Contrasts two communities' solutions to the AIDS crisis. Ocilla, Georgia, self-defined as a community of isolation, tries to avoid AIDS and segregate virus-carriers (Blacks only so far) from everyone else. Pilsen Academy (Chicago) is a model of openness, approaching AIDS through education, individual empowerment, collective decision-making, and…

Describes a one-year experiment with collective management--i.e., management in which decision-making rests with the department as a whole--in the Oberlin College Library reference department. The planning process, problems, and advantages and disadvantages of this style of management are discussed. Several questions are raised about the…

The League of Professional Schools is a practitioner-driven, school-initiated reform effort founded on the belief that those closest to students have the capacity to improve schools. The league now has 62 member schools working on action plans. The league's three guiding premises are shared governance, action research, and instructional focus.…

The Canandaigua City (New York) School District successfully incorporated educational technology into a capital project, thanks to efficient planning. Planners should build a team, shape a vision, work backwards toward specifics, keep the plan flexible, put off hardware decisions, choose the best software, invest in training and support, and…

Under a block schedule, students generally attend fewer but longer classes. Teachers who have tried the approach say they accomplish more in each class session and use a variety of teaching strategies and learning activities. A chart explains the most common varieties of block scheduling. (MLF)

Presents techniques for ensuring constituency involvement in district- and site-level budget management. Outlines four models for securing constituent input and focuses on strategies to orchestrate the more complex model for staff and community participation. Two figures are included. (LMI)

This article reviews the basic tenets of the Situational Leadership model, examines the steps of the Conflict Model for decision making, and presents a conceptual model that integrates the two. The integrated model aims to provide a systematic means for allowing individuals to learn how to participate in organizational decisions. (JDD)

Discusses a study tour sponsored by Stanford University (California) for which teachers were trained in curriculum development. Questions whether encouraging teachers to become curriculum developers represents empowerment or a distraction from teaching. Argues that teaching is unlike curriculum development. Presents challenges that teachers…

Examines the dynamics of organizational communication following corporate implementation of quality circles. Describes the rhetorical visions of people at three organizational levels closely associated with quality circles: (1) managers; (2) facilitators who organize the quality circles; and (3) employees. (SR)

Recounts a sequence of activities that occurred in a senior high school geometry class and helped students to engage in creative reasoning. All student suggestions were discussed by the class, and pursuing alternative solutions was not only encouraged but required. (MKR)

Self-directed teams (SDTs) are small groups of employees responsible for an entire work process or segment, expected by some to be the workplace wave of the future in terms of organization and peak performance. SDTs work to improve their operation or product, plan and control their work, and handle day-to-day problems. (JOW)

To overcome the superprincipal complex, principals must become expert in processing information and making decisions. To make informed decisions most effectively, principals should employ participatory management, become process consultants, and incorporate the Situation-Target-Proposal (STP) method for resolving problems. Otherwise, change will…

Changing principals' orientation from manager to participatory leader takes planning, determination, and time. Management by Walking Around (MBWA), the crucial prerequisite, requires a demonstrated commitment to making people the highest priority, using time efficiently, scheduling MBWA and following through, leading by example, demonstrating the…

In 1987, the Rochester Teachers Association and the Board of Education negotiated a contract that created a professional career ladder for teachers, mandated shared decision making at the school level, and called for strengthening the relationship between teachers and their students' families. This article examines teacher response to these…

Offers insights on the use of the charrette for long-range planning, drawing from the experience of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). Defines charrettes, explains their benefits and limitations, lists requirements for successful charrettes, and explains the process used by the VCCS to incorporate the charrette into long-range planning.…