To meet the requirements under the South Carolina Education Finance Act, the Education Improvement Act, and the School Laws of South Carolina, the State Department of Education is required to catalog all professional personnel. The primary purpose of this publication is to catalog all professional staff employed by a district to: (1) update…

This checklist is intended to give school governing board members a means of assessing their meeting practices. The checklist contains five categories, with a total of 80 questions, pertaining to meeting-management variables common to all governing boards. The categories include: (1) preparation for the meetings; (2) operation of the meetings; (3)…

The superintendent's contract embodies the community's expectations of the school system's chief executive officer. The contract allows the school board and the superintendent to accomplish a number of tasks, including assuring stability in the district's leadership, creating means for resolving conflicts, and establishing procedures for meeting…

The author makes two initial assertions regarding the use and presentation of closed meetings. First, the real problem is not how to present them to the public but how to present them to the media. Second, closed sessions should never be used unless absolutely necessary. After presenting the reasons for the "sunshine" laws, the author…

The decision to retire from board membership is not easy. Provides a discussion on how to identify the proper time for retirement. Some reasons for not seeking re-election are: becoming a single-issue member, developing a closed mind, assuming a proprietary attitude, and getting old. (MD)

To meet the demand for control of emotional outbursts and angry confrontations at public hearings, this school district developed guidelines giving the school board a stance of deliberation and utilizing a strong, neutral moderator to limit debate and still meet the public's right to be heard. (WTH)

Questions the current push to improve education through legislation of higher standards in education. In Virginia the school boards association distributes a handbook of policies and resolutions to state legislators and asks that schools delinquent in standards be placed in receivership rather than impose educational reforms from above that are…

Outlines the reasons for having superintendents function as negotiators with employee unions. Includes six recommendations: (1) understand the negotiating process; (2) build a negotiating team; (3) know the costs; (4) learn negotiation rules; (5) develop a strategy; and (6) review these tips. Includes a list of pitfalls. (MD)

Harmonious working relationships among school board members can result when members strive for cooperation rather than unanimity, engage in frank discussion, treat others with respect, identify someone who can promote compromise, involve the superintendent, and consider improving organizational communication and functioning by hiring consultants,…

Effective field trip policies will address the suitability of trips, proposal requirements, student participation, school-wide planning and organization, transportation, permission forms, insurance, emergency procedures, costs, and the assignnment of responsibility for supervision. (PGD)

Outlines 11 suggestions for guiding boards in selection of a new superintendent. Important in the process are: setting aside the time and resources, establishing qualifications, and ensuring confidentiality and objectivity during the search. (MD)

To establish good working relationships with their school boards, superintendents should (1) be willing to be vulnerable, (2) be open and accurate, (3) be consistently civil, (4) seek compromise, (5) avoid complacency, and (6) remember that the relationship with each individual board member is unique. (PGD)

Educators who are also members of the bar offer advice to administrators on how to testify in court in school-related cases. (MJL)

This review of the Brown Act and other open-meetings laws in California has been prepared to assist school-board members in understanding the intent as well as the letter of the law governing deliberations and actions taken by school-board members in board meetings. This volume, published in 1999 to reflect the most current--at that time--changes…

By the time today's surplus schools are needed for students, the buildings will be 40 or 50 years old. The surplus school should be disposed of now and new facilities built when the need arises. (MLF)