John Pijanowski

Superintendents’ Perceptions of the Principal Shortage

The research literature on the principal shortage is inconsistent regarding the actual scope of the shortage and a clear articulation of factors contributing to the successful recruitment and retention of today’s school leaders. Often, critical data related to the principal shortage are ignored, including the number of younger principals overlooked in a candidate job search or the number of credentialed principal candidates who ultimately withdraw from a search. This study is based on a survey of 197 superintendents concerning their views on the principal shortage and factors associated with influencing the recruitment and retention of school leaders. Some major findings are that superintendents often underestimate the principal candidate applicant pool in their own districts, compensation continues to be the primary method of attracting qualified principal applicants, and rural schools are at a distinct disadvantage compared with urban and suburban schools in their search for new school principals.

The Influence of Salary in Attracting and Retaining School Leaders

This article examines the salary trajectory of teachers as they move up the career ladder into leadership positions. The issue of compensation is set in the context of a principal shortage that has been widely reported and discussed in the literature. Urban schools are shown to experience the principal shortage differently from rural schools. District size and school type show significant differences in the additional compensation offered for moving from teaching to various leadership positions. The influence of salary is discussed in concert with the changing role of the principalship and candidate’s concerns about increasingly less desirable working conditions for school leaders.

How and Where the Education Dollar Is Spent

Locally elected school boards have the authority and responsibility to decide how school budgets will be spent. In doing so, however, they must balance multiple funding restrictions and competing priorities. Despite great variance in local circumstances, most school districts have remarkably similar spending patterns, generally allocating from 60% to 63% of their budget to instruction and dividing the remainder among student services such as health services, counseling, and speech therapy; administration; building operation and maintenance; and food services and transportation. Polls show that many districts are attempting to delegate more decisions over resource allocation to the school site level. Research is just beginning to show what aspects of school site decision making are associated with improved teaching and learning.

The Role of Learning Theory in Building Effective College Ethics Curricula

This theoretical paper provides a framework for developing a college ethics curriculum that emphasizes the development of moral reasoning skills and behaviors. The framework draws heavily from successful efforts in the fields of moral development and learning theory applied to teaching complex problem solving skills. Best practices addressed in this paper include balancing theory and practice, teaching cross-contextually, practicing metacognition, targeting improved decision making skills in curriculum and assessment, addressing independent components of the decision making process, scaffolding moral decision making, and integrating skill development and curricular language throughout the program.

Defining Moral Leadership in Graduate Schools of Education.

This article explores how ethics education has evolved over the last 15 years in graduate schools of educational leadership. A review of previous studies showing an increased attention to ethics education is analyzed in the context of external pressures such as new NCATE standards, and the emerging role of moral psychology to inform how ethics is taught in other pre-professional college programs.