Chicago's Local School Councils (LSCs) are the key to successful school reform efforts. Among the numerous decisions that LSCs make that have major effects on schools are the selection of a principal, the adoption of a school improvement plan, and the approving of a school's budget. Based on attendance of over 250 LSC meetings by staff of the…

Boards of education often feel that consultants are high-priced or of questionable quality; however, reasonably priced, highly competent consultants are available. Some issues facing school districts can best be approached using the specialized talents and objectivity available only from consultants. When a school board has decided that it needs a…

The purpose of this article is to summarize a study in which the extent and desirability of key decisions made by selected lay leaders in Catholic schools was explored. The study also examined the effect of school consolidation on decision making. (Author)

This document focuses on the ideas, forces, and events that move the National School Boards Association (NSBA) forward through the years since its founding in 1940 (with its long roots extending back into the middle of the 19th century). The first chapter of this history of the NSBA, "The Antecedent Years," focuses on the years…

The seven-member board of a Texas school district decided to scrutinize its own performance through a self-evaluation instrument used by each member to evaluate how the board functions, not how each individual functions. Benefits of board self-evaluation include reaffirmation of the board's role, encouragement of board harmony, and identification…

This edition contains two types of standards along with an interpretation of and/or reference to Georgia law or Georgia Board of Education policy. The first category includes standards that are required of either a school or local school system. The second category includes standards for field-test purposes from which future required standards…

A chronicle of the issues involved in the Newark Teachers' strikes in the decade 1963 to 1973, focusing on the conflicting roles of the Board of Education, the Newark Teachers Union, the Newark Teachers Association, and the increasing influence of the local black community. (EH)

An education and school management consultant discusses ways to reduce school expenditures now that a decline in enrollment has set in. (GB)

In preparing to discuss the roles of administrators, board members, and the negotiator in school collective bargaining, the author lists his "tried and true" principles and outlines the differences between bargaining in the public and private sectors. An important difference between the two kinds of bargaining is that school board…

This document is a compilation of California Education Code sections which set forth powers or duties of the Board of Governors or Chancellor's Office. Each power or duty is separately identified, followed by comments on the extent to which the mandate is being complied with, what the problems with compliance are, and recommendations as to changes…

To conduct effective school board meetings, thirteen basic rules are presented. The rules prescribe that agendas and minutes should be studied prior to meetings; that meetings should be informal, open to citizens, and paced to avoid boredom and wasted time; that attorneys' reports should be in writing, and that the attorney should participate only…

Written policy by local school boards is essential for efficient operation of the total educational program. At least one-half of the nation's 20,000 school boards have not established a written policy statement or kept one updated with new methods. This research established a taxonomy of terms that should be included in such a statement along…

The basic contention of this paper is that certification of educational evaluation personnel offers definite advantages to school districts and that these advantages tend to outweigh the disadvantages. The state board of education should be the final authority for certification, but multi-institutional involvement in designing and operating…