The Superintendent's Negotiation Role

Abstract

In an attempt to examine the role of the superintendent of schools in negotiations between teachers' organi zations and boards of education, 272 school districts in twenty-six states were studied. Data collected were ana lyzed to test the relationships between the superintendent's negotiation role and the school district size; and the superintendent's negotiation role and superintendent, teacher, and board member satisfaction with that role. Re sults show that considerable conflict exists in the perception of the superintendent's negotiation role; teachers are more satisfied with a non-participant superintendent negotiation role; and board members are more satisfied with an advisory superintendent negotiation role. THE EVER-INCREASING practice of collec tive negotiations between teachers' organizations and boards of education has required the super intendent totakearole in these negotiations, ranging from mere observer or non-participant to negotiator with full authority (8, 9). The negotiation role taken by the superintend ent and his behavior in that role as perceived by the teachers and board members could be influen tial to his success or failure as an educational leader. In an attempt to provide empirical evidence in this area, a study was undertaken to ascertain the negotiation role assigned to the superintendent and to test the relationship between the negotia tion role and the satisfaction of the negotiating parties ; the superintendent, the teachers, and the board members. The study dealt with four basic questions. What relationship, if any, is there between the size of the school district and the superintendent's nego tiation role? What relationship, if any, is there between the negotiation role of the superintendent and the satisfaction of (1) the superintendent, (2) the teachers, and (3) the board members. While the superintendent can and may play a negotiation role in informal proceedings between the teachers and the board of education regard ing teacher welfare and/or personnel policy items, the study was concerned with the relationship of satisfaction to the superintendent's negotiation role as defined and restricted by a written con tractual agreement between the two parties. In order to examine these relationships within