Given the centrality of leadership for school success, leader morale and effectiveness in tough times can't be overemphasized. The authors' work examined how principals and superintendents deal with and are affected by a significant economic downturn. They surveyed 93 principals from one large upper-Midwest metropolitan area and 100…

Handling problems in schools is inevitable. Administrators often must make decisions on critical issues and incidents, such as determining disciplinary actions and consequences for student misbehavior, and confrontations with irate parents. In all such cases, they must be able to provide necessary assistance in solving problems while avoiding the…

Many school principals say that the toughest part of the day is recess. That's because recess is when most trouble starts. When the author asked one principal recently about recess, she promptly rattled off a list of headaches, such as "the teasing, the fights, the bullying, the injuries, the referrals." In this article, the author describes…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has called for sweeping changes in mathematics instruction, arguing that knowledge should emerge from experience with problems. Deborah Ball's third grade class in East Lansing, Michigan, is a community of youthful mathematicians who argue, concur, and theorize about odd and even numbers. Instituting…

This article takes a critical look at administrative decision making in schools and the extent to which complex decisions conform to normative models and common expectations of rationality. An alternative framework for administrative decision making is presented that is informed, but not driven, by theories of rationality. The framework assumes…

An administrator's first year as an elementary school principal provided unexpected problems that could not be solved by applying clearcut rules or logical thinking. Among the problem areas were student and staff discipline, relations with parents and the PTA, and teacher evaluation. (PGD)

This chapter provides a list of essential reference texts for community college deans to turn to in times of crisis. Problem areas addressed are: faculty evaluation, sexual harassment, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), discipline and termination, copyright, student privacy, student discipline, and general legal procedures. (VWC)

This monograph is intended to help parents, students, and lay persons understand more clearly the expectations, responsibilities, and day-to-day activities of the school principal. Most of the references made in the publication are to secondary principals, but many of the role expectations apply to elementary principals as well. The author…

Ways of reducing occupational stress include: (1) avoiding the stressful situation; (2) changing the response to the stress; and (3) changing the environment. Administrators can help teachers manage stress by developing communication techniques, steering committees, and support groups. A second part of this article will be published in the January…

Australian study analyzed how feminists in high administrative positions conceptualized and practiced administrative leadership in education, focusing on the way they reconciled their feminist stance to formal authority and power in a dominant masculine culture. Interviews indicated they prioritized educational practices and people values over…

An assistant principal from Alabama describes her application of one of the skill dimensions derived from the Springfield Simulation--problem analysis--to a low-achievement problem among her fifth graders. Before she was through, she had exercised all the other skill dimensions as well: judgment, sensitivity, leadership, decisiveness, and…

Planning meetings requires careful attention to three essential elements: purpose, participants' needs and expectations, and a suitable agenda. Meetings are great for problem solving, professional development, and team building. Serving snacks; choosing a comfy, well-arranged setting; adopting brainstorming rules; and involving teachers as…

The efforts to survive of Cazenovia College, a private, two-year, residential, woman's college in Cazenovia, New York, are described, based on interviews, observation, and analysis of written materials. The college announced its closing in 1974 and subsequently reopened successfully. The college was assessed in terms of its efficiency in internal…