AASA Legislative Corps Speaks, and Is Heard - Congress adjust school-based reimbursement for Medicaid, other news

School Administrator, May, 2000

AASA'S Legislative Corps demonstrated its effectiveness in the U.S. House of Representatives March 14 and 15 when the House Budget Committee adopted an amendment that headed off what had appeared to be inevitable Medicaid-reimbursement rules harmful to schools. The all-volunteer Corps responded to AASA's e-mail alert, sent to every member of AASA's 400-strong Legislative Corps, by calling House members and requesting an amendment to the proposed legislation.

Corps members were asked to contact their own House of Representatives member and ask that he/she get in touch with their Budget Committee colleagues to demand an amendment be adopted. And it was.

Within 24 hours of the Alert, the House Budget Committee passed an amendment calling on the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to either "substantially revise or abandon the current draft" of its Medicaid school-based reimbursement guide.

In fact, when the time came to bring up the amendment--around 7:30 p.m. March 15--AASA budget lobbyist Jordan Cross saw members arguing over who would be able to call it their amendment! Everybody wanted on board. Budget Committee Chair John Kasich, R-Ohio, who'd been getting calls from Ohio administrators all day, announced that the amendment was adopted in a unanimous vote.

Hot Off the Presses

* Career Crisis in the Superintendency? Results of a National Study

This publication examines the findings from a study conducted by Fordham University researchers Bruce Cooper and Lance Fusarelli and Assistant Principal Vincent Carella that asked superintendents across the country what they think about their profession overall, their own skills, a range of career concerns and their future interests. This study, conducted with support from AASA and the National Center for Education Statistics, is based on a new, validated survey instrument -- SPEAR [TM] (Superintendents' Professional Expectations and Advancement Review) -- created by the researchers.

Based on their findings, the authors make recommendations about ways to increase the number of high-quality candidates for the important job of superintendent of schools. Among the recommendations: increase opportunities for women and minorities; enhance superintendents' technical skills and expand/improve doctoral programs; de-segment the job market for superintendents; make pensions more portable; reorganize the superintendency by increasing district and university support for superintendents, as well as superintendent salaries; and find meaningful ways to recognize, value and reward superintendents' contributions.

This book is a must-read for board members charged with hiring high-quality superintendents as well as for educators who are currently or aspire to be superintendents.

8 1/2 X 11, 48 pages. AASA Stock # 236-022. $12 member; $15 nonmember.

For more information about or to order this and other AASA publications, log on to AASA Online at www.aasa.org or call the AASA Order Fulfillment Department at 1-888-PUB-AASA (782-2272). In Maryland, call 1-301-617-7802.

AASA's Publishes Its 1999 Annual Report Online

AASA's 1999 Annual Report highlights the past year's achievements, charts future priorities and reviews membership trends and the financial health of the association. This year, AASA has published its Annual Report on AASA Online (www.aasa.org).

For a brief review of AASA's priorities from the past year, as well as an understanding of the issues facing the association in the years ahead, go to AASA Online (www.aasa.org), click first on Publications and read Executive Director Paul Houston's overview.

AASA decided to go "online" with its Annual Report to maximize the reach of its message. And going digital makes sense because many of AASA's best services and features are now Web-based.

AASA Job Bulletin

SUPERINTENDENT

California; Beverly Hills USD; Negotiable; 5/5/00; Harry Weinbert, Bob Sanchis or Rene Townsend, Leadership Associates, 197 Woodland Pkwy., Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92069-3021; (phone) 760-471-9978

California; Hilmar Unified School District; $75,000 to $100,000; 5/16/00; Dr. Jack Gyves, Adviser, c/o California School Boards Assoc., 3100 Beacon Blvd., Ste. HIL, West Sacramento, CA 95691; (phone) 916-371-4691 ext. 3080, (fax) 916-371-6809; cgoodman@csba.org, www.csba.org

California; St. Helena Unified School District; $75,000 to $100,000; 5/16/00; Marjorie Peterson, Adviser, c/o California School Boards Assoc., 3100 Beacon Blvd., Ste. SH, West Sacramento, CA 95691; (phone) 916-371-4691 ext. 3080, (fax) 916-371-6809; cgoodman@csba.org, www.csba.org

California; South San Francisco USD; More than $100,000; 5/11/00; Dr. Keith Daniel, Adviser, c/o California School Boards Assoc., 3100 Beacon Blvd., Ste. SSF, West Sacramento, CA 95691; (phone) 916-371-4691 ext. 3080, (fax) 916-371-6809; cgoodman@csba.org, www.csba.org

Colorado; Boulder Valley School District; More than $100,000; Gary L Ray, Ray and Associates, Inc., 4403 First Ave., SE, Suite 407, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402-3221; (phone) 319-393-3115, (fax) 319-393-4931