Super Ownership

"According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United States has the 6th highest expenditure per K-12 pupil among its 38 developed nations. Yet, fully 27 OECD countries scored higher than the United States in the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) math scores. We do worse than nations with far smaller budgets, like Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Japan and South Korea spend less money per student than the United States, yet they saw higher achievement scores. Thus, it is time for us to give school superintendents the resources and autonomy they need to be successful and to hold them accountable for closing the achievement gap that jeopardizes America's future. John Barry's Super Ownership is a much-needed playbook on how to maximize their effectiveness in rescuing America's K-12 systems."

-Michael Poliakoff, President & Chief Executive Officer,

American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA)

"Super Ownership distills what we worked to cultivate in district leaders: clarity of purpose, disciplined execution, and the courage to align adults around student results. Drawing on a rare blend of military command, civic leadership, and instructional focus, John Barry offers a field guide that is both principled and practical-exactly what superintendents need when the stakes are highest."

-Tim Quinn & Shelley Keith, Managing Directors,

The Broad Superintendent Academy

"In this timely book, you'll find the distilled wisdom of a proven commander and school superintendent-lessons that turn mission, ownership, accountability, and care for students into daily practice. A must-read for every school leader, especially school superintendents."

-Gen Ronald R. Fogleman, USAF (Ret), 15th Chief of Staff

of the United States Air Force