During the early 20th century, practicing San Antonio teachers took part in several different types of in-service education. This paper investigates the types of in-service education present during the superintendency of Lloyd Wolfe (1902-1908), a progressive San Antonio educator who employed innovative approaches to in-service education.…

This article describes the successful leadership and management techniques of Roy Romer, Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent, former Colorado governor and general chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The tale illustrates the central irony of Romer's leadership, which is that he is not an educator by trade, and yet, by many…

When No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was signed into law, the President and secretary of education promised sweeping reform of the American education system. In the five years since the law took effect, U.S. public schools have, indeed, seen remarkable change. However, not all of the changes have been well received. Policy makers, scholars, and…

This statewide study examined selected demographic characteristics, worklife experiences, and personal issues that influence the satisfaction of administrators (assistant principals, principals, assistant superintendents) and their intent to leave their positions and careers or pursue career advancement in public school administration. The results…

Selecting a superintendent is one of the most critical decisions that a school board can make. Choosing an appropriate superintendent is fundamental for achieving the board's mission of the school corporation. This paper argues that boards need to address the question, Do we want a leader or an implementor? The paper describes various leadership…

Few superintendents of K-12 public school districts in the United States are women, though many women have leadership positions in schools. This book presents findings of a study that explored what it was like to be a qualified woman aspiring to the superintendency. Data were obtained from interviews with 27 self-identified women aspirants who…

The relevance of Machiavellian theories of political leadership to school administration is examined in this paper, with a focus on the superintendent/school board relationship. As the first modern political theorist, Machiavelli used empirical observation and generalization to understand that perceptions are more real in their consequences than…

The 1980s produced numerous reports regarding the principal's increased responsibility and critical role in both school effectiveness and school improvement. As the principal's responsibility has increased, so has pressure on school boards and superintendents to make appropriate appointments when principal vacancies occur. This paper seeks a…

Findings of a study that explored reasons why women exit the superintendency are presented in this document. Data were collected through open-ended telephone interviews conducted with 20 women who left superintendencies within the past 7 years and with 4 women informants, all derived through snowball sampling. One-third had voluntarily exited…

This paper analyzes the superintendent's role in protecting the religious liberty of students in today's public schools. The dilemma for superintendents is to find a way to step back, objectively and evaluate the activism in the community, and then move to a bonding leadership style when working with diverse religious issues. The paper opens with…

Without fear, there is no courage, only ignorance of a situation's dynamics. Acknowledging a decision's liabilities promotes fear and forces the educational leader to exercise courage in formulating and carrying out a response to that situation. Courage alone is not enough, however, and could lead to professional suicide. Wisdom to marshal that…

This four-part document provides an overview of the knowledge, perspectives, and skills of administration. The chapters are extracted mostly from issues of "Educational Administration Quarterly." Part 1, "The Society in Which Leaders Lead," contains five chapters: (1) "Do Political Ideologies Influence Education in the United States?" (Ralph B.…

The changing role of the local school district superintendent is examined in this paper, which focuses on the link between the local education executive officers and school effectiveness. It is argued that the concept of the superintendency has changed from that of a manager to that of the leader of school district quality and effectiveness. Four…

This bulletin explores the roles that various stakeholders have in systemic reform and offers some recommendations for action. Data were derived from a review of research on systemic education reform and interviews with four Oregon administrators. Chapter 1 provides a sampling of the diverse groups that are calling for reform and offers some of…

School superintendents hold many leadership responsibilities, and much of schools' effectiveness rests on the abilities of the superintendents to meet their responsibilities. Criticisms of superintendents' training and educational background usually stem from a professor's lack of attention to a broader range of leadership theories. What…