Leading a school today takes courage, energy and lots of knowledge. Today's principals certainly manage the site and keep all aspects key to running a school smoothly at their fingertips. In addition, leaders today also must have curricular knowledge, model instructional leadership and build community among the constituents. Sometimes, new leaders…

Green energy represents a way to empower students by demonstrating creative problem-solving with an eye on protecting precious resources, both capital and natural. Many school districts have already taken the initiative during the past five years to implement energy projects, whether for the educational or economic opportunities, or both.…

As an assistant principal of a middle school, cultivating and promoting a positive school culture is what the author believes to be one of his most important roles. Creating a positive culture is like taking care of a delicate flower. It takes constant care and maintenance to keep it looking healthy. One cannot just throw water at a garden and…

Principals and other administrators seem to be perpetually overworked. There is always something that still needs to be done at the end of the day, and it is easy for disaster planning and preparedness to keep slipping to the bottom of the list. However, disaster preparation is essential, even when planning for the unknown. At some point in every…

After three years of budget cuts, California school district leaders are hard-pressed to find ways to make further reductions without impacting educational quality. However, some seasoned leaders have turned to broad sustainability strategies to find new sources of savings and revenue. This article presents case studies in which three district…

Successful middle schools do not happen by accident--they happen through leadership. Principals promote a shared vision that empowers school staffs to set high standards and continuously improve student achievement. And these middle grade educators also try to help their adolescent students see the connection between their work in school and their…

Effective use of data is key to improving student outcomes. This requires leaders to ensure teachers have developed the skills to convert student data to useful information to effectively plan for instruction and student interventions; to hold collaborative discussions that are structured for these purposes; to broaden the view of data to include…

After-school programs can help show students how academics are relevant to their personal interests, and serve as training grounds for future teachers. This article features LA's BEST After School Enrichment Program whose mission is to provide a safe and supervised after school education, enrichment, and recreation program for children ages 5 to…

The authors' careers crossed and converged throughout the years they served as superintendents. When together, they often shared their past histories and discovered how much they all held in common. They were together on many panels to discuss the role of the superintendent and the paths they followed to achieve this goal. In this article, the…

This article describes the California School Finance (CASF) Web site, which explains the complexities of school funding in California. The Web site, www.californiaschoolfinance.org, was developed by EdSource, an organization that has been trusted in California for 30 years to explain school finance in simple, jargon-free language. The CASF site…

Today, the principal's role has shifted from managing and evaluating individual instructors to creating and maintaining data-driven collaborative cultures. With a clear focus upon the achievement of all students, the principal must serve as both instructional leader and learning leader. This requires new skills sets. The principal must now be able…

Mandated as an option for students who have not been successful in traditional programs, continuation education provides as alternative setting that helps students meet graduation requirements and earn their high school diplomas. Continuation high schools are quite successful in helping their students. This is due to their small size (usually 20:1…

An effort to bring commonality to what students bring with them may be the reason that California's Content Standards so heavily emphasize what students must know and understand. In fact, this author's analysis of California's Content Standards shows that just over one-quarter of the standards are written at a "remember" or an…

With the increasing number of Latina and Latino students in California schools, the need was clear for a mentoring program that not only increased the growth rate, but also supported the retention rate of Latina and Latino school superintendents and educational leaders. Such leaders are most often perceived by Latina and Latino students as…

Times are changing, and changes create different responsibilities for educational leaders. The most significant recent change is the absolute necessity that they be strong instructional leaders; that is, leaders of learning. Their primary learners are the members of the administrative staff and the teaching faculty, followed closely by students,…