Board and Superintendent Handbook

Amy E. Van Deuren, EdD, JD, is the principal at West Allis Central High School in West Allis, Wisconsin. Prior to her appointment at West Allis, she served as the Wisconsin Director of Education Programs for National Louis University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, working with aspiring school principals and superintendents. Dr. Van Deuren has co-authored several books in the fields of educational leadership and music education. Thomas F. Evert, PhD, is a former public school superintendent of fourteen years. He served in three school districts over a 38-year career as a high school principal and director of student services prior to the superintendency. Dr. Evert is currently serving as a dissertation liaison, advisor, and instructor in the doctoral educational leadership program at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. Bette A. Lang, EdD, served as a superintendent for fifteen years in four school districts. Prior to her superintendency, Dr. Lang served as a middle and high school principal and director of instruction. She currently serves as a dissertation liaison, advisor, and instructor in the doctoral educational leadership program at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin.

Superintendents seeking to work effectively with school boards will find useful counsel in The Board and Superintendent Handbook. This book addresses key issues related to orienting school board members to the complex role of the superintendency in guiding high performing school systems.The editors, all Wisconsin-based educational leaders now working in higher education, have selected a thoughtful array of perspectives to stimulate thinking and action by superintendents and board members in their governance and leadership roles. One valuable inclusion is an essay by former Indiana superintendent Raymond Golarz about the importance of powerful teachers and how they contribute to our national well-being. The handbook explores teacher compensation issues, consultant management actions and educational technology. Additionally, the editors identify many resources that will be helpful for superintendents and boards struggling to manage their relationships with professional associations and consultants. It also highlights the important role of the superintendent’s administrative assistant in maintaining a smooth working relationship with board members.

• ContentsAcknowledgmentsPreface - Amy E. Van Deuren, Thomas F. Evert, Bette A. LangPart I: Board/Superintendent InteractionsChapter 1: Issues, Contexts, and Framework - Amy E. Van Deuren and Thomas F. EvertPart II: Boards and Superintendents Address Current Issues TogetherChapter 2: Understanding the Comprehensive Curriculum Process - Linda NortierChapter 3: Comprehensive Student Support Systems as Exemplified by RTI: A District Report for Boards and Superintendents - Denise L. Wellnitz and Thomas F. EvertChapter 4: Alternative Compensation Models - Daniel W. Olson and Amy E. Van DeurenChapter 5: What Boards and Superintendents Should Know about the Importance of Teachers - Raymond J. GolarzChapter 6: Technology in Schools: The Role of Boards and Superintendents - Valerie Schmitz, Amy E. Van Deuren, and Thomas F. EvertPart III: ResourcesChapter 7: Administrative Assistants: A Critical Resource - Bette A. Lang and Thomas F. EvertChapter 8: Using External Experts for District Improvement - Thomas F. Evert and Amy E. Van DeurenChapter 9: State and National Associations, External Experts, Search Firms, and Universities - Thomas F. Evert and Bette A. LangChapter 10: Resources: Books, Articles, Dissertations, and Summary of Selected Research About the Editors and Authors