A New Leader Helps Heal Atlanta Schools, Scarred by Scandal

"By last spring, Gov. Nathan Deal and Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta knew they had to find someone to clean up the mess. They asked Erroll B. Davis Jr. to become the new superintendent when Dr. Hall left at the end of June."

Troubled Kid Becomes Principal

"'I'm an assistant principal at the school that expelled me. I left 15 years ago in a police car,' he said about the day he pointed a toy gun at another driver who turned out to be an off-duty police officer."

Punishments Handed Down in Atlanta School Cheating Scandal

"Three administrators in the public school system here have had their certificates revoked as punishment for changing answers on students standardized tests. Georgia's Professional Standards Commission issued punishments Thursday to 11 educators implicated in the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal. Eight teachers received a two-year suspension of their teaching certificates."

Two Bitter Education Rivals Begin to Bury the Hatchet

"Two bitter rivals in the debate over how to improve schools did something unexpected today during an education conference in Washington: They conceded there's a lot they agree on."

The Secrets of a Principal Who Makes Things Work

Article discussing "Jacqui Getz, 51, the new principal of Public School 126, a high-poverty school in Chinatown."

West Virginia Learns Finland's 'Most Honorable Profession': Teacher

"When newly minted West Virginia Schools Superintendent Dr. Steven Paine told parents, teachers and educators in 2005 that he wanted to use Finland as a model for their education system, he got a lot of blank stares. . ."

School Superintendent Gives Up $800,000 in Pay

"Powell's generosity is more than just a gesture in a region with some of the nation's highest rates of unemployment. As he prepares for retirement, he wants to ensure that his pet projects survive California budget cuts."

Teachers, School Leaders Gather in Denver

"The nation's education chief chastised teachers and their bosses in equal measure Tuesday as he launched what the Obama administration is touting as the first-ever national summit between union leaders and administrators."

U.S. Plan to Replace Principals Hits Snag: Who Will Step In?

"The aggressive $4 billion program begun by the Obama administration in 2009 to radically transform the country’s worst schools included, as its centerpiece, a plan to install new principals to overhaul most of the failing schools. That policy decision, though, ran into a difficult reality: there simply were not enough qualified principals-in-waiting to take over."

Who Is Best Qualified to Run a School System?

"What kind of credentials do you need to run a school district? Especially a really big one? Is a degree in education a better predictor of a superintendent's success than, say, a track record of turning around distressed companies? These are hot questions in the education world right now. . ."

Evaluating School Leaders

"School leaders have a multiplier effect — they can put in place conditions that help or hamstring effective teaching."

Higher-Education and School Leaders Meet to Work on Common Goals

"An association of state higher-education executives and one of school leaders met with each other for the first time last week, to try to get beyond finger pointing and find ways to improve student performance."

Most Never Sent to the Principal's Office

"About 80 percent of U.S. students in primary and secondary school are never sent out of class to go to the principal's office, U.S. researchers say."

Principal Succession in a Fast-Growing District

"As Delaware's fastest-growing school system, Appoquinimink has learned firsthand the necessity of succession planning. With about 500 additional pupils enrolling each year, the school district since 2004 has constructed two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. . ."