California has a notable history of investing in educational leaders' professional learning. In 1983, the state launched the California School Leadership Academy (CSLA), which it funded until the academy was discontinued due to statewide budget cuts in 2003. Research showed that CSLA was a source of high-quality professional development. In 2019,…

"The Learning System" is an eight-page newsletter published eight times a year. Designed for superintendents and central office staff with professional learning responsibilities. This issue includes: (1) Superintendent Stays on Course with Personal Learning Plan (Valerie von Frank); (2) District Leadership: Permit, Don't Proscribe, to…

In fall 2006, the deputy superintendent of Howard County Schools in Maryland asked a small leadership team to rethink leadership support for central office leaders and to come up with an aligned three-point plan that would meet their unique needs. The leadership support system needed to take into account: (1) Leadership standards and indicators of…

From setting the stage to engaging the community in understanding the purpose of collaborative professional learning teams, this volume covers what leaders need to know to implement more effective professional learning. Chapters focus on changing school culture, scheduling time, planning, using data, designs for professional learning, facilitating…

Ensuring quality teaching in every classroom across an entire system of schools--that's what a district leader's job is all about. A district leader's challenges are unique so "The Learning System" was created with that in mind. This issue contains: (1) Imagine the Possibilities: 2020 Forecast Explores 6 Change Forces that Will Shape the…

This article discusses why the work of central-office administrators and building administrators seem so disconnected from one another. The fact that central-office administrators and principals seem to travel in orbits with different paths, with seemingly few areas of significant overlap, has a decidedly negative impact on the ability of the…

In this article, the author relates how he initiated a systemic improvement to Half Hollow Hills school district when he became its superintendent. He relates that although he came to Half Hollow Hills with a deep understanding of the models of systemic change, he did not bring with him a specific prescriptive plan for improvement. His plan for…

A California school district provides professional development for administrators with school-based principal meetings and visitations to classrooms followed by reflection and analysis; peer mentoring for principals; and ongoing support and monitoring of school sites by the district office administrators. (MLF)

School business officials' technical knowledge and expertise can make the process of school-based management more successful. The art of site-based management is relationship building through effective interpersonal and communication skills. (MLF)