Schools with high concentrations of poor children often get the poorest prepared teachers. Those schools also typically have the highest levels of turnover. We must deal with the working conditions in those schools. We need to ensure that our strongest leaders work there and then make it worth their while to stay there financially by giving them…

The shortage of principals in California is examined in this article. While the data show that there is not a shortage of individuals having the necessary credential to hold the position, often there are not enough applicants for principal positions. Reconceptualizing and restructuring of principal positions are emphasized as potentially correct…

This study examined the conditions and concerns of principals in Virginia to see what their experiences and perceptions are of the growing shortage in the principalship. Findings suggest that principals do not feel that they have sufficient authority and resources to get the job done and that they are working long hours to fill the gap. More than…

In the academic world, there is an assumption of reasonable administrative conduct. In fact, to ensure such conduct, universities, like other public institutions, may have collective agreements to reinforce this assumption. However, in some cases, the university as employer can very quick off the mark should any faculty member wander into what it…

Negative motivators like threats, intimidation, criticism, denigration, the withholding of information, and the exercise of power produce temporary results but engender resentment and close the door of communication. Good leaders use positive motivators to meet people's needs, enhance efficiency, and improve working relationships. Some of these…

This report outlines the process involved in establishing a faculty union at the English Language Institute at the American University in Washington, D.C. The English Language Institute Faculty Association (ELIFA) is one of the few units to be certified at a private university since the 1980 Yeshiva Supreme Court decision. During the beginning…

Organizational climate refers to workers' perceptions that a given workplace possesses a distinctive atmosphere. Managers appreciate the behavioral implications of this concept, assuming staff performance or well-being might be improved by managing the climate. Attempts to manipulate organizational climate have generally been unsuccessful, and the…

The California Mentor Teacher Program is one of many efforts to improve teacher supply and quality, provide professional support, and offer alternative motivators and reward systems. This paper explores teacher leadership issues offered by this program. Using data from a 1985 joint study of the mentor initiative (by California State Department of…

Finds that teachers' professional efficacy is related to the environment in which they practice. Explains higher levels of efficacy in Catholic schools by organizational differences. Cites principal leadership and communal organization as essential to teacher satisfaction. Suggests fostering cooperative environments and reasonable teacher autonomy…

In the summer 1996 issue of this journal, Donal M. Sacken analyzed 252 cases of administrator-initiated litigation arising from adverse personnel decisions. Chester C. Kent criticizes Sacken for specifically: (1) the indiscriminate mixture of involuntary demotions with demotions and terminations for cause; (2) creating a nontraditional format as a…

How do principals get teachers past isolation to create a top school? Principals must create a web of leadership, a nonhierarchical structure of authority and control. While they remain at the center, they are supported only when they learn to delegate. Teachers learn to take on leadership roles, creating a more vested interest and lessening the…

Organized around the ISLLC standards, this text introduces students to the concepts and theories of educational leadership. The new edition adds coverage of such topics as data usage, ethics, innovative hiring practices, and student discipline. Appearing in the second edition are chapter-ending sections called "Point-Counterpoint" which prompt…

This paper describes a professional development process for principals centered on collaborative inquiry and reflection around case stories--written and oral descriptions of real-life leadership situations. In small, collegial groups, principals are invited to write, tell, and listen to each other's case stories about dilemmas in the workplace. In…

Results of a survey of attitudes of 100 faculty members at the University of Queensland concerning the institution's system of annual compulsory performance reviews, their benefits and disadvantages, and preferences about the structure and administration of the review system are discussed. (MSE)

This comprehensive review of 23 exemplary curricula and programs offers an easy-to-use guide for tying curriculum to workplace experiences. These programs illustrate concrete, real-life situations to which students can relate and derive motivation. Chapter 1 briefly reviews the literature that argues for connecting the school science and…