The private sector is more often viewed as the realm that is cutting-edge and creative, not the public sector. But this thinking is more myth than fact. There are countless examples of private sector entities that become stagnant and eventually fail. The reality is that no particular sector has a lock on being innovative and entrepreneurial. These…

In the city of San Jose, more than half of all public school students tested are not proficient in their grade-level skills. This article discusses how school, civic and community leaders have joined forces with the goal of eliminating the achievement gap in San Jose by 2020. This wide and highly inclusive collaboration is made possible by an…

It is ironic that the population of students on which educators have the most surveillance, either through ubiquitous video cameras or through the vigilant presence of probation officers, have been the most invisible in many educational practices. English learners who are incarcerated youth and attend county court schools throughout California are…

Planning and implementing major innovations in large urban districts can be a daunting and overwhelming idea--particularly when it comes to technology--due to real and perceived obstacles. Added to this challenge is the reality of the worst budget crisis in California history. When students are empowered by full access to technology, learning…

The executive director of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association offers seven steps to "shore up" school administrators' leadership skills. States that mobilizing people to tackle tough problems is what good leaders do. (Contains 10 references.) (MLF)

Describes efforts of the Baldrige in Education Center and Quality Leadership Academy in Santa Cruz County, California, to support teacher and administrator efforts to improve student performance in selected schools through the use of continuous-improvement techniques adopted by many American corporations to improve product quality and increase…

For years, experts have said that the way to get things done is to schedule them on the calendar and to find a partner to join in the effort. Following this advice, the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) joined the Leadership Initiative at WestEd in inviting superintendents and district teams to think through improving…