Consulting is a rough racket. Only a tarantula hair above IRS agents, meter maids and used car sales people, the profession is a prickly burr for slings and arrows. Throw in education, focus on dysfunctional schools and call oneself a "change agent," and this bad rap all but disappears. Unfortunately, though, consulting/coaching/mentoring in…

Natural disasters, as well as crises of the man-made variety, call on leaders of school districts to manage scenarios impossible to predict and for which no amount of training can adequately prepare. One thing all major crises hold in common is their far-reaching effects, which can run the gamut from personal safety and mental well-being to the…

Whenever the author talks to audiences about transforming school systems, without exception people raise objections. The half dozen most common objections often come in the form of "Yes, nice idea but..." What follows the "but" is the objection. The author learned a technique for responding to these "buts" from family members who work in sales.…

The premise behind intelligence preferences and learning styles is that students learn in different ways and that teaching and learning would be more effective if students could explore content in ways that work best for them. In this article, the author talks about the place of learning preferences in supporting student success. The author also…

The evaluation of a superintendent is often a stressful, unpleasant experience for both the superintendent and the members of the school board. Typical board trustees have little experience in evaluating CEOs. Worse yet, they are hamstrung by the limitations inherent to their roles. They lack the advantage of a day-to-day working relationship with…

School and district leaders are commonly faced with diverse student needs and interests that could be effectively addressed with a course that is not currently offered in local schools. Virtual schools have grown up over the past 15 years in different policy and budget ecosystems, but most online course programs can be classified in one of six…

Blended learning is using online tools to communicate, collaborate and publish, to extend the school day or year and to develop the 21st-century skills students need. With blended learning, teachers can use online tools and resources as part of their daily classroom instruction. Using many of the online tools and resources students already are…

A few school administrators in Clovis, California, began a quest to introduce online high school courses in their school district, believing it might cost less to teach classes online than it would to teach students face to face in a classroom. They figured instead of having one teacher fielding a load of 150 students per course, an online course…

Amount of life insurance provided for administrators through school districts is usually far less than families would need to sustain standard of living and be financially secure in event of their premature deaths. Article provides advice on choosing, purchasing coverage equivalent to 10 times the amount of salary. Objective insurance company…

As Internet technology encroached on the public school classroom about a decade ago, Kim Ross, superintendent of the Houston School District in Houston, Minnesota, saw an opportunity. At first, he and his administrative team simply wanted to offer students in the district of 1,300 access to more classes via the web than what a district that size…

New superintendents' most common mistakes include extolling a previous district's way of doing things, assuming they are the only experts, having answers before knowing the questions, developing person-specific rules, having either an open- or closed-door policy, redecorating, and being a conspicuous consumer. Avoidance strategies are outlined.…

The superintendent search consultant is employed by the board of education and must always act in the board's best interest. Boards want consultants to be friendly and courteous, provide information, and foster an aura of good feeling with candidates and the board. Candidates should receive accurate information, selection criteria briefings,…

Since its 1980 sexual harassment guidelines went into effect, a vocational technical high school in Lexington, Massachusetts, has actively educated its staff and 700 students about sexual harassment. The program involves a discipline policy included in the school's "Handbook for Parents," a first-year seminar, staff inservice training,…

To maintain the highest degree of ethical conduct, superintendents must avoid illegal practices, favoritism, questionable affiliations, and abuses of power. They must be transparent in business dealings, follow board policies and bylaws carefully, encourage participative decision making, treat everyone equally, and be highly visible and…

Responding to numerous lawsuits, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights recently promulgated nationwide guidelines entitled "Sexual Harassment of Students by School Employees, Other Students or Third Parties." This document suggests that school districts establish a student code of conduct prohibiting sexual…