Review of research on superintendent turnover finds that median tenure between 1990 and 1994 was 6.5 years; turnover has not increased significantly since 1975; turnover is related to the school-district enrollment size; turnover is not related to a district's location, that is rural, small town, suburban, urban. Concludes that the superintendency…

Describes the often unrecognized, but important instructional leadership role of central-office staff. (PKP)

Experts suggest that moral and ethical lapses are undermining public trust in schools and their leaders--institutions and individuals long held to a higher standard of behavior than their peers in corporate and political arenas. Incidents of financial kickbacks, nepotism and conflicts of interest may grab the news media's attention. Yet…

The US public school superintendents and principals wish to see some major reforms in the educational systems though they have put in tremendous efforts. The five areas in which school leaders would like to see changes found by public agenda are briefly discussed.

Monte Moses, the superintendent of the Cherry Creek Public Schools in suburban Denver, was named 2005 National Superintendent of the Year in February. Moses carries a no-nonsense approach, yet staff find him accessible and open-minded even while he is unwavering in his passion for high performance. This article contains a brief profile on Monte…

Who should be responsible to assist new principals? Many people should participate in the orientation. The building administrator is expected to work with the school district's director of pupil personnel, instructional supervisors, finance director, special education administrator, facilities management officials, as well as classified and…

The most telling experience in Percy Clark's 41 years as a professional educator may well have been the first--a raw rookie thrown into a classroom of 30-plus 7th graders who, in the teacher's most charitable depiction, "just didn't fit in anywhere." In the years since, Clark has served in various settings with differing needs--as a…

This article presents an interview and gives an account on the achievements of Ben Soria, Superintendent of the Yakima School. Soria relates that the greatest influence on his professional career is his father, who only had a 4th-grade education and taught him that he could be whatever he worked hard to be. Soria's metaphor of choice as the…

In this article, the author found himself particularly drawn to a book he received in the mail--"Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest" by Peter Block. Although the dictionary definition of steward is "one who manages another's property, finances or other affairs," from his vantage point as the first African-American superintendent in…

This case study covers a wide variety of problems that can confront school superintendents and it challenges students to create a coherent and authentic approach to systemic school reform. It may be used in an introductory course in critical issues of the superintendency with the emphasis on identifying issues and trouble areas and arriving at…

In this article, the author talks about some of the challenges facing gifted education today. Here, he talks about some common misconceptions related to what just gifted education means. For example, it is generally thought that education for gifted children is a program separate from the rest of the curriculum. In other words, offerings in gifted…

On the morning of Dec. 12, 2006, hundreds of federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement descended upon six Swift and Co. meat-packing plants in Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Utah affecting communities. These federal crackdowns on illegal immigrants reverberate in schools too, forcing superintendents to confront some…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the interactions among superintendents' chief executive school officers, multicultural attitudes and actions for children from marginalized populations. Design/methodology/approach: Members of the American Association of School Administrators, 945 school superintendents, completed the self-reported,…

This article reports how superintendents and school principals nationwide have been working to find the right balance in easing public concerns about a drug-resistant bacterium that has sickened students in dozens of states this year and caused the reported deaths of at least four young people in the last month. Even as they have acted…

The study was designed to provide information on Hispanic administrators in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The data was obtained from Kentucky school Superintendents or their designees in 175 public school districts. The Hispanic survey contained six questions. The survey was mailed to Kentucky Superintendents on April 21, 2008. A follow-up survey…