Offers six suggestions for preserving the school board-superintendent relationship; for example, know the potential areas for conflict. (PKP)

Argues that superintendents aren't educational leaders because they don't believe that boards want them to be, and then provides steps the board can take to encourage superintendents to become educational leaders. (IRT)

Describes what motivates educators to become superintendents, what causes them to resign, and what school boards can do to increase the likelihood they will stay by reducing negative factors and increasing positive ones. (PKP)

A relationship between a school board and a superintendent succeeds when both parties promise to cooperate, work at it daily, and check regularly to see how they are doing. Provides a 13-item checklist and diagnoses of score ranges. (MLF)

Hints offered to board members to aid them in helping a first-year superintendent. (IRT)

Suggests ways that the superintendent and the board president can work cooperatively, including communicating regularly, planning the agenda together, conducting "postgame analysis" with the president, letting the president run meetings and handle arguments or difficult board members, praising the president publicly, and maintaining open…

Presents a few details about Michigan Department of Education research on the conditions that affect a superintendent's job security and eight central findings from that study. (Author/IRT)

Offers advice to boards that are taken aback by the actions of newly hired superintendents. The advice ranges from giving the superintendent room to work to going public with the board's grievances. (IRT)

Four search consultants, people whose job it is to match superintendents with school boards, expressed reservations about formally coaching the school board and the newly appointed superintendent. (MLF)

New research indicates that new board members rely on what they have learned prior to their election or appointment to the board rather than on what they learn from the superintendent or experienced board members. (Author/IRT)

To lead effectively and contribute to a successful board-superintendent relationship, board presidents are advised to consider specific guidelines, such as knowing their job's responsibilities and limitations, offering advice, representing the board's will, setting agendas in advance, scheduling work sessions prior to regular meetings, and…

Recommends that board members initiate discussions with their superintendent over issues that relate to the role of the principal--goal setting, motivation, professional development, problem solving, coordination and control of the schools, and evaluation of administrative performance. (Author/IRT)

As the size of the district increases, the control exercised by the board decreases for external and internal reasons. (Author)

Once a year a formal session should be held in which the board analyzes itself through observations of the board's effectiveness made by superintendents, as well as a few principals, teachers, and students. (Author)