The School Administrator

January 2011 Number 1, Vol. 68Fiscal FitnessMaking the most of declining budgets by targeting district spending on academic needs

Features

Declining Resources, Targeted Strategies
by NATHAN LEVENSON
Despite a school district budget that was shrinking, the superintendent in a Boston suburb found ways to do more for the academic program, especially reading instruction and special education. But, as he tells it, the political land mines hit him hard along the way.
Similar Reading: A Great Reading Program at No Extra Cost and School Solutions Center Promises Savings, Benefits and Special Education: Raising Learning While Lowering Costs
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Budgeting Based on Results
by KELT L. COOPER
A superintendent in Texas details his use of a return-on-investment model, which leads to more effective annual spending choices. He considers it an especially useful process in austere times to maintain the quality of programs most beneficial to students.
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Boundary Changing Without Acrimony
by THOMAS J. GUNNELL
A school district abandoned the traditional and always-contentious open-microphone format of community feedback about redrawn attendance lines. Instead, the district opted for a strategy that pro-actively engaged stakeholders in high-stakes community issues.
Similar Reading: An Analytical Approach to Setting School Boundaries and A Refined Seven-Step Process
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The Pitfalls of Strategic Planning
by SHARON W. COX AND ROBERT L. BASTRESS
The authors, both consultants, describe one school district’s experience with planning initiatives that illustrate four common stumbling blocks in a strategic plan.
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Profile

An Old Listening Skill That Serves Him Well by FRANCESCA DUFFY

Rick Buresh, a superintendent in Fargo, N.D., didn’t necessarily see an executive role in his future, but a career in the classroom was virtually predestined, owing to what he calls his family’s “multigenerational commitment.”

Departments

Board-Savvy Superintendent

Welcoming Board Oversight by DONALD R. McADAMS

Though no superintendent wants board member involvement in management, the author calls it a mistake to keep boards as far away from operations as possible. Oversight, done right, improves performance.

Guest Columns

Kindergarten Boot Camp?About Face! by EDWARD MILLER AND JOAN ALMON

Kindergarten once was a place to introduce children to the pleasures of learning through play and discovery. Two early childhood advocates say the tough new approaches to preparing our youngest pupils are based on questionable assumptions.

One Memorable Snow Day Call by LINTON DECK

The decision to open or close schools when facing a forecast of snow is a no-win situation. One veteran school system leader’s first personal involvement with a snow call some 40 years ago remains indelibly inked.

Has Student Work Ethic Lost Its Way? by PATRICK J. GABRIEL JR.

What’s to be done about parents’ and students’ permissive attitudes toward tardiness and irregular attendance?

Overselling the Myth of the Bad Teacher and Tenure by HAROLD KWALWASSER

Some school districts have their own way of encouraging poor performers to leave. This author reveals what his research of several dozen successful districts showed.

The Stupid Period by PATRICIA A. NUGENT

Though a seasoned central-office administrator, the author found herself floundering in her new post because she didn’t understand the organizational culture. It really came to a head during an office birthday celebration.

Tech Leadership

Kids as Your District’s Content Filter? by KEITH R. KRUEGER

In one conservative Texas community, the school district’s leadership follows an open-access philosophy when it comes to technology use that holds students accountable for their actions on the Internet.

President's Corner

Living Up to Our Resolutions by EDGAR B. HATRICK

AASA’s president tells students who are graduating from his district’s technical education school they are the best-prepared students for the next steps in life. Based on what he’s seen happening overseas, he may start to convey that message at the middle school level.

Executive Perspective

Missing the Vocational Boat by DANIEL A. DOMENECH

During a recent international study mission, AASA’s head discovered Switzerland’s “radical” philosophy on vocational education, a sophisticated system of training, apprenticeships and collaboration with the business community.

AASA School Solutions

A Payment Tool Parents (and Staff) Appreciate by JAY D. BASS

An online payment system should be compatible with a school district’s existing financial and student data software while providing easy access for parents and booster groups, says the head of a company that serves those purposes.

People

People

The latest collection of superintendent appointments and retirements around the nation.

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