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…

Green design, green construction and green operations for new buildings are rapidly becoming the norm for school districts throughout the country. Today, increased availability of green products and technology coupled with cost savings that are realized through an integrated design process mean that schools like Arabia Mountain High School can be…

As Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools' experience shows, school districts can deal constructively with research proposals seeking school system data by asking prospective researchers to reduce the school system's burden; protecting the individual privacy of staff, students, and families; upholding the normal school schedule; and ensuring…

Since its 1980 sexual harassment guidelines went into effect, a vocational technical high school in Lexington, Massachusetts, has actively educated its staff and 700 students about sexual harassment. The program involves a discipline policy included in the school's "Handbook for Parents," a first-year seminar, staff inservice training,…

To maintain the highest degree of ethical conduct, superintendents must avoid illegal practices, favoritism, questionable affiliations, and abuses of power. They must be transparent in business dealings, follow board policies and bylaws carefully, encourage participative decision making, treat everyone equally, and be highly visible and…

Without an enforceable policy, school athletics programs are beset by politics, high finance, and public sentiment. The most nettlesome problems include loss of instructional time to sports and extracurricular activities; the appropriateness and effectiveness of no-pass/no-play rules; lack of sportsmanship; proliferation of interstate competition;…

A review of 200 documents describing site-based management in the United States, Canada, and Australia shows that this management style does not achieve its stated objectives to change school policy, broaden decision-making, and improve instruction or student achievement. Program viability, site conditions, and assessment issues are discussed. A…

The author discusses how to create good policies about technology use among school districts. Disagreements over technology use policies have at their core two disparate sets of priorities--one held by the technical staff and one by educators. The author argues that open dialogue and clear understanding about technology are essential for its…

Administrators across the nation have encountered vigorous challenges against textbooks, practices, and procedures that critics find laden with occult and New Age values. Attacks are becoming more aggressive, better organized, and well financed. This article and accompanying sidebars discuss pressure group tactics and ways to counter them. The…

Student mobility is associated with lower achievement and test scores and affects teachers, parents, and classmates at both departing and receiving schools. Some districts, like Fort Wayne (Indiana) Public Schools, calculate mobility and stability rates for accountability purposes. A sidebar outlines tips for promoting mobile students' gains. (MLH)

Describes a California school superintendent's struggle to resolve two sexual abuse cases involving teachers immediately after being appointed to head a closely knit, but financially troubled district. The superintendent's success may be attributed to careful planning, solid advice, strong and succinct district policies, honest communication, and…

School administrators are crucial in developing and implementing an effective, comprehensive school Suicide-prevention program. They should develop a districtwide policy, establish school-level crisis-intervention teams, provide teacher training, ensure appropriate responses to threats, include suicide-prevention education in the curriculum, and…

As principals become more accountable for student achievement, evaluation policies and procedures should be carefully crafted. Evaluation should focus on school improvement, be performance-based and aligned with job junctions, define performance expectations, promote buy-in and collaboration among administrators, promote growth and improved…

Professor Hill Walker has identified three challenges to handling disruptive student behavior: prevention, at-risk programs, and high-intensity interventions. Principals should beware administrative traps: getting tough is enough, targeting a few difficult students, seeking quick fixes, finding one powerful trick, revering outside experts, and…

The baby boomer generation, typically referred to as those individuals born between 1946 and 1964, has been teaching in the schools since the 1960s. These dedicated professionals, many of them serving their schools for more than 30 years, soon will retire. In the next 10 years, more than two million new teachers will be needed to staff the…