Effective school business managers regularly assess themselves to ensure that they are "on top of their game" in the many facets of their jobs. One area they should not lose sight of, especially in the current economic situation, is their ability to communicate with their colleagues in the district. They may feel overwhelmed by the number of…

Despite a vast amount of national research on superintendent tenure, a paucity of research exists as to the degree in which specific factors influence a superintendent's decision to leave a district. The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors or combination of factors that may influence a superintendent's decision to leave a school…

Effective school districts maintain superintendent and school board collegiality which can foster success and connectedness among members. Delagardelle and Alsbury (2008) found that superintendents and board members are not consistent in their perceptions about the work the board does, and Glass (2007) found that states do not require boards to…

This study focuses on how superintendents who have experienced success, as measured by having a school district achieve and consistently achieve in the face of many challenges today. Several key strategies and leadership frameworks that superintendents use are examined through a review of current research and are validated by reviewing the results…

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of public school superintendents and school board presidents in the United States relative to the orientation and ongoing training that is believed to be necessary for newly elected or selected and experienced board members. At the national, state, and local levels, public education is…

In California women are underrepresented in the position of superintendent, yet are overrepresented in the field of education. The research questions for this study were (a) What are the processes used to hire superintendents? and (b) What are the processes when a woman is hired as superintendent? This research examined how organizational culture,…

This article will consider the career of Massillon Alexander Cassidy, a Progressive Era school superintendent in Lexington, Kentucky, 1886-1928. The authors' review of school board records, personal letters, newspapers, and scholarly accounts, presents a rich outline of one man's career in public education that is illustrative of how progressive…

Superintendents know they work and live in a giant fishbowl. School board members, teachers, community members and the news media have been known to scrutinize what kind of vehicle they drive, who they socialize with outside of work, whether they drink alcohol, where they live and when they leave the house each morning. But when the harsh glare of…

Amid today's heightened attention on student achievement, school boards find their responsibilities intensified and transformed. In this age of accountability, all school boards need to consider how best to maintain a focus on student achievement and promote it through district and school policies. "The Essential School Board Book" answers this…

Effective professional development for school principals is crucial to the successful administration of schools, especially during periods of change resulting from policy mandates. The Louisiana Legislature has passed legislation in an attempt to reform education in the state. During this same period, the Board of Elementary and Secondary…

The purpose of this research was to analyze trends in the United States regarding contract disputes that exist in school districts. Court cases were identified at the state and federal level to determine the outcomes and the fact patterns of contract disputes. To gain the knowledge of how courts handle cases of contractual breach, contracts…

Many board of education members question the importance of superintendent evaluations. Others consider it a thankless job. During the author's 28 years as a member of the school board of the 3,300-student Fitzgerald Public Schools in Warren, Michigan, he has participated in several evaluations and can attest to their value. In this article, the…

Historians have documented the dramatic battle over the mass introduction of IQ testing waged by Chicago's unionised teachers in 1924 against Superintendent McAndrew and the Chicago Board of Education. The efforts of Chicago's mid-level district administrators and their work with principals and teachers to address the real and perceived…

Holding closed sessions in school board meetings to reach major policy decisions is generally discouraged; but, school boards occasionally use this tactic if conflict and tension arise. Therefore, the questions of "how often does a Board of Education encounter conflict and tension" and "how is the decision made to schedule a closed session to…

Federal, state, and local accountability mandates (i.e., No Child Left Behind Act of 2001) and declining fiscal resources have put increasing pressure on school boards to find the "right" superintendent that can lead their district through this tumultuous period in public education. With over 50% of the current superintendents planning…