Realizing that written policies must serve the board of education's several roles, this report attempts to identify and isolate the factors of effective written policies by analyzing them in terms of their relationship to the nature of the board of education. After considering this relationship, the report concludes that effective written policies…

This document focuses on the ideas, forces, and events that move the National School Boards Association (NSBA) forward through the years since its founding in 1940 (with its long roots extending back into the middle of the 19th century). The first chapter of this history of the NSBA, "The Antecedent Years," focuses on the years…

Lists 13 skills to make success for board members more likely, including skills in obtaining information; building coalitions; establishing school district goals; evaluating the superintendent, school operations, and the board itself; differentiating between the roles of the board and the superintendent; and judging personnel issues. (Author/JM)

Outlines some courses of action open to school boards of "broke" districts when they participate in collective bargaining. (IRT)

According to this paper, all parties in educational management--central office and building administrators, supervisory and curriculum personnel, as well as the board--should participate fully in the business of managing a school district. But before enacting a new policy, an enlightened board will consider the impact that the policy could have on…

The National School Boards Association's executive director dismisses the idea that state initiatives will eliminate local control of education, as well as problems local boards have faced. He claims that those accepting this idea don't understand educational governance, the political traditions behind that governance, or the effectiveness of…

The fundamental emphasis in filing civil suits against the public schools has switched from seeking relief or redress of an alleged wrong to establishing and creating new law. A significant number of lawsuits now filed are designed to put the judiciary in the position of creating new legal rights affecting public education. (Author)

Collective negotiations statutes are vague, and decisions on the subject by courts, commissions, and arbitrators are relatively sparse. The development of a definition of "management rights" agreeable to school administrators is not possible without (1) a clear understanding of the fundamental nature of the public school system; (2) an advocate's…

In focusing on local school board response to citizen desires for change in public school operations and on significant issues changing education from the perspective of school boards, three principles must be kept in mind: (1) public schools are controlled by three arms of government at three levels; (2) the federal government has limited powers;…

Examines the idea of establishing a merit pay commission within a school system that would have the authority to make merit pay decisions independent of school administrators. Presents the philosophic and legal issues associated with installing such a commission. (MD)

Local school board, epitome of representative U.S. governance, is undergoing profound changes as to vision, focus, service approach, and structure. Local school boards can spark development of educational programs to prepare youngsters for increasingly competitive, technological, and dangerous world. To achieve needed reforms requires federal and…

This speech outlines factors that preclude the reform of teacher tenure laws, describes improvement for these laws, and sets forth conditions under which they should be abolished. Some of the suggested improvements include (1) provisions for genuine probationary periods for teachers, (2) implementation of adequate teacher evaluation programs, (3)…

The part of the Civil Rights Act of primary concern to public school administrators is Section 1983, which permits litigation against school personnel as representatives of public school districts, which are local governmental units according to the law. A review of court cases allows generalizations including the following. Section 1983 is a…

In this booklet the author offers advice on how newly decentralized professional associations may render cooperative assistance at State, local, and national levels. The author argues that if these new groups are to succeed, they must be structured to endure the stresses of (1) possessing the machinery to resolve conflicts that arise between…