The School Administrator

March 2009 Number 3 Vol. 66Looking Abroad for AnswersWhat overseas study missions mean to American educators

Features

Looking Abroad For Answers
Interacting with school leaders from different countries on overseas study missions can yield practical payoffs. Eight school system leaders each describe one valuable practice they observed on recent trips to sundry spots across the globe.
Similar Reading: A roundup of overseas travel options
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Acting Decisively: China’s story
by Gerald W. Kohn and James J. Harvey
During a 10-day visit to China last year, 25 American superintendents observed a global giant in pursuit of educational excellence. Two of the travelers reflect on what they learned and what it could mean for our country.
Similar Reading: Robert Gross: Studying Singapore math with American eyes and A roundtable for global leadership exchanges
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From Finland to Kyrgyszstan: A Changing Landscape
by Andreas K.R. Schleicher
An official with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development finds countries redefining leadership roles based on the group’s international assessment of students.
Similar Reading: What’s the international test known as PISA?
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The Exhilaration of Overseas Leadership
by Gilbert C. Brown
When U.S. superintendents move abroad to run international schools, they often discover a sense of freedom to affect teaching and learning in ways that don’t seem feasible in the states.
Similar Reading: How to land an administrative post overseas.
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Hiring Teachers From Abroad
by Jonathan Charney
School districts can fill critical needs in the teacher ranks and add instructional and cross-cultural value to the classroom through the use of visiting international faculty. The author details how three districts are taking advantage of foreign talent.
Similar Reading: Cris Mulder: Advice for hiring international teachers
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Profile

An Officer on Land and Water and in the Schools by Paul Riede

A BOCES superintendent in western New York who loves handling the detail work that others might find onerous.

Departments

Board-Savvy Superintendent

Who’s Privileged When You Consult the Board Attorney? by David B. Rubin

What you need to know about the legalities of any conversations you have with the school district’s legal counsel.

Tech Leadership

Creating Student-Friendly Digital Schools by Jim Hirsch

What policies and practices will enable students to connect their own mobile devices safely and securely to wireless networks and resources?

Focus

Idaho’s Design for Paraeducator Effectiveness by Jan Byers-Kirsch

Recognizing the limited training of paraeducators, one state is raising the chances that interventions lead to academic gains by at-risk youngsters.

Guest Columns

Bridging Establishments: Opportunities and Caveats by Michael D. Usdan

Attacking the false notion that school system reform must follow either a top-down or bottom-up route. The author says policymakers must connect the long-standing divide.

In Superintendent Evaluations, How Much Sunshine Is Enough? by V. Wayne Young

Kentucky’s attorney general has ruled the entire superintendent evaluation process must be conducted in open session. This will lead to ineffective performance reviews in circus-like settings, says the director of the Kentucky Association of School Administrators.

President’s Corner

The Stained Glass Window by Randall H. Collins

At this moment in history, AASA’s president believes educators hold a chance to make a real difference that may not come again.

Executive Perspective

Equipping the Globe With a Powerful Weapon by Daniel A. Domenech

Encounters during his recent schools tour of Peru have reaffirmed the belief of AASA’s executive director in the leverage of education to fight ignorance and intolerance.

Federal Dateline

An Energized Beginning for Congress by Bruce Hunter

Furious action during the opening weeks of a new season in Washington are springing hopes for a revitalized partnership between federal and local levels.

People

People

Recent appointments and retirements among school system leaders, along with a few deaths of note.

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