The growing importance of negotiation in education requires superintendents to be informed of five key issues inherent in the educational process: The applicability of the industrial negotiation model, the principle of accountability, the superintendent as a participant or chief negotiator, the scope of negotiation, and the delegation of authority and responsibility for negotiation. The rationale for negotiation is discussed in terms of the range of attitudes toward negotiation, climate of acceptance or rejection, the nature of interests involved in the negotiation process (teachers, board of education, administration, the public), state laws on negotiation, role definition of participants, and diverse models for negotiation. Preparation involves recognizing the school system's structure, collecting negotiation data, and assembling an updated negotiation data guidebook for each member of the team. Superintendents should have knowledge of specific procedures (i.e., site selection, ratification, subsequent sessions) and be aware of potential developments of negotiation in education. (JK)