Principals cannot lead the school improvement process alone. They must enlist the help of others in the school community. School counselors, whose role is often viewed as peripheral and isolated from teaching and learning, can help principals, teachers, students, and parents balance the duties and responsibilities involved in continuous student…

Waukesha North High School in Wisconsin is perhaps much like most schools in the United States. It was considered by the community to be a good school, one that always generated above-average scores on state assessments, graduation rates, and attendance averages. Its students drew community recognition for their service and for their performances…

Mentoring programs that pair experienced and first-time teachers are gaining prominence in supporting, developing, and retaining new teachers. The successful Beginning Teacher Assistance program at University of Wisconsin-River Falls was designed to give new K-12 teachers the opportunity for yearlong, structured support from mentor teachers. (MLH)

Principals can easily validate the tension of opposites thinking. Their work is filled with paradoxical dilemmas and days in which the questions are complex and void of definitive answers. In an attempt to balance the often antithetical needs and expectations of the students, the faculty members, the community, and the district office, the…