Describes the leadership qualities of an effective board of education or religious education commission. Provides examples of effective boards solving problems by becoming advocates, skill sharers, communicators, and responders to their communities. Challenges leadership groups to become communities, share their collective wisdom, and become…

This digest discusses the relationship between community college trustees and the president, focusing on the necessity of establishing a rapport before times of crises. It is vital that the roles of both parties be clearly defined, and that each has a mutual responsibility to inform the other in an emergency. The president should embody the…

This position statement, coauthored by a joint committee composed of members of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) and the National School Boards Association (ASBA), outlines a new cooperative relationship for superintendents and school boards. In light of the challenges that today's superintendents and school boards face, it…

This report discusses the importance of a policy-guided administration. Policies enable an educational institution to attain credibility and continuity and to achieve its objectives. The principal's role as educational leader and executive officer is to help the board to identify policy needs and to monitor and evaluate programs. Policy-making is…

School boards must recognize that bargaining with unionized teachers is becoming inevitable. Attempts to postpone formal negotiation usually result in giving away more by accident than would have been the case in the formal situation. While it is true that formal bargaining involves an adversary relationship between school boards and teachers,…

Offers suggestions for former school board members who want to stay involved in the district. They can serve as critical friends, community liaisons, or cheerleader/resource persons. (LMI)

Describes the working relationship between a board of education and the superintendent of schools. Outlines specific responsibilities of the superintendent. Discusses problems of policy development and administration and accountability of the school board to the community. (FMW)

In the past, boards of education were created to run school districts. But as expectations of educators grew, a cadre of professional administrators developed who were capable of operating school districts quite well. What boards of education bring to the table is the link with local needs of the community in public education. This is far…

The superintendent is the chief advisor to the school board on all matters relating to the meet and confer process, and he acts as the main channel of communication between the school board and the management team and the Certificated Employees Council. (Published by California School Boards Association, 800 9th Street, Suite 201, Sacramento,…

To help school districts develop contingency plans for teacher strikes, this guide provides background material and suggests methods for building a strike plan. Following a listing of contributors and a short introduction, there is a brief history of collective bargaining and teacher strikes. A general discussion on developing, preparing, and…

This manual is intended to aid school board members in developing an organizational structure within the school district management team that will facilitate efficient and effective response to teacher strikes. In addition to discussing the development of an appropriate organizational structure, the manual also provides tactical advice, presents…

Reviews major aspects of the school negotiation process and advises superintendents and administrators to select and clarify the superintendent's approach to collective bargaining, study past contracts and bargaining situations, organize a negotiating team, and help all board members understand their role in the negotiation process. (Author/MLF)

Every school board would be wise to agree on a set of beliefs about how lasting change is made and how board operations can foster desired changes. Decisions are best made through a search for solutions that will at least partly satisfy everyone. Consensus is the preferred strategy for making decisions. (MLF)

The quality of superintendent-school board relationships has a direct impact on the success of any school system through the power of good public relations. The traditional roles of superintendents and school boards and the artificial division of labor between the two no longer serve our school systems well. In this article, I apply a model of…

Marcy Dutton, a lawyer and associate director of the Illinois Association of School Administrators, believes that Superintendents are prone to practice law and sometimes practice it badly. Because school leaders, and superintendents in particular, are take-charge people, they want to function as armchair lawyers. In other words, they have just…