Offers advice to administrators on how to avoid due process hearings related to special education programs. (WD)

Profiles the principal of Terraset school in Reston (Virginia) and discusses the effects of her successful management of this model school for energy conservation. An adjacent article describes the design of the facility and resultant energy savings. (WD)

An anecdotal account by a Queens (New York) school principal about serving homeless students and their families during the 1988-89 school year. (MLF)

Supported by the Carnegie Foundation and other allies, teacher unions are now demanding that teachers take over the nation's schools and run them without management interference. Teachers need "enablement" more than empowerment, as seen in the case of Rochester, New York. (MLH)

A pilot program in school-based management in Prince William County, Virginia, gave principals at five schools their share of the school system's budget to allocate. (MLF)

Describes what is happening with school-based management in the public school systems of Dade and Sarasota Counties, Florida; and Savannah Chatham County, Georgia. (MLF)

While Principal Norman Higgins was speaking at an out-of-town conference, his high school faculty voted to cancel final exams for seniors and hold a morale-raising picnic. Although some principals dole out site-based power only grudgingly, Higgins takes his coordinator role seriously and delegates loads of responsibility. This article details…

Principals must become new-age leaders dedicated to achieving a learning renaissance in the nation's schools. Like Sisyphus, principals often find themselves in the ultimate organization box, facing endless uphill struggles. Two exemplary Los Angeles practitioners have transformed their work places into egalitarian learning networks. A new…

An organization's dramaturgical facade (ability to present an appearance in keeping with the script) is a better measure of effectiveness than its actual results. An organization must match its theatrical production--stage, props, drama, and actors--to audience demands. As directors, playwrights, and actors, superintendents play a vital role in…

Following the lead of Xerox and Ford, U.S. industry is embracing benchmarking as fundamental to quality improvement efforts. Schools can adopt this practice by comparing themselves to the best schools. The first steps are selecting specific improvement areas and identifying model schools for comparison. Visionary leadership is essential. (MLH)

Even though they may be unable to offer them top dollars, schools can successfully recruit new teachers by letting prospective teachers know what is so special about the school or school system; using the school staff to do part of the selling job; and providing an emotional enticement. (MLF)

Tips on improving student test scores fall into two categories: format training and environmental conditions. Environmental conditions include notifying parents of the test, emphasizing the importance of the test, and giving the test in familiar surroundings. Format training includes explaining multiple-choice options and answer sheets. (MLF)

Offers superintendents guidelines for resolving personnel disputes, policy disagreements, and communication problems with school boards so that schools run smoothly. (KS)

Suggestions are provided to help school superintendents avert problems of sexual abuse by teachers before they happen: (1) screen employees carefully; (2) know your principals; and (3) have principals keep a sharp eye on their staff for potentially significant changes in behavior. (TE)

Describes various types of difficult bosses and provides tips on how to deal with them. Included are the good but unsettling boss, the incompetent boss, the overcompetent boss, the paranoid boss, and the martinet boss. (TE)