Leadership Lite
School Administrator, June 2017





T-Shirt to Tout
Most relevant message printed on a T-shirt found for sale on the web: “I’m a proud Dad of a freaking awesome school superintendent … Yes, she bought me this shirt.”




Electioneering Supes
Thirteen was an unlucky number in Kentucky. That was the tally of communities that did not attract enough school board candidates to fill the election ballot last November. Two boards actually fell two candidates short of available seats.

Among the 274 school board candidates statewide were five former superintendents, two of whom ran for berths in the school districts they once led. Of the five, three won or retained board seats.


One Bad Spell
During a board of education meeting in the Ken-Ton School District in western New York state, Assistant Superintendent Robin Zymroz delivered a presentation on the revised school conduct and discipline code. It included a slide that defined plagiarism.

Zymroz ended the session by asking the board if it had any questions. One eagle-eyed board member sure did.

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t say — because we’ve got a group of young readers here — but plagiarism on the third slide was spelled wrong,” the board member reported.

“Any other questions?” Zymroz asked in stride. “Any other corrections?”
SOURCE: Buffalo News

Colorful Characters
As a principal and superintendent for 17 years in Boston-area schools, Roseli Weiss could instinctively tell what a good educator needs to do to bring a lesson to life for students.

Now in retirement, she gets to apply those same alluring skills. On any given day, Weiss can be found assuming the role of a colonial citizen or author Louisa May Alcott or even Mother Goose, always in full 18th-century costume.

It’s not that Weiss has a multiple personality disorder. Rather, she plays all these colorful characters as a tour guide for the Boston Freedom Trail, connecting events from long ago to contemporary society. But it was a student from her most recent stint as a superintendent, now interning for the Massachusetts state legislature, who she said recognized her in full attire and yelled out “Hey Dr. Weiss, is that really you? He gave me a hug right in front of my tour group.”

Short, humorous anecdotes, quips, quotations and malapropisms for this column relating to school district administration should be addressed to: Editor, School Administrator, 1615 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Fax: 703-841-1543. E-mail: magazine@aasa.org. Upon request, names may be withheld in print.