A May 1994 arson fire could have ruined the school year for Minnesota's District 191 high schoolers. Decision to run split shifts at a nearby elementary school was the key to fast recovery. Thanks to quick decision making, generous community support, and the determination and hard work of teachers and administrators, the students missed only five…

Superintendent Philip Geiger recently risked unpopularity in one suburban New Jersey district by privatizing the bus service and using savings for a truckload of classroom computers. Armed with an MBA and a passion for zero-based budgeting, Geiger has also braved union displeasure by advocating faculty workload increases in students' interest. An…

Provides an overview of the process of evaluating superintendents. explores the politics surrounding the superintendent evaluation process, and provides strategies/processes for improvement. (Author/SLD)

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…

This study examined the perceptions and the difference between perceptions of Texas school superintendents and school board members. In addition the study provided research to identify skills for superintendent preparation programs at the university level that are essential for strong superintendent and board relations. The study revealed ways to…

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…