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)

Personal account of her first-year experience as superintendent of the Pulaski Central Schools in upstate New York. (PKP)

With all the social, financial and academic challenges facing schools today, the potential for strain between the board of education and the superintendent is heightened, meaning a good board president/superintendent partnership can do more to determine the effective governance of schools than perhaps any other single factor. Trust is the…

Should a superintendent become involved in the recruitment of new school board members? Because of the importance of who serves on the school board and their individual and collective motives, does the superintendent leave the recruitment and selection of new board members to chance or does he or she become involved in recruiting? This is a…

Irrespective of the nature, mission, location, or configuration of the community college, some overarching principles and considerations are common to an effective CEO-board relationship. This book clarifies the dynamics and challenges of this leadership partnership. Above all, it is an insightful and practical guide to the best practices that…

At 75, encouraged by an 18-year veteran board member who decided to seek election to the state legislature, the author decided to run for election to the five-member regional school board that represents the voters in the four-town New Hampshire seacoast. He had been superintendent of a five-town area in New Hampshire and in the Boston suburb of…

Unlike most businesses, universities are both capital-and labor-intensive; yet contrary to standard business practice, they wring the most use and value out of their plants and payrolls for fewer than seven months a year. University presidents may appear to be very much like chief executive officers, but their powers to change course--or even a…

Three essays and a resource guide are offered to assist new college and university presidents in contemplating their tasks, both the "big picture" and "daily detail." Estala Mara Bensimon's essay, titled "Five Approaches to Think About: Lessons Learned from Experienced Presidents," presents five recommendations, including making campus visits…

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)

The supervisor of today does not shrink from accountability if it is defined and understood by all. It is only when he is left unprotected and unsure of his role that a supervisor encounters problems. Therefore, a negotiated agreement does not represent militancy on the part of administrators or a protective device to cover incompetency; it merely…

Several factors have, in less than a decade, impelled principals to organize or participate in local coalitions with supervisors, department chairmen, assistant principals, and central office administrators seeking labor-style contracts spelling out wages, hours, and conditions of work. One of the factors compelling principals to organize is the…

The naivete this superintendent displayed was in not asking his school board to put its directives in writing. (IRT)

The success or failure of any negotiated agreement depends on the reciprocal support between boards and their administrators. (Author/MLF)

Recognizing the effect of learning styles can lead one to modify approaches in order to communicate more effectively. Administering and discussing a learning style assessment between school boards and administration will help everybody understand the sources of some past problems and avoid future ones. (MLF)