School Administrator: June 2017

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Books That Resonate Over Careers
School Administrator invited 15 education leaders to identify one book that has had a profound impact on their lives and their professional careers in K-12 education.
Each briefly details their chosen title’s special meaning.

• Book selections from 1998
• Book selections from 2009

The Superintendent's Summer Book Club
BY THERESA R. ALBAN
The superintendent in Frederick County, Md., hosts joint readings of applicable books to engage her school community in thoughtful discussion.

• How to launch a superintendent book club
• Shared readings held by three superintendents

Moving Women Up the District Ladder
BY MERRI ROSENBERG
AASA’s Leadership Consortium is paving career pathways that may lead female educators to top leadership posts.

• Ruth Pérez: A mentor's perspective
• Rosalie Daca: A mentee's perspective
• AASA's combination of coaching and online learning

Courageous and Uplifting Leadership
BY ALAN M. BLANKSTEIN
Effective leaders are governed by five principles for facing facts and fears and addressing challenges head-on. The author founded the HOPE Foundation.

STARTING POINT
Why we are putting a focus on books.

STATE OF THE SUPERINTENDENCY
Longevity on the Job
Infographic on superintendents’ longevity disaggregated by gender.

BEST OF THE BLOGS
Thoughtful insights from four superintendents’ recent postings.

ETHICAL EDUCATOR
Racial Taboos
Our panel weighs in decisively on a matter of interracial relationships.

LEGAL BRIEF
Protecting Districts From Booster Club Missteps
BY JIM WALSH
Complications when dealing with the good-hearted parents who want to financially support athletic teams, marching band and cheerleaders.

BOARD-SAVVY SUPERINTENDENT
A Board Policy Manual That's Out of Control
BY MICHAEL L. DODD
The dangers associated with manuals that have become complex and cumbersome. The author offers ideas for streamlining.

MY VIEW
Our School Librarians on the Instructional Frontier
BY KAREN SULLIVAN
Reimagining the role of librarians in the author’s Illinois district to spearhead practices that build future-ready skills among students.

MY VIEW
Two-Way Benefits From a Chinese Exchange
BY KELLY M. COFFIN
Why a small district in eastern Michigan is collaborating with Asian partners on cultural literacy.

Reading & Resources

• Book Reviews
• Why I Wrote This Book...
• Abstract
• Bits & Pieces

 

  

PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Now, More Than Ever
BY ALTON L. FRAILEY
The AASA president, in his final column, on the superintendent as bearer of the cloak of an elder.

EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE
Our Role in Readying Superintendents
BY DANIEL A. DOMENECH
The association’s expanding engagement of member cohorts in professional development for superintendent certification, urban leadership and aspiring superintendents.

INSIDE AASA
Bernadine Futrell on Awards and Professional Recognitions
The association’s program for recognizing exceptional school system leadership.

PEOPLE WATCH
Our monthly compilation of career moves of school system leaders.

PROFILE: Barbara M. Jenkins
BY MICHELLE R. DAVIS
The superintendent in Orange County, Fla., is sometimes called “the data queen.”