Workplace gossip has consequences: stealing time, damaging morale, and hurting people. Gossip feeds on truth and falsehood, can become part of "corporate culture," and is inevitable. Administrators should plug information gaps, set a good example, promote a calm atmosphere, anticipate rumors, use informative staff newsletters, and teach…

When Governor Roy Romer challenged Colorado's 20 largest districts to undergo performance audits, 12 responded. Consultants recommended that districts provide more market-sensitive salaries, privatize certain functions, cross-train personnel, and create job flexibility. Districts can improve overall efficiency by generating accurate operational…

The 12 biggest pitfalls in technology administration are school officials' failure to plan, structure a decision-making process, define roles and responsibilities, understand technical requirements, acquire and maintain technology systems properly, provide adequate staff, consider alternative service delivery options, manage projects effectively,…

Communication is the key to success and a stumbling block to pursuit of information-literate population. Many library media specialists and teachers withdraw from larger professional concerns and concentrate on resolving locally pressing problems. Societal factors also hinder the integration of library skills into the curriculum. Politics and…

Offers examples of four common mistakes school boards make when dealing with the press. Suggests 10 specific steps for building a strong working relationship with members of the press. (IW)

Recommendations for improving communications skills are offered. It is stated that the process of communicating involves passing information and understanding from one person to another; a one-way process of sending out information is not good enough. To help principals communicate more effectively with their staff, recommendations are offered on…

Describes seven main power tactics used by teacher unions in strike situations. Recommends a program of advocacy communication strategies that school boards can follow in fostering positive community relations before and during a strike. (IW)

This handbook is designed for use by trained educational diagnosticians and special educators as they go about the complex task of identifying students with perceptual/communicative disabilities (PCD) and determining eligibility for special education services. Section 1 of the text discusses federal criteria for determining the existence of a…

Most organizational problems are communication problems. The administrator must employ strategies for listening to employees (personal listening), and must allow the employees to participate in the decision-making process (corporate listening). The Marietta City School System (Georgia) employed several strategies to deal with the passive…