To substantially raise student achievement, the U.S. must address serious problems in educational leadership. Most analysts support proposals for the initial training and professional development of all principals and superintendents across the board. This type of widespread help is needed, but in the author's view, it is important to concentrate…

The graying of the superintendency, a diminished talent pool, and lack of diversity have prompted American educators to develop innovative strategies that encourage, support and prepare school leaders for the superintendency. For instance, in Nassau County, Long Island, New York, the superintendents' council, in affiliation with the regional…

Purpose: In this article, the authors highlight three constraints--structural time crisis (Schor, 1991) ideal worker norms (Williams, 2000), and labor and occupational queues (Reskin & Roos, 1990; Strober, 1992)--on the decisions and choices of women seeking to advance to and hold positions in the superintendency. Proposed Conceptual Argument: The…

Of the many opportunities available upon graduating, most turfgrass management/turfgrass science students seek assistant golf course superintendent positions. By tradition, faculty are responsible for preparing graduates to serve as capable assistant superintendents. Moreover, faculty are queried for guidance on how to best compete for these…

New data from a survey of more than 500 school districts show the average salary of their superintendents has risen by more than 12 percent over the past decade in inflation-adjusted dollars, and that of their high school principals by more than 4 percent, while the average teacher salary declined by nearly 2 percent. Educational Research Service,…

Effective schools research demonstrates that school principals are an important factor in schools' success. Yet many factors of the job inhibit principals' learning. To help leaders, professional learning experiences should center around what we know about the difficulties of the job and how principals can better learn from their own experiences…

This retrospective study used the language of political ecology to describe the dynamics of a school board decision to hire a nontraditional superintendent. Those dynamics were described as contextual variables that existed within the community as well as mediating variables that were negotiated among the key players who were part of the selection…

How can a community ensure that its public schools reflect local values and beliefs about education? The complexities involved in the reform of existing public schools, or the creation of a new system of schooling, have caused some researchers to explore new methodological avenues to change (Banathy, 1991; Duffy, Rogerson, & Blick, 2000;…

School superintendents meet situations that range from those that require quick thinking to those that need thoughtful reflection and long-range planning. But almost every challenge requires some degree of political thinking and behavior. The authors have witnessed many school leaders get into sticky predicaments as a result of trying to maneuver…

This article relates the story of one California school district that is making laptop ownership for students a reality, despite the overwhelming financial burden. In January 1996, Clovis Unified School District found itself in a situation familiar to many districts. Fresh from a conference in Redmond, Washington, sponsored by Microsoft and…

This brief provides a summary and analysis of a survey taken in the fall of 2005. The survey was conducted with a distribution of questionnaires to all of the district superintendents in the state of Arizona. Responses were received from 116 individuals out of a population of 227. These superintendents represented all three types of school…

This paper compares the managerial, administrative, and leadership styles of public-school superintendents and presidents of public corporations. Data were derived from questionnaires mailed to eight superintendents and seven corporate presidents. Findings show that superintendents and corporate presidents used similar leadership…

Like other women who work in professions dominated by white men, women school superintendents tell stories about rising to influential positions, developing confidence in their authority and ability, yet continuing to confront discriminatory treatment in an occupation structured by gender and racial inequalities. This book examines these…

Given the important role of local school boards in the school-restructuring movement, this paper presents findings of a study that identified what board chairs in North Carolina knew about school restructuring. The study also examined the extent to which chairs agreed with major ideological tenets of school restructuring and with their…

Written by a practicing superintendent for practitioners, this book provides guidelines for becoming a vision-based, reflective leader. Part 1 (chapters 1 through 6) conveys general principles of educational leadership based on personal experience. Part 2 (chapters 7 through 11) provides examples of effective, exemplary programs from Pittsburgh…