The superintendent's contract embodies the community's expectations of the school system's chief executive officer. The contract allows the school board and the superintendent to accomplish a number of tasks, including assuring stability in the district's leadership, creating means for resolving conflicts, and establishing procedures for meeting the board's standards and expectations. Both the board and the superintendent should have the contract reviewed by their attorneys. Because superintendents generally cannot hold tenure, the contract is a superintendent's only tangible employment security protection. A model contract should cover the following items: the contract's term; a brief description of the superintendent's professional responsibilities; salary amount; regular fringe benefits as well as association dues payments, life insurance, and indemnification against job-related claims against the superintendent; evaluation areas and the rating systems to be used; contract renewal processes; and provision for board approval of the contract in a public meeting. (RW)