September 2026: School Administrator
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Additional Articles
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An Asset-Based Perspective of Leading in Small TownsStories of various leaders yield important commonalities, despite their communities’ heterogeneous makeup.
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Disparate Treatment of Female SuperintendentsEven with numbers rising, women in top school district posts continue to face a range of gender-based outrages.
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From Rule-Based Decision-Making to Dilemma-Oriented LeadershipHow an ethical quandary about expectations and trade-offs played out in the work of a Texas school leader.
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The Intersection of Management, Finance and PoliticsSurvey data from AASA’s mid-decade superintendent study points to an evolving job description.
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Geographic ImpactHow a school district’s location impacts superintendent-community relationships.
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iPad PornHow should a vice principal proceed when a middle school boy’s parents discover he has been watching explicit content on his iPad?
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Looking in the Mirror: AI as Leadership CoachAI can provide a private space for self-reflection by superintendents.
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The Power of ProvocationPrompting your board to look beyond even 2030 to consider the community’s needs.
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School Libraries and the First AmendmentRights to maintain books depend on your federal appeals court.
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What Our Founding Fathers Can Teach UsValuing varied points of view and understanding the benefits of compromise as inspired by Madison, Hamilton and Jefferson.
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Civic Leadership Is Risky and That’s the Point
The willingness to show up and build bridges between institutions on students’ behalf.
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The Superintendent Skill We Don’t Talk About Enough
A school system leader in Illinois on the need to build the much-needed capacity of mental fortitude.
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Schools Need a North Star More Than Ever
A longtime superintendent’s argument for schools to create one defining measure of success to force clarity.
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Moves to Strengthen Service Delivery in DistrictsPractical leadership actions that made a difference in customer service for a Maryland school district.
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Civic Leadership for Our SchoolsHow the AASA president’s schools in Texas created a program for students interested in becoming healthcare professionals.
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Questions Worth AskingEncouraging public discourse to focus attention on the important values in a community.
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Sidelight: Susan ElliottA Sidelight on a superintendent who plays field hockey on a national team representing the U.S.
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The Relational Qualities of a Maine LeaderThe superintendent of a 2,800-student district in Maine is a major promoter of apprenticeships.
Staff
Editor's Note
Civics at the Forefront of Leadership
When Jennifer Cheatham made the move from the superintendency of Madison, Wis., to a position at the Harvard Graduate School of Education seven years ago, she brought with her a bevy of sharp-edged practitioner skills to advance the K-12 leadership field. A few months after she began, the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, ushering in a wholly new era for what it takes to effectively run a public education system.
She’s certainly not allowed grass to grow under her feet in Cambridge, seeking out opportunities to teach, facilitate and counsel in school districts and with professional networks such as AASA, of which she’s been a member since 2013.
This month, Cheatham receives my gratitude for her instrumental role in shaping this issue of the magazine focused on varied facets of civic leadership of the superintendency. It’s also the subject of her latest book, an in-depth look at the political role of superintendents, which is being published in October by Harvard Education Press.
Cheatham composed our cover story that examines a new paradigm for restoring public trust and reimagining the stewardship of public schooling. She also pointed us to many of the others whose bylined writing appears as part of the theme this month. The result, I hope, is an issue that lends insights for readers into the practical measures necessary for succeeding in school system leadership right now.
Jay P. Goldman
Editor, School Administrator
703-875-0745
jgoldman@aasa.org
@JPGoldman
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