Superintendents must become adept at selecting an in-house attorney or outside counsel, anticipating legal-service costs, and spotting red flags. Although the school attorney's most regular contact is the superintendent, the school board is the client. Mutual respect is essential. Preventive law's primary goals are keeping the district out of…

Describes Albuquerque (New Mexico) Public School's board of education's experience with an interim, four-person superintendency team appointed by the board to replace the previous superintendent. The team was composed of three associate superintendents and a local public-relations executive. Includes a brief description of the responsibilities and…

Calls for the elimination of state licensure requirements for public school principals and superintendents. Argues that such action will increase the pool of those qualified to be school leaders. (Contains 2 tables, 1 figure.) (PKP)

Describes benefits of a leadership team consisting of co-principals and an assistant principal at two elementary schools in Mansfield, Massachusetts, the goal of which is to reduce time devoted to management and increase time devoted to instructional activities. (PKP)

Describes how three New York administrators--two principals and a superintendent from separate districts--provide each other advice through email using an electronic mentoring approach called a journal triad. (PKP)

Describes National School Public Relations Association standards for school public relations and communications professionals and program. Includes reactions and comments about new Association standards from seven superintendents and four school public-relations professionals. (PKP)

Describes how superintendents and business managers work together during periods of limited financial resources and tight budgets. Provides examples from several states. (PKP)

Illustrates how choices about which and how much data to publish can result in the reification of the status quo and/or generation of powerful new discourse that establishes the inclusive norms of a new genre of superintendency. (Contains 67 references.) (Author/PKP)

Describes eight common mistakes that beginning superintendents make when deciding whether the weather forecasts for snow and ice will make roads hazardous enough to cancel schools. For example, delaying an obvious decision to cancel schools until the morning or passing the responsibility to someone else. Describes several elements of an inclement…

Describes how superintendents can help school board meetings operate more efficiently. (PKP)

Personal account of his first-year experience as superintendent of the East Valley School District, a suburban district in Spokane, Washington. (PKP)

Four search consultants, people whose job it is to match superintendents with school boards, expressed reservations about formally coaching the school board and the newly appointed superintendent. (MLF)

When he was director of alternative schools and deputy superintendent of New York City's District Four in the 1970s and 1980s, Seymour Fliegel created a districtwide free choice plan and a nationally recognized network of 24 alternative concept schools. In this interview, Fliegel argues the merits of choice and suggests ways for schools to…

Describes results of a survey of 30 superintendents who were asked to identify the most critical issues in managing and running small rural school districts. Reports finances were the greatest worry, followed by regional economic conditions, state regulations, salaries, and providing an adequate variety of classes. (Author/DHP)

Feeling out of touch with daily classroom realities, a Washington State superintendent spent seven half-days as a routine substitute teaching elementary school classes. Newly sensitized, the author shares his insights concerning class size, classroom management, and educational technology issues. (MLH)