In terms of section 15 of the Schools Act, a public school is a legal person ("juristic person") with legal capacity to perform its functions under the Act. The Schools Act distinguishes between governance and professional management, assigning the former to the governing body and the latter to the principal of the school (section 16(1)…

This report by the Kentucky Department of Education states that "the school council shall have the responsibility to set school policy consistent with district board policy which shall provide an environment to enhance the students' achievement and help the school meet the goals established in KRS 158.645 and 158.6451." The report's 18…

This report by the Kentucky Department of Education states that "the school council shall have the responsibility to set school policy consistent with district board policy which shall provide an environment to enhance the students' achievement and help the school meet the goals established in KRS 158.645 and 158.6451." The report's 18…

The aim of this paper is to illustrate how principal subjectivities are constructed by particular normalizing processes that occur through the disciplinary power of grants and submission writing. An increasing part of the principal's job, under moves towards self-governing schools, is a reliance of grants and submissions in order to obtain…

The government of New Zealand delegates property expenditure decisions to each individual school. Such a decentralised environment creates a challenge for school boards and principals to obtain advice on the complex issues around designing schools. To inform schools, the Ministry of Education provides numerous publications related to design and…

Contrary to the claims of its critics, the introduction of self-managing schools under the ERA and its counterpart in other countries did not lead to the privatization of public education. Self-managing schools have been one manifestation of a general trend to decentralization in public education in many countries since the late 1960s. The…

As school-based management systems are established in increasing numbers of school districts, assistant principals will be assigned more responsibility, including teacher evaluation. Meanwhile, the present duties (assigning lockers, disciplining students, and preparing student handbooks) need not be dull activities. (MLH)

The media play a major role in the construction of popular cultural "texts," such as films and television programs. These media forms are conceptualized as "public pedagogies"--i.e., as texts that have great potential to teach the public about a wide range of educational issues. This article focuses attention on the…

Five principals were asked by NASSP editors to describe their personal response to an ethical dilemma. Principals' difficult situations included an athletic team's transportation costs, a college scholarship requirement, a site-based management problem, an employee alcoholism case, and a too-strict textbook adoption policy. (MLH)

School-site management embodies the concept that decisions should be made at the lowest possible level in organizations and intends that no decision be made without the input of those affected by them. The concept also suggests the empowerment of individual units of the system, particularly, the teachers. Centralization versus decentralization is…

Clarifies the need for the building principal's increased responsibility in budget planning as school administration becomes more decentralized. Discusses traditional and program planning budgeting systems and the need for a staff needs assessment and staff participation in promoting the budget. Includes 14 references. (MLH)

This study uses Henry Mintzberg's structural observation method to examine British primary school head teachers' work patterns and determine the nature of their role. Head teachers' days were characterized by brevity, variety, and fragmentation similar to those discussed in findings of other empirical managerial studies. Leadership roles stressed…

In this article, the author describes how the transition from district-centered to school-based staff development can add to the burden on principals. This column first presents a brief review of the efforts of Braxton Hinsdale, a staff development director who advocated for moving professional development resources from the district level to the…

School-based inservice programs are the best way to achieve staff development and keep up with changing educational needs. Effective staff development programs should be comprehensive enough to meet the needs of all school staff. Good programs also help foster collegiality among staff, increase participation and communication, involve parents, and…

Describes a Kansas public school district's efforts to develop a synergistic curriculum plan combining the most positive elements of a standardized curriculum with those of a school-based curriculum. Encouraging staff commitment demands mutuality of expectations, dependence, trust, respect, communication, and vision. (MLH)