Although many professional fields show increasing numbers of women in managerial and executive positions, female school administrators are scarce due to blatant discrimination and an increasing number of men entering teaching. Women's advancement is also hampered by social expectations, parental guidance, and their own aspirations. Recommendations…

To confront the growing proportion of disadvantaged children amidst the shrinking pool of future workers, Jule Sugarman (Washington State Secretary of Social and Health Services) has proposed a Children's Trust to fund existing and new programs for children. The program would be funded by a .3 percent payroll tax for both employers and employees.…

Describes results of the Work in America Institute's 1986 study of school problems. Urban schools are plagued by overspecialization and excessive responsibility division that can incarcerate teachers in the classroom. Curriculum and learning problems receive little attention. Management/teacher alliances are the only way to produce systematic…

Principal and teacher readiness is a crucial prerequisite to successful supervision. Principals can achieve positive results by using a group approach to instructional improvement. Videotapes and other classroom data can help focus discussion and promote teacher growth and self-learning. (MLH)

A Kentucky high school principal regrets leaving a previous principalship for the superintendency of a small inner-city district. He gradually realized he'd been victimized by his own ego and others' perceptions of him. Playing political games had caused him to lose focus on the students. Principalships are equally stressful, but permit greater…

As chair of the New York State Council of School Superintendents' Wellness Committee for the past six years, the author is often asked how to begin a program of wellness and stay with it. Based on personal experience, he provides tips about cardiovascular fitness activities, regimens, information sources, and motivational aids. (MLH)

Recent studies show that built environment is a key element in a school's overall success. Since today's educators promote a thinking-based, integrated curriculum, the learning environment is especially important. Landscape architects can create ecosystems for students to explore, study, and adapt. Structural engineers can create lessons in…

Many share Linda Page's concerns ("A Conservative Christian View on Values," this issue) about our country's crisis of character. Schools must embrace historical moral standards. Page's proposed strategies are inadequate, since release time and Bible clubs reach only a small part of a community's population. A school committed to…

Students and employees are legally protected against sexual harassment, regardless of the perpetrator's age or status. Although caution is needed when responding to complaints, school leaders should avoid making backroom deals with staff members accused of molestation or improper sexual conduct. All school community members need information and…

The most visible large-scale university initiatives in the schools are those in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and Pueblo, Colorado. Thanks to special state legislation, Boston University has been running the Chelsea school system since 1989. The Pueblo system, which more closely resembles a corporate merger, represents a formal agreement to transform…

Compliments the National School Boards Association for its four philosophical emphases: setting a vision for education, ensuring a solid organizational infrastructure, demanding results-oriented evaluation, and advocating for a community's children and public schools. Board responsibilities are awesome and time consuming. To survive, public…

Washington is totally ignorant about what takes place in schools and would rather fingerpoint than exercise true leadership. President Bush assumes that minimal vouchers to attend expensive private schools (with selective admission standards) will make a difference, ignoring the issues of financial inequity and inadequate city services. Meanwhile,…

Superintendents face a no-win proposition when confronting attempted school board takeovers by religious-fundamentalist candidates. Public political disagreement may be a legitimate ground for a superintendent's dismissal. The safest course is to work quietly behind the scenes and encourage others to question candidates' qualifications and…

There are three critical attributes of genuine outcome-based learning systems: coherence, congruence, and commitment to student success. Preliminary results from three pioneering school districts show improved student performance on standardized and criterion-referenced tests. Educators will be challenged to develop a shared vision of the…

A recent study examined 25 promising educational practices for serving students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Administrators clearly have the greatest opportunity (and power) to shape the culture of the educational environment, whether as superintendent or principal. The effective administrator provides direction by developing and…