Preparing good leaders depends not only on providing good initial professional learning, but also on creating a strong support structure during the early years of practice. However, what good mentoring looks and sounds like varies widely in practice. Many mentoring programs for education leaders consist of buddy-like relationships that provide…

In this commentary, the Dean of the Kansas State University College of Education states that the job of a school leader is more complex and more demanding than ever before. As institutions of higher education contemplate the question "Who is the Building Leader?," defining the roles and responsibilities of the school building leader is…

One of the most fervent debates at the University of Kansas (KU) during the Vietnam War played out in the University Registrar's Office. During this period, James K. Hitt held the dual role of university registrar and Selective Service Representative: he used his position as registrar to inform the military of students' grades and class standings…

The 1983 publication of "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform" (National Commission of Excellence in Education) "initiated the longest sustained period of attention to public education in the nation's history and ignited a new wave of interest in teacher preparation" (NRC, Committee on the Study of Teacher…

This article describes a survey of the characteristics of new-to-site superintendents in Kansas in the last three school years, focusing on the methods by which these administrators are evaluated and their own view about their evaluations.(Author/TE)

Describes the library media center programs at Blue Valley High School (Kansas), the proactive stance it takes in the curriculum, and how it maintains an active role in the school community. Topics include developing a comfortable atmosphere for teachers and students, financial and moral administrative support, and the use of technology. (LRW)

At Brown Mackie College, a private junior college in Kansas, faculty members are immersed in student learning on a daily basis and are doing an excellent job of incorporating assessment techniques in their classrooms. However, they depend mostly on administrative staff to help them provide a conducive environment to learning for the students. The…

In this article, the author reflects on 17 years of being an administrator in a community college setting. Being a good administrator requires being both a good manager and a good leader. It is the management side that turns many people away from the position, but, linking motivational theory to the situation and meeting the basic needs of those…