In November 1992, Vista (California) residents elected two conservative Christians to four-year terms on the school board. Controversial topics at board meetings divided the community. In a November 1994 recall election two conservatives were replaced by two moderates. An interview with the board president and superintendent describes how school…

Learning the ropes of school board service requires focus, patience, and good humor. A veteran board member offers suggestions for avoiding first-meeting disasters, building a strong relationship with the superintendent, and dealing with the news media. Includes tips from a superintendent about referring calls to appropriate school administrators.…

Conversing about board-administrator foibles, a board member and the superintendent of the Portland (Oregon) School District reach agreement concerning essentials for working well together. They acknowledge the need for smaller, informal meetings; absolute and trust and communication; long-term commitment; and ideological understandings. (MLH)

This article examines external support for school leaders, and focuses on the relationship between head teachers and other professionals who play the role of their 'critical friends'. Most existing research in this area concentrates upon the activity of the critical friend without reference to the role partner, thereby losing the dynamic in the…

Malick makes recommendations for local boards based on a recent VCCS survey which sought to determine how the State Governing Board could assist and support the members of the local boards in their role as advisors to their presidents and institutions.

In this article, the authors present Edwin Diaz, superintendent of California's Gilroy Unified School District and discuss the common challenges and strategies among those education leaders who take on--and succeed at--the role of change agent and reformer. When Edwin Diaz became superintendent of California's Gilroy Unified School District in…

This author, superintendent of Winnetka Public Schools (a K-8 district in the northern suburbs of Chicago), shares a board president's perspective that may help shed some light on one of the superintendent's most challenging jobs: successfully working with a board of education. Why is it so challenging? Certainly because in the current culture of…

Selecting a superintendent is one of the most critical decisions that a school board can make. Choosing an appropriate superintendent is fundamental for achieving the board's mission of the school corporation. This paper argues that boards need to address the question, Do we want a leader or an implementor? The paper describes various leadership…

The relevance of Machiavellian theories of political leadership to school administration is examined in this paper, with a focus on the superintendent/school board relationship. As the first modern political theorist, Machiavelli used empirical observation and generalization to understand that perceptions are more real in their consequences than…

This booklet is a guide to the planning process for members of governing boards of institutions of higher education. Generally, it sees the role of the board in planning as ensuring that planning takes place and insisting that plans are used regularly for decision making. The publication discusses the following five specific tasks related to this…

This booklet, intended for trustees of institutions of higher education, offers some instruction on the principles of risk management. Introductory information provides a definition of risk management, which is seen as a planning and strategic function, not solely as a financial or safety assessment. Individual sections then address the following…

The ongoing planning of school improvement in the Chicago Public Schools is examined in this paper. The Chicago School Reform Act required that principals consult with their local school councils (LSCs), staff, parents, and community members to develop a three-year school improvement plan (SIP). Data were derived from two studies: the first…

Local school councils (LSCs) constitute another type of involvement in the education arena. These councils' functions vary from providing advice to making comprehensive and controversial educational decisions that affect students and staff. This booklet provides background information on LSCs, points out their benefits and drawbacks, and raises…

Designed for new trustees at community colleges in the Illinois Community College System (ICCS), this handbook provides background information and an orientation to the responsibilities of members of community college boards of trustees. The booklet briefly covers the following topics: (1) historical and legislative background to the establishment…

The ways in which a Hispanic female superintendent led her school district toward stability and excellence are described in this report, with a focus on four elements that differentiate the work of urban school superintendents from that of others. Four years of data were collected through interviews with the superintendent, observations of group…