The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) integrated some of its national surveys of educational information into the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), which was initiated in 1987-88 and is being repeated at intervals to provide information about the nation's schools and their educators. The 1988-89 Teacher Followup Survey (TFS), a complement to the SASS, collects information about the teacher's employment and teaching status, educational activities and future plans, and opinions about school climate and the workplace. This overview describes the four SASS surveys to date and the TFS. Survey design and data collection procedures are also described. Sample selection, the imputation system for nonresponse, and other technical information are also included. The NCES wants to encourage educators, policymakers, and researchers to use data from these surveys by providing these descriptions and by making data tapes from both surveys available in public-use and restricted use (approved research) versions. The 1987-88 SASS sample included 9,317 public schools and 3,513 private schools, a finding that suggests the widespread utility of these surveys. Two tables and six figures illustrate the overview. (SLD)