School department heads should be classroom teachers first. Their responsibilities in administration (for instance, keeping textbook records) and in curriculum management should be reduced, and their major responsibilities should involve teacher assistance, including teacher observation and aid to new teachers, and special departmental activities.…

Thomas Hehir, special education chief of Chicago Public Schools, is evangelist of integrating children with disabilities into regular classrooms. By completely reorganizing department viewed as political patronage dumping ground, Hehir has made remarkable progress in handling large number of children awaiting evaluation and placement in special…

Presents guidelines for deciding whether an elementary or secondary school needs department heads or not. Lists the responsibilities of both department heads who are administrators, and therefore members of management, and of department heads who are supervisors, and therefore members of labor.

Suggests guidelines for evaluating department heads in elementary and secondary schools, especially heads who teach. Recommends getting teacher ratings and department head self-appraisals on 12 specific job tasks, as well as requiring monthly reports from the head to the principal and observing the head's normal job activities. (RW)