Review of 'Leading and Managing Early Childhood Settings: Inspiring People, Places and Practices' by Nadine Louise McCrea 2015. Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. 208 pp. ISBN 9781107669185

Abstract

The author, Nadine Louise McCrea, is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Teacher Education in the School of Education, at the University of New England in Australia. In writing this book, the author draws from her own wealth of personal experiences, as well as, from some of the experiences of her highly valued colleagues, such as Diane Nailon and Jan Carr. The book's purpose is to explore what it means to be a leader, manager and administrator in Early Childhood Education (ECE) within the Australian and New Zealand contexts. To do so, the author, has unified the specific roles, by coining the descriptor 'leader-manager'. McCrea, by adopting, Michael Fullan's (2001a) concept of "managerial leadership", examines how core values, underground rules, norms and beliefs, influence "managerial leadership". As importantly, she emphasises the need for reflective managerial leadership as being essential in the development of better stakeholder relationships within ECE.