In response to a changing society, superintendents must develop a new set of skills involving knowledge of fiscal management, school law, management systems, human resources, curriculum, educational research, and policy development, among others. Superintendents must be agents of change with a vision of the future. Priorities should include an…

Questionnaires sent to all 119 local chief education officers in England, and returned by 73, asked their opinions about Education Reform Act of 1988. All changes, except National Curriculum, are not supported by majority of respondents. They state that reforms are causing upheaval and turmoil in provision of education services, and they lack…

Niccolo Machiavelli's buddy Louis made a big mistake in his unsuccessful takeover of a neighboring kingdom: not living there. It is better for school executives to live in community where they work than to live somewhere else. Community members have to feel school leaders share their values, traffic problems, and water. Ways to bypass these…

Retired superintendents have the potential to be the best and the worst board members. Although some board members value a former superintendent's background and perspective, many think that retiring superintendents should go right out the door and not look back. Former teachers and superintendents serving on boards often have difficulty shifting…

When Nebraska's 310 superintendents were asked to discuss critical incidents experienced with a school board or board member, they noted 151 incidents involving family and friends, board member's roles, who's elected to the board, failure to support the superintendent, the board itself, athletic coaches, individual board members, employee…

Although Lakeview (Arkansas) School District's health services originally targeted teenage pregnancies, its school-based clinic now offers varied health improvement services and contributes to decreased substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, dropping out, injuries, homicides, and suicides. Tips for forming clinics are provided, along with…

Most school boards want those initial months of warm regard between the board and a new superintendent to continue indefinitely. However, trust can break down for a number of reasons. Offers eight suggestions for superintendents to prolong the honeymoon. (MLF)

The board and superintendent can reduce the friction and strengthen their relationship if they can understand one another's role in the school system. Cites some examples of inappropriate board behavior. Offers eight suggestions to board members to prolong the honeymoon. (MLF)

Administrator training programs may compromise the ability of governors (superintendents) to offer an authentic "lay" input. This article explores the views of governors concerning the need for expert status. Training courses may contribute to a sense of inadequacy and to the tendency to become incorporated into an institutionalized…

Offers tips to help administrator job hunters hone their interviewing skills. Interviewees should know the setting, practice interviewing, use ingenuity in their preinterview research, prepare a concise portfolio, master the handshake, listen carefully, know the interview time frame, be positive, avoid creating distractions, ask questions, end on…

Prospective superintendents desiring successful interviews can improve their chances by getting to know the community, watching what they wear, arriving on time, paying attention to the all-important first impression, listening attentively, using jargon judiciously, positioning themselves well, and leaving a good impression. (MLH)

A retiring superintendent advises his school board to look deep beneath the surface and encourage candidates with superior speaking and writing skills. Boards should be leery of spotlight-grabbers, process-lovers, faddists, and yes-people and seek tough peacemakers with high expectations for staff. Looking beyond the norm will increase the…

Surveyed county superintendents, Cooperative Extension county directors, and district superintendents to determine their views on agricultural literacy education. Respondents favored addressing the topic in the middle grades (4-9), through science and social studies. Critical topics identified included toxins in food and the environment, water…

School administrators, like politicians, ministers, and police officers, inevitably draw critics because they hold highly visible jobs. Their Achilles heel is their children, who frequently suffer physical and emotional abuse, unreasonable scrutiny, and even anxiety attacks resulting from controversial decisions reverberating through the…

Studies the problem-solving processes of seven effective superintendents during regular meetings with senior administrative staff, using a stimulated-recall technique. Results describe superintendents' processes for interpreting problems and setting solution goals. Also described are superintendents' processes for dealing with constraints, the…