high school learning experience.

John Malloy, AASA

This book is for any education leader who is looking for a clear path towards high school transformation. Based on rigorous research and full of stories as well as tangible guidance, Whole Learners, Whole Systems shows how to shift teaching and learning so our nation's adolescents can learn, lead, and contribute. It charts a vision for how to avoid the tired duality of academic learning versus wellbeing, and powerfully shows how children engaged and thrive when we marry both.

Rebecca Winthrop, Center for Universal Education

What happens when high schools shift their focus from compliance and standardized achievement to each students and their agency, authentic work, connectedness, and joy? Whole Learners, Whole Systems provides detailed, real-world examples that ignite imagination and inspire! It shows that when leaders support the right sparks to fly, students and schools thrive.

Meredith I. Honig, University of Washington

The authors have masterfully articulated through research and case studies a compelling call to reimagine how systems can move beyond disengagement to truly honor adolescents as whole learners, destined to thrive within learning and life. A must-read for leaders committed to helping youth succeed and in need of inspiration to make this happen.

David Keohane, College of Alberta School Superintendents

This timely book highlights what’s possible in public education when districts shift from control to coherence, and from compliance to learner agency. The real stories of transformation offer critical hope and practical pathways for leaders ready to reimagine learning and wellbeing. A must-read for anyone who believes adolescents deserve schools that allow them to choose, connect, and contribute as whole learners.

Tom D'Amico, Ottawa Catholic School Board

Whole Learners, Whole Systems offers six vivid case studies of districts pursuing whole system transformation. Written in compelling prose by three pre-eminent educational scholars, this book is an indispensable text for anyone seeking to move school systems into the 21st century.

Jal Mehta, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Fine, Rincon-Gallardo, and Fullan offer a clear-eyed and sober assessment of the current state of school in the U.S. and beyond. Through their engaging description of emerging and promising work in diverse school systems in California, they offer something else: hope.

Ben Daley, High Tech High Graduate School of Education

This book highlights the importance of engaging adolescents through a relevant and innovative curriculum, presenting fresh approaches to long-standing challenges in secondary education. Especially vital as young people navigate an increasingly complex world.

Laurence Findlay, Association of Directors of Education Scotland