The School Administrator

November 2007 Number 10, Vol. 64The Immigrants Among UsSuperintendents, shunning politics, hold firm in support of children

Features

Fighting for Immigrant Children’s Rights
by Scott LaFee
Superintendents put politics aside when responding to federal crackdowns on illegal immigrants in their communities. They’re confronting tough and sudden problems to ensure safety for students.
Similar Reading: Questioning Immigration Status When Students Enroll and Stephen Joel: My Obligations During an Immigration Crackdown and What Works in a Crisis
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Talking About Elephants
by Michael Holzman
What distinguishes those high schools that effectively serve black males academically? A Schott Foundation researcher visited two such places to obtain some insight.
Similar Reading: Rosa Smith: Halting an Educational Genocide at Home and Decreasing Discipline Referrals for Black Males
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Singling Black Boys to Close the Gaps
by Phyllis Glassman and Robert J. Roelle
The leadership in the Ossining School District, a well-positioned New York suburb, has made it a “moral imperative” to eradicate the achievement gap between the races in its schools.
Similar Reading: Where We Turned Outside for Help
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Confronting a Neo-Nazi Hate Group
by Terrance L. Furin
A suburban superintendent near Philadelphia found teachable moments for a community in crisis by creating a public pedagogy.
Similar Reading: Preparation Before Tackling a Hate Group and Resources on Combating Organized Hate
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In Praise of Top-Down Leadership
by Richard Dufour
What drives school improvement efforts in your school district — evidence of best practice or your pursuit of universal buy-in by staff?
Similar Reading: Changing the Minds of Others
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Profile

Walking the Walk To Embrace Burlington’s Diversity by Paul Riede

Even before assuming the superintendency in Burlington, Vt., Jeanne Collins wondered if one of the nation’s most liberal-leaning communities would embrace her notion of fully integrating its schools along socioeconomic lines.

Departments

Board-Savvy Superintendent

Influencing the Board Presidency, Behind the Scenes by Don McAdams

School boards typically elect officers annually. And for most superintendents, few elections are more important than the race for the board presidency, says the head of the Center for Reform of School Systems.read more

Guest Column

Moving From Dance Floor to the Balcony by Linda J. Searby

By going to the balcony to occasionally reflect on one’s actions as an organizational leader, you gain the big picture and a chance to clarify your own orienting values. The author is a faculty member at University of Alabama-Birmingham.read more

People

People

The monthly tally of appointments and retirements in the ranks of the superintendency nationwide. The Sidelight shines on a Colorado superintendent who likes nothing better in his personal time than to take his Harley-Davidson motorcycle out on the highway.

Tech Leadership

Responsibility for Asking the Right Questions by Scott McLeod

A protocol created in 2001 that describes what technology-savvy school leaders ought to know and be able to do remains as valuable today. The author runs a tech support center for school leaders.read more

President's Corner

Unleashing Genius: Move Up, Reach Down by Sarah D. Jerome

AASA’s president — one of only two women to serve in that position — worries that leadership opportunities for women are not a top priority on anyone’s national or international agenda.

Executive Perspective

So? ... But Not So What! by Paul D. Houston

Here’s a simple philosophy, easy to understand and simple to remember. In fact, it’s just a single word.read more

Systems Thinking

Avoiding Death by a Thousand Cuts by Robert S. McCord

Newly appointed superintendents may find systems thinking holds both the promise of revitalization and the threat of a slow and painful demise by a collection of competitors, obstructionists and naysayers.

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