The School Administrator

March 2006 Number 3, Vol. 63Consolidations, Annexations, DissolutionsWhose identity (and mascot) survives when two systems merge?

Features

Mergers, Annexations, Dissolutions
by Alexander Russo
Whatever it’s called, school district consolidation can try superintendents’ souls and test the limits of rural community pride. Sometimes the biggest dispute deals with whose sports mascot and nickname prevails in the new entity.
Similar Reading: Consolidation Studies Reach No Consensus
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In the Name of Survival: The Dual Superintendency
by Kate Beem
One ambitious school leader, two small neighboring districts. It’s a combination gaining interest in rural America as an alternative to forced consolidation that preserves proud, independent communities.
Similar Reading: Saving Two Districts at the Expense of One Man’s Job and My Experience as a Shared Superintendent
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Just Say No To Fads
by Craig Howley, Aimee Howley And Larry Burgess
Traditional rural pathways to successful learning outcomes often bypass what some view as “best practice,” according to these leading authorities on rural schooling.
Similar Reading: AASA Establishes Dedicated Rural Funding Via REAP and A Rural Superintendent’s Challenges and Rewards
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Tapping The Potential Of Service Agencies
by Hobart L. Harmon
New demands bring new relationships among rural school systems and intermediate districts.
Similar Reading: Users’ Views: What Makes a Service Agency Effective? and High-Calibre Support to Remote Corners
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Profile

Ron Blankenship: His Campaign for Hometown Survival by Jay P. Goldman

Ron Blankenship could choose almost any place to work, but he’s content to be an advocate for rural schools as the veteran superintendent in economically depressed Calhoun County, W.Va.

Departments

Board-Savvy Superintendent

Helping Staff Shine During Board Presentations by Lisa Bartusek

Superintendents ought to help colleagues prepare for appearances before the school board by sharing with them both the practical and the emotional contexts, according to a veteran school communications director.read more

Guest Columns

The $100 Billion Problem: Permitting Forgetfulness by Lee Jenkins

The author of Permission To Forget: And Nine Other Root Causes Of America’s Frustration With Education believes educators waste too much time And money on their students’ review of previously taught material.read more

When Grief Hits Home by Carol M. Engler

A professional counselor, the author found it necessary to show her vulnerability and reach out for help as a coping strategy when dealing with the consecutive losses of several family members.read more

What Does the Title ‘Super-in-tend-ent’ Mean to You? by Don Draayer

In the mind of this former national superintendent of the year titlist, the job title bears three elements that exemplify what committed superintendents feel, think and do.read more

People

People

Tech Leadership

Is a Copyright Quagmire in Your Future? by Carol Simpson

The author of Copyright Catechism: Practical Answers to Everyday School Dilemmas has advice for dealing with technology-related copyright issues on three themes: computer software, the internet and video.read more

President's Corner

Where’s the Beef Revisited by David E. Gee

Curious why so few aspire to become career administrators today, AASA’s president approached those who’ve given up on the profession. He found them frustrated and angry.read more

Executive Perspective

Risking our Significance by Paul D. Houston

AASA’s executive director hypothesizes that educators move into leadership because “it feeds that portion of ourselves that needs to feel important.” That ambition becomes a blessing and a curse.read more

Systems Thinking

Confronting The Redesign of the Enterprise by Joseph Cirasuolo

Take any organization that’s designed to achieve one result and try to get that organization to achieve a different result without redesigning the organization. That’s the challenge public education faces.read more

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