Directing the Women's Center for the last ten years at an institution with 22,000 students, 3,000 faculty and staff members, and 9 colleges, the author has collaborated with many individuals and programs with a shared interest in women and leadership. In this article, the author relates how she collaborated with her colleague in the Student…

This article highlights the works of two prolific authors: James Bryant Conant and Maya Angelou. Among the books Conant wrote were: "The American High School Today" (1959), "Slums and Suburbs" (1961), "The Education of American Teachers" (1963), and "The Comprehensive High School" (1967). On the other hand, Angelou's series of autobiographical…

This article profiles Judy Heumann, who has spent her life as an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. She advocates for the full appropriate implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other related antidiscrimination legislation. Her ultimate goal is for people with disabilities "not to be seen as…

Aware of the gender disparities that exist in the most coveted school district leadership positions, the researchers undertook the project reported here to uncover themes related to factors that contribute to the low numbers of women in the superintendency and assistant superintendency. Having knowledge and understanding of the factors that…

Although women lead several major universities, including Harvard, the number of women leading the more than 1100 community colleges is not a record in which women--or the community college--can take pride. The current study examines factors affecting the advancement of women to the presidency in the North Carolina Community College System…

The purpose of this research study was to identify examples of women education leaders at their best. There were two parts to the study procedures. First, the women were asked to write a case story about a time when they were involved in a successful leadership experience. Second, the women were divided into small groups of 5-8. In the small…

This article presents and analyzes the findings of two recent studies related to female school superintendents and their respective experiences with the "professional victim syndrome" and the consequences of their career decisions. Those findings are synthesized with research and literature related to leadership skills and dispositions to identify…

At our university about 40% of the full-time faculty members are 55 years of age or older, which led me to consider what a difference they could make in this world if, upon retirement, they used their knowledge, skills, and talents to benefit others. Four dimensions that can serve to differentiate effective from ineffective educators and people…

A large, urban public school district has been engaged in high school reform over several years. The reform involves creating small learning communities (SLC) from large underperforming neighborhood high schools. In many cases, brand new principals have been chosen to found and lead the SLC schools into reform. The district has had some difficulty…

This case study explains the functional or practical difficulties that many organizations face when they change their leaders. By describing the experiences of the two principals, two distinct styles of leadership are displayed, each of which provides the reader with the opportunity to understand some aspects of frames in organizations:…

A novice assistant principal, eager to lead, begins her career as an administrator in school beset with problems and far removed from the textbook definitions of "learning community". She works with inexperienced teachers, disillusioned veteran teachers, and a principal who is distracted and overwhelmed by personal concerns. Her suggestions are…

One town in a countywide school district wants to provide additional financial support for its students. The ensuing debate over governance, finance, and authority strains relationships across the county as multiple political actors and interest groups take sides. The school superintendent takes steps to provide a peaceful resolution to the issue,…

Good judgment and ethics in decision making are important criteria in all areas of teaching and administration. This case study chronicles the actions of a class sponsor whose decisions modify the results of a high school's senior class elections and the fallout that results. The principal must assess the problem, take appropriate action to…

Teacher retention has become a national crisis. This case study describes one principal's efforts to support new teachers and reduce the turnover rate at her school. Recognizing the problem a few years ago, the principal took what she thought were a number of proactive, decisive steps to resolve the issue--she is doing all the right things.…

This case was written for use in courses dealing with school administration, philosophy of education, or ethics in educational leadership. It deals with the ethical dilemma of an assistant principal at a low-performing, urban high school. Caught between a principal and a teacher who have different views on plagiarism, the assistant principal must…