“The anti-manager: Joel Klein was lots of things Cathie Black isn’t” (Capital New York)

More than a month after shocking the city with news of her appointment as the next schools chancellor, Hearst executive Cathleen Black is still trying to calm people down.

“The Cortines factor” (Los Angeles Times)

The departure of the superintendent, who has boosted test scores even amid budget cuts, could threaten hard-won gains for LAUSD.

“D.C.’s Braveheart” (Education Next)

Michelle Rhee’s style—as steely as the sound of her peekaboo high heels on a linoleum-tile hallway—has angered much of Washington, D.C., and baffled the rest since she arrived as schools chancellor in June 2007.

“D.C. Schools Insider,” a blog by Bill Turque of The Washington Post

“4,100 Students Prove ‘Small Is Better’ Rule Wrong” (New York Times)

A decade ago, Brockton High School was a case study in failure. Teachers and administrators often voiced the unofficial school motto in hallway chitchat: students have a right to fail if they want. And many of them did — only a quarter of the students pas

“In schools, change starts at the top” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

A good principal can move things a long way toward vibrant achievement among students. A bad or (more commonly) mediocre principal can stall efforts to get the most possible growth out of students and the most effective performance out of teachers.

“Joel Klein’s Hidden Legacy” (Huffington Post)

Much has been made of Joel Klein’s influence on New York City’s public schools over his eight years as chancellor. Most of the words have been kind, and deservedly so. After all, he took on a huge and hidebound system and began whacking away on day one, p

“The Lightning Rod” (The Atlantic)

MICHELLE RHEE CHARGED IN as chancellor of the Washington, D.C., public schools wielding BlackBerrys and data—and a giant axe. She has made a city with possibly the country’s worst public schools ground zero for education reform, and attracted a cadre of y

“More Funding for Principal Training Deemed Vital” (Education Week)

As principals come under more pressure than ever to improve underperforming schools, leadership experts say it’s time for the nation to emphasize recruiting and training the next generation of school leaders.

“Queen Arlene” (Philadelphia Magazine)

Philadelphia schools head Arlene Ackerman arrived a year and a half ago with a strong résumé on education but an unwillingness to play politics. So just how long do you think she’ll last in this town?

“Sun profile: Andrés Alonso” (Baltimore Sun)

Urgency drives Andrés Alonso. He has been given uncommon power to reshape Baltimore’s dysfunctional schools to make them work for, not against, the children. He knows that he cannot do it by himself.

“The Super” (Washington Monthly)

L.A. Superintendent Roy Romer may be the most talented man ever to run a big-city school district. He is also bound to fail. There’s a lesson in that.

“An untimely turn in a school turnaround” (Boston Globe)

Vowing to put a fresh face at the front of nearly every classroom, the newly appointed principal of an underperforming Boston school broomed out dozens of teachers last spring and swept in talented colleagues from places he formerly worked.