This is a book about hope. It affirms the power of personal and collective responsibility to enact heroic changes in our schools. Through a shared vision, purpose, and inquiry--and using the collective wisdom of myth, legend, and metaphor from around the world--we can find the inspiration and courage to face the challenges inherent in transforming schools into authentic learning organizations. As the heroes of legend leave the safety of their homes to face dragons and serpents in their quest for treasure and enlightenment, so do modern educators face new practices and confront the barriers to change in education. The authors show how heroic educators can triumph in their journey--and achieve excellence for students. Like both Arthurian and Jedi Knights, the Native American hero Black Elk, and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, heroic educators face six stages on their journey: * innocence lost; * chaos and complexity; * the heroic quest; * gurus and alliances; * trials, tests, and initiations; and * insight and transformation. Finally, the heroic educator returns "home" and begins the journey again, with a renewed vision and an enlarged heart, to create a caring community for learners of all ages.