Within the context of a discussion of the production and utilization of knowledge in educational administration, the author examines the desirable state of affairs in the field of educational administration as an applied professional field, the present case in the field, and the implications of these conditions for future action. (Author/IRT)

Report of a professor's observations on returning to a principalship for a year. The observations are of three types: (1) self-observation about the applicability of preparation to the job and about knowledge deficiencies; (2) observation of other administrators' cognitive styles, problem-solving skills, and norms; and (3) observations of teacher…

Given the nature of the educational enterprise and of the advocated approaches to the enhancement of accountability, those approaches will not only fail to achieve the ends they are designed to achieve, but will also result in severe damage to the capacity of the school to fulfill its societal functions. (Author)

Responds to an earlier comment, in a continuing discussion of Parsonian functional imperatives and their basis in observation, their intellectual status, their ability to be tested empirically, and the number of imperatives. (RW)

Presents an analysis and critique of Thomas Greenfield's views on organizational theory and related matters. (IRT)