With patience and savvy, superintendents can recover from the sting of dismissal. Incumbents should be alert to warning signs, such as decreasing board-superintendent communications and board rejection of superintendent recommendations. Sidebars offer tips on fighting back with good cause, obtaining legal support, and surviving the endgame. (MLH)

By focusing on the necessary stages and features of a staff-change policy, this manual assists local school boards and administrators in planning for reductions in staff and layoffs. It first reviews statutory authority held by boards and administrators in reducing the number of school employees and defines key terms used in the discussion of…

How schools weather budget reductions shows the difference between effective and less effective school systems. Policymakers' response to reductions depends on an array of factors: general economic conditions, access to data about future trends, community expectations and "myths," past records of school effectiveness, local education…