by Bill Hinz

It is May, and you’re supposed to be tired. When people are weary there are greater possibilities for meltdowns (parents, students, teachers), but there are also opportunities for new growth during stress-filled times.

by Katie Baganz

I am a planner. I love to plan, I find joy in organization, and I appreciate the achievement of a well-executed and challenging task. There has always been comfort for me in preparation and security for me in knowing the details. Essentially, my personal comfort zone was focused on planning and having thorough knowledge. It was about ensuring that all the details were fully planned and under my control. It was about arranging and executing my plan of action.

by Don Gillingham

“The standard Carnegie Unit is defined as 120 hours of contact time with an instructor, which translates into one hour of instruction on a particular subject per day, five days a week, for 24 weeks annually.” https://www.carnegiefoundation.org/resources/publi...

There it is, the standard for high schools across the country and across the centuries. I’m confident we are in the last days of the Carnegie Unit. I for one am not sad to see it go.

by Bernie Tonjes

Some time back in December, when I had made it known to those outside of Concordia University Nebraska that I would be retiring at the end of the school year, Jim Pingel contacted me and asked me if I would like to write a piece for the ALSS Journal. I am honored by the request and the task has caused me to do a lot of thinking and a more than a little reminiscing. I think that a little reflection on how things have changed (and not changed…) might be useful for all of us.

by Dr. James Juergensen

Jim Pingel has been dogging me to submit a piece for The ALSS Journal, and I have been dodging him for awhile now. Also was motivated by Duane Jobst’s masterful and meaningful trip down the memory lane of his illustrious career in the Winter Journal, so I gave in. However, my compromise OK’d by Jim is not to produce another leadership primer by another old retired college guy, but instead a stream of consciousness-type list of principles I’ve lived by…

by Jim Pingel

There is a plethora of research and recent publications disseminating the critical importance of moments and timing. None will be more fun to read, however, than Daniel Pink’s latest entitled When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. As Pink says, we have lots of books on the how-tos of leadership, but very few on when-tos of leadership.

by Jim Pingel

Keep up on the latest research, timely articles and tips for improving your school.

by Dr. Steven Meseke

One of my favorite television shows is NCIS. The lead character, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, has a set of rules he developed that direct his personal and professional life. Each rule is numbered and his subordinates are expected to know the rules by number. Over my years in administration, I have attempted to follow a set of rules that I have found channel my actions and decisions. Below are my top ten…