Key community members should always be included in any strategic planning process involving public education. After finding 18 to 24 representatives, the administrator should direct the group to discuss need for educational change, explore what changes might increase school effectiveness, adopt a mission derived from shared educational beliefs and…

Administrative team management is the best way to provide direction and leadership to an individualistic group of professionals such as educators. Some suggestions to make management teams run smoothly are: (1) use the team to gather facts; (2) make sure the team works with the people (teachers, parents, and business people) who may be affected by…

Some enlightened approaches to encouraging staff participation and ownership culled from Oregonian school executives include 4 C's (comments, criticisms, complaints, and compliments) advisory committee, 5-minute stand-up staff meetings, potlatches (monthly dinner workshops), "5/10" (short-answer) reports eliciting teacher comments,…