Too often, new superintendents--even if they have succeeded in other administrative positions--can undermine their successes by making critical novice mistakes, such as failing to recognize political stumbling blocks or unintentionally inviting school board member micromanagement. "Moving into the Superintendency: How to Succeed in Making the…

The purpose of this document is to provide information and guidance for Nebraska School districts in creating new, or revising existing policies and procedures related to the use of physical restraint and seclusion in school settings. The goal is to create policies that are informed by national policy directions, research, good practice and…

District-level leadership often has been perceived as irrelevant to educational reform. This study compared district political and apolitical board and superintendent turnover to student performance change on the state criterion-referenced test. Results included student test score decline as board turnover increased, particularly in smaller…

Offers superintendents several tips for establishing sound relationships with their school boards, including clarifying roles, understanding the political and professional nature of the superintendency, avoiding close identification with specific board members, educating board members, avoiding provincialism, cultivating good administrative staff…

Provides an outline of policy to follow when school boards must make negative decisions and say no to parents or special interest groups. Includes nine tips that school board members should remember during meetings. (MD)

School board members refuse to honor the elusive line separating governance and management, policy and administration. Reviews the influence of women board members, accountability, and parental pressure on school boards. (MLF)

The purpose of The Arizona Long-Range Strategic Educational Technology Plan is to map the future of the "education support systems" necessary for Arizona's children to succeed in today's world. The plan details goals and strategies for policy makers, the State Board of Education, the State Department of Education, Institutions of Higher…

The current debate on educational reform includes many proposals to increase teacher participation in decision-making in order to make school policy and management more responsive to local needs. This paper argues that policy goals for teacher involvement should be geared to helping school staff, both teachers and administrators, meet the needs of…

This is a research-based book to help school administrators understand and more effectively deal with the ethical compromises that arise as a result of the complex organizational and interpersonal demands of their leadership roles. The author combines personal knowledge, candid revelations, and interview data from five dedicated school…

Experiences of a Michigan school district provide a case study for examining the political, economic, and community-relations issues embedded in a decision to privatize. Support can be achieved only if all parties feel they were given adequate attention during deliberations on the issue. (MLF)

A study of 188 superintendents and 379 school board members in districts with student enrollments above 25,000 sheds light on several factors affecting the working relationships between superintendents and their local boards. Board members tended to follow personal judgment rather than constituent preferences when making decisions, and received…

Raymond Callahan's superintendent vulnerability thesis suggests that school superintendent behavior is subject to the political winds of local school boards, in turn dominated by the economic values of American businessmen. This thesis inspired a body of research termed "dissatisfaction theory," which describes the sequence of events…

The Local Government Act of 1972 redefined local government boundaries in England and reduced the number of local education authorities. Ancillary corporate management "reforms" ultimately reduced the chief education officer's power, enhanced ruling party and chief executive power, and heavily politicized the education service. (49…

Offers superintendents guidelines for resolving personnel disputes, policy disagreements, and communication problems with school boards so that schools run smoothly. (KS)

The responsibilities of university presidents and board chairs have evolved significantly from the early days of public higher education. There was a time when the power of the board was absolute, but those days are long gone, and it remains an open question whether the structures of public boards have kept pace with the complex social…