The primary qualifications of a school superintendent are reviewed as a guide to boards of education in the selection of a new administrator. Topics discussed include the characteristics of a good superintendent, his responsibilities, his relationships with the school system and the school board, procedures for his selection (i.e., announcement of…

Attempts to write definitely on public school administrators' rights to continuing employment are risky because states vary so widely in their statutes. There is not much litigation about administrators' rights because in most states administrators are not covered by the same tenure laws that protect teacher employment. Statutory law in some…

This report is the first in a series of reviews of the structure and governance at Duke University. It consists of six parts. Part I gives a description of the existing organization and composition of the Board of Trustees. In Part II alternative trustee arrangements are considered. Part III makes recommendations concerning the proper role and…

A "trustee" means different things to different people. Some have suggested abolishing Boards of Trustees and handing all power to the students and faculty. Yet, if the University is to remain a center of learning and free inquiry, it will be easier to preserve this function with the support of a dedicated board of lay trustees. One responsibility…

Administrators have always been evaluated in one way or another. Decisions on hiring, training, promotion, and firing of administrators have always been necessary; such decisions are based on some sort of evaluation, whether formal or informal, of administrative performance. The concept of accountability has also affected administrator evaluation.…

Seventy trustees of various California library boards responded to a questionnaire designed to determine how the trustees viewed their duties, whether they agreed as to their responsibilities, what they felt were their main functions, and what was the division of responsibilities between the board and the library staff. The questionnaire data…

With the shift to larger units of administration in Ontario, there is a need for the realization of a working relationship between the two roles of administrator and trustee, based on the strengths of each. The strength of the administrator is in his skills as manager and coordinator and communicator and in his ability to communicate on a…

Suggestions are offered on the right and role of trustees to expect faculty to help realize the institutional goal of quality education, as well as what the faculty has a right to expect of trustees. (Author/LBH)

Considers the relationships between trustees and the heads of schools and colleges, the tenure of independent schoolheads, and some of the fears that cause unreasonable actions by trustees toward the anxiety-ridden administrator. (RK)

Board members might be well advised to regard with some skepticism most claims of "research proves" advanced by administrators and faculty representatives in promoting this or that new program or method. At the very least, some probing into alternatives is in order. (Author/IRT)

Over time, the role definitions of novice school board members do not converge toward those of the administrators sampled, but rather toward those of experienced members. New board members are socialized in the preincumbency period rather than after they take office. (Author/IRT)

Governing board members can work collaboratively with the college president to walk the fine line between conserving tradition and resources and making needed innovations in curriculum or campus living. However, they must learn to offer their own individual and group judgment without being intrusive. (MSE)

A trustee of long experience outlines 13 principles for trustee participation, concerning the trustee's role, relationships with others in leadership positions, and expectations. (MSE)

Boards of education have the responsibility to ensure that the school schedule is viewed as a means to improve school instruction. Lists important questions to ask administrators concerning scheduling. (MLF)

A carefully prepared agenda is the first step toward a successful school board meeting. Board members should receive the agenda and supporting materials before the agenda becomes public. Guidelines are suggested for ordering agenda items and preparing an evaluation form. (MLF)