People often think that power only flows downhill in school. The author draws on his own research observations, as well as the philosophy of Michel Foucault, to offer more nuanced insights. He explains that power is not a "thing" people can possess and that it flows in multiple directions, forming a web of influence. These insights…

While this article is not about women's colleges or exclusively women presidents, the author notes, it is women's colleges that have experienced the greatest challenges, due primarily to financial constraints and competition. As operational costs escalated and choices for students increased, many small struggling colleges with little or no…

The REL Mid-Atlantic Webinar discussed the elements in a positive school climate and shared different methods for assessing school data, including the Comprehensive School Climate Inventory. The Q&A presented in this document address the questions participants had for Dr. Cohen following the webinar. The webinar recording and PowerPoint…

The history of leadership in educational settings that has a principal focus on student learning is one dominated by Western cultures, particularly those in the USA; also, it has developed two near-identical models of leadership commonly known as "instructional" or "learning-centred". This paper explores the relevance of these…

This article presents an interview with Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education Kevin Jennings on his ideas about school safety. In this interview, Jennings describes his plans for making schools safer for students and for developing a way to measure school climate that can drive such changes. Bullied in school, Jennings now devotes his life to…

On Feb. 12, 2008, 15-year-old Lawrence King was shot twice in the head in front of other students, in Oxnard, California. When Larry King was murdered allegedly due to a classmate's prejudice, some pundits asked if adults were to blame for encouraging him to come out. One can't be sure what adults did or didn't do in this case, but the question…

Examines what the prepared environment means to the Heads of Montessori schools. Maintains that the physical environment must be safe, healthful, aesthetically pleasing, and communicative to all the school's constituents. Suggests that the psychological environment is determined by underlying beliefs guiding expectations and actions of…

The following excerpt allows the reader to briefly peer into an ideal school setting: For the purposes of this paper, the fictitious school will be named Utopia Middle School or U.M.S. U.M.S embodies and exemplifies the perfect school. At U.M.S., the campus administrators perform at a level of excellence that motivates, empowers and supports all…

Expectations of trustees have undergone a dramatic change in the wake of the Enron debacle, the new strictures of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and several new state policies, laws, and executive actions. Additionally, well-publicized examples of inadequate trustee oversight have affected the public's and policymakers' perceptions of higher education.…

To improve teacher performance today, leaders must focus on intangible rewards. The principle of equal treatment of unequals has discouraged excellence and rewarded mediocrity. (Author)

Strong schools have strong cultures evidenced by their heroes and heroines, rituals and ceremonies, and shared beliefs and values. (Author)

It is no coincidence that Americans consider their greatest presidents to be those who have led during periods of profound conflict: Washington, Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt. The irony of leadership is that one does not, and cannot, fully comprehend the positions to which he/she aspires until he/she lives in them for a while. In this article, the…

By celebrating the school's mission and goals, modeling appropriate behavior, and acknowledging appropriate behavior in others, principals can display the cultural leadership necessary to mold the school's organizational culture into an acceptable and manageable form. (PGD)

Compares and contrasts the role of the school principal in American and British schools, focusing on the author's personal experiences in observing and dealing with principals. Also considers administrator-teacher relationships and organizational patterns within school systems, suggesting that students (not principals/superintendents) be at the…

Considers ways in which Catholic educational leaders can help students, parents, faculty, and staff make full use of their capabilities. Highlights instructional strategies based on exploration, the development of competence, reciprocity, and emulation. (DMM)