Warns of the conflicts of interest that are possible when a professor of educational administration is used as a consultant in the search for a new superintendent and offers suggestions for avoiding pitfalls. (IRT)

Argues that studying the history of school supervision can aid understanding of current problems and future possibilities for supervision in schools. Presents a brief history of American school supervision in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (JG)

Discusses the participation of four California Superintendents in the Columbia Teachers College Superintendent's Work Conference and its value to the participants. Presents a proposition for producing an equilvalent West Coast summer conference. (MD)

Suggests ways that the superintendent and the board president can work cooperatively, including communicating regularly, planning the agenda together, conducting "postgame analysis" with the president, letting the president run meetings and handle arguments or difficult board members, praising the president publicly, and maintaining open…

Advises superintendents to increase school visibility by writing a weekly newspaper column that communicates important school information, discusses school issues, recognizes educators' outstanding accomplishments, corrects false impressions or misinformation, and presents the human side of schooling. Several tips are provided for planning,…

In an open letter to educational colleagues, a retired school superintendent with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) asks school administrators to take responsibility for educating students about AIDS and not waste time debating whether schools or parents should be teaching children about the disease. (MD)

Reviews aspects of the role of the local school district superintendency that are puzzling. Looks at: demographic consistency, patterns of professional preparation, the superintendent's impact, and the politics of the superintendency. Calls for additional research into this important administrative position. (MD)

To ease the pain of closing two delapidated high schools, the East Chicago (Indiana) City Schools threw a gala alumni farewell party. To organize a similar event, superintendents should galvanize staff, win the school board's support, publicize the event, involve the community, use incentives to boost attendance, encourage creativity, and keep a…

Concludes from the data that: (1) the majority of superintendents and counselors support foreign language educaton; (2) attitudes toward foreign language study do not vary with school district size; (3) the majority believe that students should be encouraged but not required to study foreign language; and (4) the major justification for foreign…

Although years of research have not identified what guarantees a successful superintendent, the best indicators are skills dealing with others and knowing how to select good personnel. (MLF)

Responses of 60 males and 12 females (from a sample of 100 superintendents) revealed no differences between the sexes in overall job satisfaction. The most important job factors for females were advancement and supervision; whereas males identified responsibility, working conditions, and interpersonal relationships. (MLF)

The study examined attitudes of school superintendents and parents of handicapped children regarding early childhood education. Superintendents expressed generally strong support for a preschool mandate, despite declining revenues. Parents overwhelmingly found present services adequate or better and advocated continued early childhood programs for…

Why shouldn't superintendents be evaluated by principals? Likewise, why shouldn't principals be evaluated by teachers? The fact that these questions seem revolutionary are an indication that education, too, has fallen prey to bureaucracy's great flaw: not allowing superiors to be evaluated by their subordinates. (Editor)

This district created a team of four administrators to replace the district superintendent while a search was conducted for a successor. (IRT)

Proper supervision has been a concern of those responsible for education for many years. The 100-year-old definition used here may help us gain some insights regarding our sophistication and/or needs in the important area of supervision. (Editor/RK)