For the past 12 years, the Cowen Institute has published the "State of Public Education in New Orleans" ("SPENO") on a near annual basis. During that time, the purpose, content, and audience of the report have evolved. This edition of the report is a snapshot of public education in the current academic year using aggregated…

To have an efficiently functioning school district, the roles of the school board and the administration must be clearly delineated, so that the school board formulates school policy while the superintendent implements it. To avoid dissention over their respective spheres of authority, it is best for a superintendent to establish two-way…

Since 1974, New Jersey board of education members' responsibilities have increased in direct proportion to major legislative actions and mandates affecting the state's public schools. This revised pamphlet was written to help new board members carry out their responsibilities. The first chapter outlines board members' authority as elected state…

Presents a model that administrators can use to control the teaching-learning process. Definitions are provided for the model's six elements: budgeting, reports, policies, organizational structures, professionalism, and staff selection and training. Notes that involvement of teachers and students in the control process minimizes communication…

Distinguishes three types of "mavericks" (single-issue advocaters, aspiring politicians, and administrative meddlers) who often complicate school board operations and offers six maxims for dealing with them, including understanding board members' personal motivations and conducting board business as openly as possible. (JBM)

The author's suggestions for dealing with single-issue board members include preparing for potential problems before "mavericks" take their seats, being fair to the maverick member's single issue, alerting mavericks to public pressure, and conducting a board self-analysis session. (JBM)

For organizations to succeed and endure, trust, collaboration, and performance cultures must coexist. A culture of trust starts with a school board that is independent and fully accountable and that holds all only its employees accountable. In a culture of collaboration, the board becomes a partner in setting goals but allows the experts to do…

The La Crosse (Wisconsin) School Board turned to the comprehensive school board development program offered by the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) for help in governance policy. The board adopted John Carver's Policy Governance model consisting of ends policies, executive limitations, board and superintendent relationship, and…

This chapter addresses cases reported in 1982 involving aspects of school board governance. Topics covered include powers of state boards of education; powers and duties of local boards; open meeting laws; school boards and conflicts of interest; school district and board members' election, appointment, and recall; school district organization;…

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…

Outlines a step-by-step approach to a school system formalized planning process and the role of board of education members. (MLF)

Being cooperative and reasonably straightforward in helping the media cover school news will help in getting well-informed, balanced coverage. Specific advice is offered, including suggestions on how to be more effective during news conferences and interviews. (MLF)

The superintendent, as the district educational leader, has responsibility toward the board of education and instructional staff. The latter function is encouraged and monitored by superintendents who use inservice programs, central office instructional and curriculum specialists, teacher committees, principals, and consultants to identify and…

Offers superintendents several tips for establishing sound relationships with their school boards, including clarifying roles, understanding the political and professional nature of the superintendency, avoiding close identification with specific board members, educating board members, avoiding provincialism, cultivating good administrative staff…

From a random sample of 4,441 board members, 1,482 (33 percent) responded to a survey. Women board members are more interested in curriculum than finance and expect to be more involved in school system decision making. Respondents' demographic characteristics and areas of concerns are shown in region-by-region charts. (MLF)