Several newly-appointed presidents were interviewed regarding these questions: Is the college or university presidency what he expected it to be? How does the new president feel about the job? What are the most difficult and disappointing aspects of the job?

The job of the school business official entails accurately preparing financial statements; understanding their implications; and interpreting the salient points to the superintendent and the board of education. Offers guidelines for reporting fiscal news to a board of education. (MLF)

Recommends some specific actions to help school board members evaluate their superintendent's performance. Evaluation should be annual; it should be formal, objective, and ethical; and it should be linked to district improvement. By working effectively to improve personal performance and the district's overall effectiveness, the board and…

Presents results from national surveys of public community college presidents and trustees, focusing on differences and similarities in characteristics. Provides data on the following: race, ethnicity, gender, age, education, political party, community college attendance and teaching experience, and level of stress. Discusses implications for the…

Administrators should (1) realize that most people lose their jobs because they are uncooperative, (2) never confuse the number of hours worked with value to the organization, (3) respect the opposition and critics, (4) keep meetings brief, and (5) remember it's all about human relationships. (MLF)

Describes why school-board employment decisions, especially involving the hiring of a new superintendent, did not work out. Identifies and discusses several common mistakes boards make during the hiring process. For example, the board asked too many "tell me why you would do" and not enough "tell us what you did" questions. (PKP)

Interviews with 18 South Carolina superintendents provide the background for 9 ways superintendents can build positive relations with their boards, along with comments about knowing when to move on. (MLF)

A survey sent to a random selection of 11,992 school board members elicited responses from 2,166 (18 percent). The survey focused on superintendent tenure, a profile of the typical board member, and current priorities. Six charts provide region-by-region demographic data. (MLF)

Guiding principles to help new school board members perform effective board service include being team players and remembering that their prime function is policy making, not administration. (MLF)

Based on in-depth interviews with 26 school board members and 18 superintendents, the working styles of board members can be classified into three distinct types: (1) passive acquiescent; (2) restive vigilant; and (3) proactive supportive. (MLF)

A California school board approved a transition scheme that involved a five-month overlap period during which the soon-to-retire superintendent was joined by a deputy superintendent. The deputy superintendent's primary responsibility was to get acquainted with the district. Separate impressions from each person are offered to help other school…

The traditional trustee-superintendent relationship is based on trustees' lack of direct access to knowledge and both parties' expectation that the paid expert (the superintendent) should do the work. This article calls for a drastically revised board-superintendent relationship and outlines new ways to recruit board members and move current…

A positive codified working relationship between the principal and the school board is crucial to a school's good health. Many "overseas" schools have a long history of management difficulties resulting in the constant change of school heads and domination of short-term solutions when long-term planning is needed. Suggestions are made…

Discrepancies between what a school board wants and what a superintendent thinks it wants contribute to turmoil in many school districts. In a study of evaluation procedures in 36 Wisconsin school districts, superintendents ranked determining their salary as the third most important purpose of the evaluation whereas the board presidents ranked it…

By acting as a facilitator and working for a consensual solution, a superintendent can begin developing widespread support toward a reasonable solution. Offers guidelines that include respecting board members' expertise and using board committees. (MLF)