September 2018: School Administrator

'No other initiative ... in my four districts was better received or more enthusiastically implemented'

Four district leaders find culture shifts challenging yet key to reducing student suspensions

The most common steppingstones to the superintendency.

A veteran board member insists on shooting off fireworks at the start of each high school football season, a violation of state law that fellow board members ignore. Should the new superintendent of the small, rural district intervene?

As online superintendent performance instruments become widely available, school boards may find it an appealing way to wage a job review.

WHEN THE AUTOMOBILE was first introduced in the U.S., several state legislatures enacted the Red Flag Law. These laws required that self-propelled vehicles be led by pedestrians waving a red flag to warn bystanders of an automated vehicle’s approach. The laws were designed to protect citizens and livestock from a new technology that moved faster and more powerfully than anything people had ever experienced.

I HAVE YET to meet an administrator who would challenge the expression “Hiring good people is the most important thing we do.”

CONNOR WALKED INTO the kitchen where his mother was making supper. She turned from the stove and looked at him with frustration.

THE CONCEPT OF leading yourself before leading others always has resonated with me. Leading yourself means seeing yourself clearly, having a clear set of goals and standards — a clear direction for yourself that allows you to focus on what’s important in your life.

Recounting acts of leadership on Sept. 11 from 17 years ago.

n Cleveland, Ohio, a districtwide social-emotional learning program was created in 2007 in the wake of a school-based tragedy.

When John Deasy learned that 49,000 students were suspended each year in the Los Angeles Unified School District, he was startled and alarmed.

Every day in high school classes nationwide, a student who is struggling academically decides, in a moment of immaturity and frustration, to act out and disrupt the entire classroom.

The challenges presented by the proliferation of recording devices in schools. Who holds the authority over use?

The ubiquitous use of private messaging demands school district employees receive guidance because of the inherent risks.