The word "religion" sends shudders down the spine of superintendents, as conflict over religious values can be one of the most unpredictable and emotional issues arising today in public schools. Dealing with religious belief in public schools need not be full of emotion and conflict. In this article, the author shares his strategies for…

The author shares her experience in working with a small group of teachers and the director of an alternative high school program who were experiencing significant conflict during team meetings. Every member, including the director, agreed that the group suffered from serious breakdowns in communication. As the facilitator of the group, the author…

The author has lived in two worlds for many years. As a former band director and musician, he was constantly immersed in the world of creativity. Even today, after 36 years in educational administration, he spends his weekends judging band contests that require long hours at very low pay. He does so because he enjoys the creativity and enthusiasm…

Conflict, a common managerial problem, offers opportunities for creative and positive actions. "Win-win" conflict resolution, which occurs chiefly through compromise, contribution, and synthesis tactics, requires trust, commitment, communication, and dialog. It can be encouraged by generating positive feelings, redirecting negative…

This article talks about leading significant learning opportunities through conflict of ideas in a school system. Catalyzing school change can turn emotional differences of opinion into learning opportunities. Leaders who want to deal effectively with these challenging, often tense situations need to be more than good managers. They need to be…