Donald Thomas

Strategies for Closing a School, Reducing Staffs

An administrator who has experienced declining en rollments and has coped with the resulting problems presents in this two-prong article, first, an overview of the phenomenon along with an outline of a strat egy for closing a school, followed by specific sug gestions on reducing staffs.

Education's Seven Deadly Myths.

The author names the seven deadly myths of education and explains why they are myths rather than facts.

Gifted and Talented Children: The Neglected Minority

Gifted students are not receiving the kind of educa tion they need and deserve. In overlooking the needs of such students, Thomas states, our schools are allowing a great natural resource to go to waste. He surveys the situation below.

Who Is an Effective Principal

Qualities of the effective principal are listed here. If you need a morale boost, something to inspire, this article is for you.

T-Grouping The White-Collar Hippie Movement

Donald Thomas was asked by his Board of Education to prepare a memorandum on sensi tivity training. That memorandum is reprinted here, along with comments made on parts of it by the school districts psychologist, Thomas Smith.

Solving Discipline Problems Through Law-Related Education

Rather than letting the laws influence on education buffalo you, use it. Teach it to both students and parents. The results that will accrue from greater understanding will be well worth the curriculum investment not only for students and parents but for the school and the entire society, says this author.

Which Organization— Department or Division— for Your School?

no longer able to carry out all of the original responsibilities of his position. The assistance needed by the principal and greater attention to subject matter areas soon produced the departmental organization with department heads as the dominant organizational structure for the secondary school. Within recent years the department plan has come under increasingly more severe criticism. To replace it some have suggested a division organization combining several subject matter areas into instructional units. Each division is to be headed by