Screening decisions of female and male middle school principals were examined for applicants varying in national origin (Hispanic versus non-Hispanic) and type of job experience (direct versus indirect) for a middle school principalship. Principals' reactions were assessed according to perceived qualifications of applicants, probability of…

As the current president of National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), Barbara Chester has the responsibility of representing the organization's members in their efforts as advocates for children. Principal Chester's answers to the interview questions reflect the challenges facing schools and the role that principals need to…

This article presents a transcript of a recent interview with Jana Frieler, 2010-2011 president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Ms. Frieler has been in education for 26 years, 16 of those in administration. For the past 6 years, she has been with the Cherry Creek School District, most recently as principal of…

From returning phone calls to traversing the political landscape to building trust, American Association of School Administrators (AASA) president Mark Bielang covers a lot of territory as he describes the public relations challenges confronting today's school administrators. Having just concluded his term as AASA president, Mr. Bielang has served…

Recent school policies increasingly support "parent-integrated" school environments, which benefit from effective parent-school collaborations and strong communication skills to ensure optimal educational outcomes. However, invisible disabilities, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, provide unique sociopolitical contexts that shape…

This article presents the case of community leaders who used the charter school policy as a way to effect district change for the benefit of a neighborhood in need. The case represents the potential of charter school policy to reshape the political and institutional arrangements of urban school districts, and it reengages the idea of what makes…

This case study uses two theoretical lenses to analyze political events in a Southern California school district: dissatisfaction theory and groupthink. The case study technique of pattern matching was used to frame the analysis (Yin, 2009). Data for 1992-2008 was gathered from interviews, the Orange County Registrar of Voters, newspapers,…

In this article I discuss the demographic shifts that have occurred in the United States, which have disrupted the traditional school environment. I contend that the changes have been so drastic that students who were once called traditional are now seldom seen in the school environment; whereas students once viewed nontraditional are becoming the…

No Child Left Behind, Section 1118, Title I is devoted solely to parental involvement. Section 1118 requires school districts receiving Title I funds to develop and implement a written plan for parent involvement. Parental involvement is examined through teachers' responses concerning their engagement of parents in student achievement. Results…

This article investigates the importance of parent and community engagement in curriculum development, along with curriculum leadership, engaging stakeholders, and the importance of curriculum. Parent and community member engagement is examined in light of curriculum committee participation as reported by Missouri superintendents. Survey responses…

This article takes a look at the influence of technology on curriculum and teaching. It specifically examines the new wave of available technology and the opportunity for schools to make inroads into community outreach by engaging new, technological learning methods. The relationship among community education, public school relations, and distance…

Higher education curriculum is as varied as the institutions themselves. Familiarizing parents with college curriculum may assist them in their college students' selection and academic success. This article provides school administrators, teachers, counselors, public relations personnel, and college professors with examples of learning modes and…

Through the use of the ethnomethodological lens of narrative inquiry, we argue that the relationship between school and community is an important ingredient that shapes a child's development and adaptation in any society. Our argument is based on the personal and professional experiences and observations of a Barbara L. Jackson Scholar who worked…

Research across states has consistently shown that African American parents tend to send their children to charter schools with higher concentrations of African American students as compared to the concentrations of the district-assigned schools their children would otherwise attend. However, little research has addressed why these parents choose…

This article offers a vision of how educators can better foster the various forms of knowledge and wealth that Chicano/Latino students bring to their public schools. By using LatCrit (i.e., Latino/a critical race theory) to conceptualize community cultural wealth, we hope to give educational leaders greater insights into culturally appropriate…