Current Turnaround Leadership Challenges and Emerging Best Practices in Global Education and Social Development: A Critical Appraisal

This article presents an overview and critical appraisal of current turnaround leadership challenges confronting education leaders today in the design, development, and provision of quality education and social development opportunities for the world's children and youth. Three specific turnaround leadership challenge areas in global education and social development are identified for review. Within each of these three challenge areas, some emerging best practices involving current regional and global collaboration initiatives that demonstrate considerable promise for advancing education and social development opportunities for the world's children and youth are highlighted. The article includes a literature-informed discussion of important dimensions of each of the three identified global education and social development challenge areas along with an appraisal of some creative educational program design ideas for expanding young people's access to high-quality education and career advancement opportunities. Finally, a number of practical education leadership action strategies are offered that educators -working in a variety of education organizations in diverse countries and regions of the world -can consider employing as intentional means to expand and deepen their ongoing educational mentoring and developmental support of children and youth in ways that help young people maximize their twenty-first-century job/career prospects and life-long learning opportunities.