Recalling the myth of Sisyphus repeatedly pushing the same boulder up a mountain in his new book, author and educator Frederick M. Hess explains how the K12 education leadership is faltering, and how it can rise above. "Cage-Busting Leadership" (Harvard Education Press, February 2013) is a new book and consequently, a small, growing…

Analyzes the kinds of power principals have and their importance in determining the effectiveness of a school. Includes a proposal for the selection of principals and teachers. Good teachers should be involved in selecting principals and principals should be selected from the ranks of a school's teachers. (MD)

Hugh Burkett, director of The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, recently was asked to give the keynote speech at On the Right Track 4, an annual school improvement symposium for California school practitioners. In this month's newsletter, Dr. Burkett shares highlights from his remarks. He sets forth six things that should…

Principals are ultimately responsible and accountable for all scheduled activities that are part of the school's program, including interscholastic athletics. Among their responsibilities are supervising athletic directors, treating coaches as teachers first and as glory-winners for the school second, maintaining responsible conduct among…

High school principals should make every effort to encourage student and staff participation in extracurricular activities. Out-of-class activities provide a forum where students can learn valuable leadership training and obtain skills useful for their future. Jim Sabard, in "Student Council Advisors: Let the Students Shine," offers suggestions to…

Foreign language teachers need to provide students and administrators with a more accurate understanding of the nature and value of language programs if the programs are to successfully compete for enrollment. A survey of principals in Minnesota provided data reinforcing these views. (PGD)

This booklet contains various papers, commissioned by the National Catholic Educational Association, on the hiring, education, and evaluation of Catholic school teachers. The topics discussed include (1) guidelines for hiring teachers, (2) characteristics to look for in teachers, (3) preparation of teacher applications and conducting the…

Presents both sides of the debate over whether to allow military recruiters into high schools or to give them access to student names and addresses. Emphasizes the need for a school district policy before students and community residents become polarized over the issue. (JM)

Numerous 1983-84 educational improvement studies emphasized the need for strong principal leadership, yet present reform efforts fail to address adequately principal preparation. This proposal for administrative excellence has a four-category focus: recruitment of those with strong liberal arts degrees; selection of those committed to an 11-month…

Examines the issue of recruiting effective, faith-filled leaders for Catholic schools. Potential solutions parallel those identified with respect to teacher shortage: the need to address compensation concerns; additional research and data collection; implementation of creative, year-round marketing and recruitment efforts at diocesan and national…

Develops a theoretical context for understanding the evidence on effective schools. Analyzes how effective schools have surmounted a central problem of inner-city schools, recruiting and retaining good teachers. Argues that because principals in effective schools focus on improving student achievement, teachers have concrete, realizable goals…

Discusses the institutional and organizational environment of schools of choice in the public sector, focusing on the role of the principal. The principal's leadership role is that of middle manager, entrepreneur responsible for attracting and holding parents and students, and symbol manager, responsible for developing an organizational…

In the fall of 1977, students enrolled in an elementary school administration and supervision class at Indiana State University attempted to separate the "threats" from the "thorns" in elementary school administration. "Thorns" were defined as everlasting or recurrent problems, and "threats" were defined as relatively new problems perceived as…

Superintendents, principals, and teachers can no longer work in isolation or on parallel tracks. Leaders must be role models, engage in meaningful dialogue about children, and create new learning opportunities for the adults teaching them. Schools must cultivate talented leaders, not managers, to create what does not exist. (MLH)

As an adjunct to the California State Board of Education's 1983 report, "Raising Expectations: Model Graduation Requirements," this paper presents legislative and administrative recommendations on teacher quality and on the principal's role. The State Board's Master Plan Committee, which also produced "Raising Expectations,"…