Describes how Lawndale District, near Los Angeles, developed a system of accountability starting with the superintendent. Describes the subgoals and objectives developed by the superintendent in cooperation with the Board of Trustees and members of the community. (JF)

Subsequent to reviewing the historical antecedents of the present imbalance between board and administrative influence, the author proposes that boards have independent staff support. Practical suggestions are drawn from cases involving Baltimore and Philadelphia public schools. (Author)

Discusses the functioning of the political process and identifies some principles of politics which educators should understand to facilitate communication and understanding between educational administrators and public officials. (WL)

Offers advice to boards that are taken aback by the actions of newly hired superintendents. The advice ranges from giving the superintendent room to work to going public with the board's grievances. (IRT)

Superintendents explain methods they have used to introduce new school board members to the nature of the office they hold. (IRT)

Briefly describes how school boards and superintendents can work together as a team to improve the quality of education. References "Team Leadership for Student Achievement," a new book developed through the collaborative efforts of the American Association of School Administrators and the National School Boards Association. (PKP)

Four search consultants, people whose job it is to match superintendents with school boards, expressed reservations about formally coaching the school board and the newly appointed superintendent. (MLF)

Captures the shock, pain, and disappointment of a superintendent who was abruptly fired by his board president. Advice hinges on bettering one's bargaining position, developing an action plan, and learning to anticipate people problems before they arise. Lacking meaningful employment, the former superintendent has become a writer and house…

Superintendents usually do a fine job of preparing documents for their boards by paying close attention to detail. They are masters of finished staff work. Reports are not only meticulously crafted, they also are transmitted to the board far enough in advance to allow for careful review. However, despite these well-intended efforts, many board…

College and university presidents are viewed by their various constituencies as responsible for everything, good and ill. Upon assuming the role of president, one takes on a double existence--the symbol of the presidency overlays one's identity as a private individual. And the line between the two can at times become dangerously blurred. In this…

The purpose of this study was to examine contributing factors influencing superintendent tenure among Texas public school superintendents. The results of the Cox Regression analysis revealed that strained relationships with the school board president, not being able to get decisions made at the Board level, and superintendent/school board…

In most districts, the evaluation of superintendents by the members of the board of education takes place in executive session of the board behind closed doors. Few board members or superintendents question the status quo. Most evaluation forms are merely collections of subjective checklists that catalog approved personality traits, attributes,…

This paper outlines a model for a management team that can be used in a school district. The topics covered include the relationship between the management team and the school board, the selection of team members, and the team's primary functions. A description of a model currently in operation is included. (Author/LD)

Based on extensive interviews with New York City school board members, community representatives, and school personnel, this handbook is intended as an aid to community school boards in finding and hiring qualified superintendents. The book outlines specific steps by which a community school board can systematically define its own needs, establish…

New research indicates that new board members rely on what they have learned prior to their election or appointment to the board rather than on what they learn from the superintendent or experienced board members. (Author/IRT)