The lack of understanding between principals and their superiors or school boards was considered with the intention of defining just how much autonomy each has. Several suggestions for correcting the situation were provided. (RK)

The position of principal is due for a fundamental reevaluation. Several aspects of the position are discussed: (1) history of the position; (2) impact and self-perceptions of the principal; (3) current challenges of the principal; and (4) role and style of the principal. Central to the utilization of the principal in the district is the choice of…

All first-year Ohio superintendents were surveyed regarding their board of education relationships. The administrators were sent a questionnaire asking about the boards' trust and confidence in them, the nature and extent of board/superintendent communications, and the superintendents' job satisfaction. Of 63 questionnaires mailed out, 58 (92.1…

Intended for use as a workbook, this publication is designed to provide examples of the respective roles of the school board and the superintendent in the operation and management of a school district. The first section (white pages) provides statements, in parallel columns, describing possible board/superintendent roles under the following…

School board members with concerns for success benefit the entire school district. An ambiguity between administration and policy-making necessitates a clarification of the role of the school board. The board should care about the quality of education and the district, recognize the increasing complexity of education, and represent the goals of…

A policy is a general statement of intent to act in a particular manner when confronted with a given situation or to achieve a given result in the future. Because policies ensure consistency and fairness, policy making is the most important function assigned to a governing board. Policies are not only the vehicle by which a board expresses and…

A discussion of college governance by lay boards of trustees focuses on the sources and nature of trustees' authority and, by extension, of faculty and administrators' influence on boards. It chronicles briefly the history of the lay board and the reasons for its continued use in modern institutions. Criticisms and defenses of lay trusteeship are…

A questionnaire completed by 251 school board members from across Texas revealed wide disagreement over the role of the school superintendent. Respondents identified the sizes of their districts, their educational attainment levels, and their lengths of tenure, then indicated whether responsibility for each of 29 tasks in 4 broad areas should rest…

This paper examines the degree of superintendent turnover in Nebraska, a state dominated by rural school districts. It also lists the causes of turnover as reported by short-term superintendents. This study finds that turnover is higher in the subject rural districts than the national average. Superintendents report that they leave these rural…

Board members in school districts can stabilize or enhance their positions of power by acquiring types of information that can move policy and related matters along at a more efficient pace. To do this they must consider maintaining staffs that work solely for the boards, not for the superintendent. (Author/WM)

School principals are being pushed from below by militant teachers and court protected students, while being pressured from above by harried superintendents and accountability-conscious board members. The middle part of the 1970's may well be the last chance for maintaining principals as an integral part of the management of the schools.…

Intended as a guide for public library board members of the state of North Dakota, this manual provides basic information that all trustees should have and suggestions that will help them become more active and useful not only to their library and community but also to libraries and library services in the state. Subjects covered include goals,…

Intended to provide information which South Dakota Public Library Trustees may wish to use in the performance of their duties, this manual suggests useful practices and shares successful and desirable methods of representing the community through the library board, provides an up-to-date and reasonably comprehensive source of general information…

This document explores the relationship between school boards and administrations, with the purpose of gaining insight about both the history and the future of public schools. First it discusses the history of their relationship up to the present time when the two bodies function as rough equals. Next it summarizes various models of…