The presence of trust can enhance an organization's efforts to fulfill its mission, and the lack of trust can constrict those efforts. The authors offer four essential guidelines to help school leaders communicate in a way that builds trust. Build trust by understanding trust. Trusted leaders demonstrate care, character, and competence in their…

The authors, principals at a high-poverty school in Nashville, Tennessee, find that key actions to building a strong school culture and morale are communicating clearly, recognizing everyone's contributions, and giving students and parents many ways to become involved at school. They portray a specific process that Hunters Lane High School has…

Recognition referral emphasizes students' positive, rather than negative, contributions. Use of this method appears to make a substantial impact on the attitudes, behavior, and self-concepts of students. (Author/MLF)

Shortly after a beloved teacher's death, a Wellesley, Massachusetts, high-school principal decided to create a wall of recognition displaying the names of people (retired at least 2 years) who had made significant contributions. The recognition ceremony is combined with a dinner and spring concert and has become a community-building event. (MLH)

The staff at Emerson School in Rosemead, California, believe the keys to parent involvement are appropriate recognition and constant communication concerning students' positive achievements, through phone calls and letters of praise in several different languages. (MLH)

Reminisces on a full and many-faceted career as teacher, counselor, and administrator at Briarcliff Public Schools (New York). This woman administrator shuns visions of a comfortable, leisurely retirement for the rewards and challenges of her everyday work with students, teachers, parents, and colleagues. (MLH

Inspired by Miep Gies's selfless hiding of Anne Frank, a class of urban middle schoolers came up with definitions and characteristics of "ordinary," nonglitzy heroes. One student suggested that the school create its own ordinary hero hall of fame; students then researched possible nominees and held an induction ceremony for those…

Educational improvements should not depend on "heroic" efforts. Administrators need to develop ways to support innovation systematically. Four conditions are important for facilitating improvement: (1)available time, (2) cushions against interference, (3) encouragement, and (4) recognition of the need for incorporation. (MD)

Rawsonville Elementary, an economically disadvantaged neighborhood school near Detroit, used achievement-goal theory to create a learner-centered school that measures success not by relative ability but by individual accomplishment. Peer tutoring, cooperative learning, and interage cooperation characterize the school's learning-focused classrooms.…

A former National Teacher of the Year describes his year as ambassador for the profession. He believes most people cannot do what teachers do daily--walk into a classroom and motivate, engage, and teach young people. Society must learn to respect the teaching profession; educators must advance its cause. (MLH)

Situated in a western mountain range, the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching is a residential facility that houses teachers seeking intellectual refreshment. The center pays all expenses, aiming to advance teaching as an art and a profession via seminars and a relaxed atmosphere. (MLH)

Recognizing that achievement gaps start early, policymakers at the state and federal level have focused attention on reading readiness for low-income and minority preschool children. Neuman argues that the focus of many preschool programs--building such basic literacy skills as letter recognition and decoding--misses the mark. What economically…