Schools and districts routinely recruit, retain, and support highly qualified teachers to ensure that students receive the best learning opportunities. However, even if one's school employs highly qualified full-time teachers, it is important to acknowledge that substitute teachers also have a significant impact on the education of students. One…

Many teachers believe that their administrators have lost touch with life in the classroom, and the resulting gap is a serious concern. Closing a perception gap between principals and teachers is critical if they are to work together for their mutual benefit and that of the children they serve. The authors of this article asked a group of veteran,…

The author suggests five ways in which busy principals can indirectly demonstrate their classroom leadership by encouraging teacher specialization, giving teachers opportunities to present case studies of at-risk students, building a diverse intellectual climate, instituting an idea exchange, and scheduling time for teachers to openly discuss a…

Reviews the concerns of the increasing number of teachers who are over 50: retirement decisions, retrospective career assessment, and societal and value changes. (JM)

In public education's current environment of high-stakes testing and accountability, principals are constantly engaged in an effort to balance messages to their teachers to achieve ever-higher levels of student learning with appreciation for what they do. As a result, it is not surprising that staff morale is an issue in some schools. The…

Describes conditions typically facing teachers in the United States's 835 one-teacher schools, reviews drawbacks and advantages of educating children in one-room schools, discusses the dependency of such schools on community support, and assesses briefly the impact on such schools of recent trends in demographics and technology. (PGD)

The physical environment of the school is often not designed to fit the needs of older teachers. (Author/JM)