Search

Public school teachers with high leadership potential who stated that they had no interest in being school principals were surveyed on their attitudes about six alternative school site administrative organizational models. Of the 391 teachers surveyed, 53% identified the Co-Principal model as the preferred school site administrative structure. In order of preference were the Co-Principal model, the Principal/Business Manager model, the Multi-Principal model, the Principal/Associate Principal model, the Principal Teacher/Principal Administrator model, and the Principal/Educational Specialist model. Among teachers at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels, the only significant difference was on the Multi-Principal model, which was favored more by middle and high school teachers than by elementary teachers. The findings suggest that teachers who had previously reported a lack of interest in becoming school principals might be interested in the position if the organizational structure of the school site were different from the traditional organizational model.

Although the four-day school week originated in 1936, it was not widely implemented until 1973 when there was a need to conserve energy and reduce operating costs. This study investigated how achievement tests scores of schools with a four-day school week compared with schools with a traditional five-day school week. The study focused on student performance in Colorado where 62 school districts operated a four-day school week. The results of the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) were utilized to examine student performance in reading, writing, and mathematics in grades 3 through 10. While the mean test scores for five-day week schools exceeded those of four-day week schools in 11 of the 12 test comparisons, the differences were slight, with only one area revealing a statistically significant difference. This study concludes that decisions to change to the four-day week should be for reasons other than student academic performance. (Contains 1 table.)

This article examines reasons why teachers who were identified by their school principal as leaders or having leadership potential, chose not to become school principals. While the literature reports a shortage of qualified applicants for school administrative positions, the deterrents that teacher leaders most often identify include testing/accountability pressures, job stress, amount of time required, and societal problems that make it difficult to focus on instruction. The key factors for teacher leaders choosing not to pursue a career in school administration are broadly categorized as stress and time demands. Superintendents identified the same factors, but scored the importance of each factor higher than the teachers. (Contains 1 table.)

The research literature on the principal shortage is inconsistent regarding the actual scope of the shortage and a clear articulation of factors contributing to the successful recruitment and retention of today's school leaders. Often, critical data related to the principal shortage are ignored, including the number of younger principals overlooked in a candidate job search or the number of credentialed principal candidates who ultimately withdraw from a search. This study is based on a survey of 197 superintendents concerning their views on the principal shortage and factors associated with influencing the recruitment and retention of school leaders. Some major findings are that superintendents often underestimate the principal candidate applicant pool in their own districts, compensation continues to be the primary method of attracting qualified principal applicants, and rural schools are at a distinct disadvantage compared with urban and suburban schools in their search for new school principals. (Contains 3 tables.)

Proponents of charters constantly tout their educational effectiveness and superiority to the local public schools. In most cases, the research to support this claim is technically flawed or based on false assumptions. As an educator who spent more than 35 years in public schools, the author has always felt this could well be the motto for the system of public education. He strongly believes charter schools are, by their very nature, organizations that exclude students and violate a most sacred ideal of the great nation. In this article, he explains why he does not support charter schools.

In this article, the author recalls a situation he encountered when a 4-year old boy inexplicably collapsed unconscious to the ground in the middle of his preschool classroom. She describes how the school had a detailed emergency and crisis plan in effect and how they utilized it while dealing with this situation. Sections include: (1) A Working Plan; (2) Emotional Depths; and (3) The Healing Process. The author concludes by stating that when planning for a crisis and then dealing with the circumstances, we must remember to focus on people to help them work through their emotional pain. With any tragedy, the healing process is the most important thing, and that must begin immediately.