When a highly qualified candidate learns the search will be conducted confidentially, a positive response is almost certain, in the author's experience running superintendent searches since 1988. Just as likely, the prospective candidate responds negatively to being told the search process will not be confidential. Confidentiality is the item of…

Serving as superintendent, going into his 24th year, the author has completed hundreds of applications and interviewed for nearly a hundred superintendencies. He has accepted seven superintendencies and, in more than 20 instances, have declined offers or withdrawn from consideration after being interviewed. This cumulative experience has produced…

Board of education members come and go, but the community remains. Wise candidates for a superintendent position, as well as the dedicated board members involved in fulfilling this important duty, understand this and therefore want the public to be part of the superintendent search process. As a search consultant to school boards for 20 years, the…

A school district's strategic objectives typically include improving education outcomes of students, reducing costs, improving customer service and increasing productivity. While the language, emphasis and order will vary, it is difficult to imagine a district that does not strategically focus on these or related objectives. Most districts perform…

Most states mandate evaluation of all certified employees, but most school systems lack a prescribed evaluation process for counselors, nurses, librarians, media specialists, and school psychologists. The Professional Support Personnel Evaluation Model defines a prescriptive, yet flexible seven-step process based on identifying system needs and…

In most districts, the evaluation of superintendents by the members of the board of education takes place in executive session of the board behind closed doors. Few board members or superintendents question the status quo. Most evaluation forms are merely collections of subjective checklists that catalog approved personality traits, attributes,…

The causes for executive dismissal are discussed, including the special problems involved in the development of effective administration in the educational field. The importance of ethics and honesty in professional organizations is emphasized. (MD)

For several years, the merit pay program of Madison School District in Phoenix (Arizona) has rated administrators by a system that includes equitable work objectives, measurable job targets and priorities, and noncompetitive rating scales. The Madison merit plan suggests some steps for other districts wanting to set up similar plans. (JW)

Presents seven Machiavellian personnel evaluation blunders that strip workers of their dignity and demoralize them. Performance evaluators err when playing "Trivial Pursuit," the "Shell Game,""I Preceptor,""Gotcha,""I Spy," the "Procrustean Bed," and "Open-Ended Story-Time"…

The superintendent search consultant plays a major role in ensuring a close fit between leading candidates for a superintendency and the underlying views of governing board members on various matters, including religion and church/state issues. Search consultants try to keep school boards upfront about their desired values when seeking a new…

Would-be reformers often overlook the importance of collegial working relationships. Site administrators have little training in the human dynamics required to relate well to teachers while providing constructive feedback on their performance. Fear of repercussion thwarts the evaluation and improvement process. Constructive communication practices…