The School Administrator

August 2010 Number 7, Vol. 67Pathways to Green SchoolsPractical, cost-saving measures for sustainable districts

Features

The Road to a Green District
by RACHEL GUTTER AND EMILY KNUPP
Green design, construction and operations for new buildings are rapidly becoming the norm for school districts. The education coordinators at the U.S. Green Building Council have derived 10 lessons for eco-friendliness from watching the progress at schools nationwide.
Similar Reading: Contacts at Five Green Districts and LEED Certification for Schools and Resources on Green Schools
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Greening a K-12 School System
by STEVE FRANTZ
The Scarsdale, N.Y., superintendent hired a sustainability coordinator four years ago, leading to a major push for school board policies, instruction embedded throughout the curriculum and collaboration with outside groups on the school district’s green initiative.
Similar Reading: The Greening of Curricula: Seed and Weed the Landscape and Additional Resources
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Sustainability With a Sane Tack
by DENNIS L. PETERSON
When he was approached by parents to reduce the carbon footprint of the school district in suburban Minneapolis, the superintendent saw a grassroots movement worth endorsing and supporting. Two years into the UPonGREEN program, he has formulated eco-friendly thinking in three domains — physical plant, behavior expectations and environmental activism.
Similar Reading: ‘Sensemakers’ Leading the Way to Green Schools
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Green Schools on Ordinary Budgets
by MARK E. HANSON
The case of costs of eco-friendly design and construction at two Wisconsin school projects and how they compare to conventional school facilities.
Similar Reading: Greening a Half-Century-Old School
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Profile

Tending to Her Successors by Francesca Duffy

The superintendent in Tuscaloosa, Ala., pays heed to the need for effective and seamless succession in a district’s leadership ranks.

Departments

Punchback: Answering Critics

Why I Make What I Do by SUSAN S. CLARK

As the economy worsened, the author knew her salary as superintendent would become a popular topic of community conversation. When it did, she was well-prepared with an honest outlay of figures and a well-honed message that compared her responsibilities to those of a CEO of a medium-sized company.

Guest Columns

In Consolidation Debate, Who Decides Children’s Best Interests? by NICHOLAS D. YOUNG AND FARSHID HAJIR

Two educators in western Massachusetts take issue with a push for consolidation among the area’s small, rural school districts that appeared in The School Administrator’s May issue.

Race to the Top, NCLB and Why My Mom Doesn’t Care by JOSEPH F. DONOVAN

The author’s mother is a 74-year-old who cares about the schools and keeps abreast of the news in her community. But she exists outside the bubble, victimized by poor communication that leaves her and everybody else without a school-age child wondering why they should care about the jargon of the moment relating to schools.

A Case for Teaching Financial Literacy by GERALD LAUBER

A retired superintendent believes too little attention has been paid to help teachers incorporate practical problem-solving tools into a school day already brimming with mandated course content.

The Obnoxious Boss by DAN WINTERS

Education leaders should take stock of personal habits to ensure they are not slipping down the road to totalitarian brutishness.

Tech Leadership

Finding and Nurturing Leadership by KEITH R. KRUEGER

A few suggestions from the head of the Consortium for School Networking for how to be sure the school district’s technology leader has the knowledge and skills to get the job done.

President's Corner

Going Green and Getting Credit by EDGAR B. HATRICK

Public school students and staff have been taking energy conservation measures for almost 50 years but don’t often get recognition for of these efforts. In his debut column, AASA’s new president believes that’s because educators are not always good at tooting their own horns.

Executive Perspective

Welcoming Latino Leadership Into the Fold by DANIEL A. DOMENECH

Now in its seventh year, the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents is poised to become a national player advocating for the nation’s Latino youth. AASA’s executive director was there at the founding and sees important moments ahead.

AASA School Solutions

Surveys Can Boost Trust Capital by SUHAIL A. FAROOQUI

The benefits of using carefully crafted surveys to engage the stakeholders in a community.

People

People

A monthly roundup of the comings and goings of those in the system leadership ranks. The Sidelight singles out a Maine superintendent who competes annually in the Boston marathon.

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