Aging school infrastructure, changing population dynamics, decreased funding, and increased accountability for reporting school success all require today's school business officials to combine a variety of disparate data sets into a coherent system that enables effective and efficient decision making. School business officials are required to: (1)…

In the midst of growing controversy over the limits of student expression on the Internet, a federal trial court in Pennsylvania addressed the extent to which education officials can restrict the ability of student teachers and, by extension, teachers and other school employees, to exercise their rights to free speech on Internet social networking…

Collaborative teamwork between school board members and administrators in a rural Oregon community concerning negotiations has been positive. Under the new system, the teacher-versus-administrator conflict has been reduced; board members became involved in all the districts' committees; and the time spent on negotiations has been cut in half. (MLF)

A school board expects its secretary-treasurer to be a senior staff member responsible for historical and financial recordkeeping and also to be a purchasing expert and a public relations officer. (MLF)

In April 2009, a high school principal in a large Arizona school district met individually with 18 of his most senior teachers to inform them that they would not have a job the following year. Why didn't tenure protect them from wholesale dismissal? The answer is they all had one thing in common: they were retirees who had been leased or hired…

A number of cases have been litigated challenging the basic administrative right of a board of education to close a school. The suits are discussed based on the nature of the challenge against the school board. (MLF)

A resource document released by the National Association of State Boards of Education recommends standardizing the criteria for approving home instruction and shoring up progress reporting and evaluation procedures. These recommendations have implications for the ways local districts locate and monitor home instruction. (MLF)

Describes some recent developments in the legal services lawyers and law firms provide to school boards, including, for example, preventive law, alternative dispute resolution (mediation and arbitration), and alternative fee arrangements such as task-based billing and flat-fee billing. (PKP)

Offers a practical review of commonsense principles that may assist a school business official in preparing for negotiations. Includes the role of the team, preparation for negotiations, process at the table, and settlement issues. (MLF)

Reviews three recent court cases from separate jurisdictions dealing with letters of recommendation. Suggests ways to avoid controversy and possible litigation involving letters of recommendation. Recommends that school boards update their policies on providing letters of reference for school personnel to reflect status of law in their states.…

Updates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act in light of two Supreme Court decisions in 2002: "Owasso Independent School District v. Falvo" and "Gonzaga University v. Doe." Suggests implications for school board policies on student records. (PKP)

Uses Thanksgiving dinner metaphor to introduce discussion of ways to improve the negotiation process. (PKP)

Describes several common mistakes made by school boards, for example, failing to create a comprehensive school charter and hiring too many paid consultants; asserts that boards must avoid these mistakes and adopt practices that contribute to the strategic governance of schools. (PKP)

Employee assistance programs (EAP) are evaluated in questionnaire responses from 73 of 109 (67 percent) Canadian school boards and 35 (50 percent) of the clients of the EAP in London, Ontario. Explores the nature of current programs and emerging trends in this field. (MLF)

When chief participants have failed to prepare adequately for negotiations, the resulting contract can be costly to the district. This article describes preparation procedures, such as developing the time table; designating the negotiations team; clarifying board role; reviewing the current contract, grievance cases, and recent legislation; and…