Describes eight common mistakes that beginning superintendents make when deciding whether the weather forecasts for snow and ice will make roads hazardous enough to cancel schools. For example, delaying an obvious decision to cancel schools until the morning or passing the responsibility to someone else. Describes several elements of an inclement…

Describes how superintendents can help school board meetings operate more efficiently. (PKP)

To penetrate illusions of power and control (the world as logical, leaders as controllers, progress as quantifiable, power as hoardable, organizational charts as restructuring, and risk- taking as policy-directed), leaders must connect with followers through values and common purpose. (MLH)

Former superintendent tells teachers and administrators how to maintain their "sense of calling" in an era of accountability. (PKP)

Every superintendent eventually has to deal with "The Bomb." This refers to a loaded question from a board member dropped at an inopportune moment in a public meeting when the superintendent has been given no time to prepare an informed response. The superintendent's typical reactions include the "deer in the headlights" look, a big gulp or even a…

In this article, the author first discusses what he did in preparation for the superintendency. He was a teacher for 16 years and an administrator for 10 more. He completed the California School Leadership Academy, the state's two-tier administrative training program, and the Superintendents Academy put on by the Association of California School…

In this article, the author offers advice for principals on working with teachers to change the instructional climate and on how to apply brain-friendly instructions to improve the effectiveness of one's teaching. To lead an entire district toward the use of brain-compatible instruction, the author suggests to start with a group of motivated…

Beginning on the front cover, this article advises superintendents how to identify and gain access to the community power structure in order to achieve the community's educational goals. Five basic ways that schools may react to power are identified. (MLF)

Describes the superintendent's role in training members of the school board to lead. (PKP)

Describes successful strategies used by school superintendents in Sauk City, Wisconsin; Beaverton, Oregon; and Vancouver, Washington to overcome barriers to implementing after-school programs. Provides brief summary of Mott Foundation-funded study of after-school programs conducted by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). (PKP)

Because the first educational reform waves were centered at state and school levels, superintendents have been left out of the picture. Excluding the superintendency from overall improvement designs or demeaning its contribution could unravel many change efforts. Superintendents must commit to a well-crafted educational agenda and redefine their…

The role that a school administrator plays in strategic planning will vary, depending on leadership style, district size, central office structure, and available financial resources. The administrator brave enough to facilitate the planning group must beware of certain pitfalls, including risking plan credibility, backing a conservative stance,…

Board meetings are the time and place where school boards act. In fact, only when coming together as a body in a legal meeting do school board members become a board. Effective board meetings are the first prerequisite for an effective board. Furthermore, what parents and voters see at board meetings determines largely what they think about their…

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…

Administrators are advised that the key to making decisions while preserving peace of mind is to give themselves enough options to avoid feeling trapped. Six different decision-making strategies are described. (Author/MLF)