Do you want to be a better principal? Or maybe you're thinking about becoming a principal and wondering if you have what it takes? Education World's Principal Files principals tell about the "principal qualities" that are most important to being a successful school leader. Included: Links to other resources that provide further insight.

How far would you go to raise needed funds? Would you kiss a pig? Organize a game of cow chip bingo? Paint Pepsi on your school roof? As school budgets seem to buy less and less of what educators and parents believe students need, money from fund-raising is becoming more and more important. Some school districts are discovering --or creating-- new ways to raise money.

Does the relentless pace of the school day frustrate you? Does your staff need to cram more and more into six hours? In his latest book, Time to Teach, Time to Learn, Chip Wood takes a serious look at the frenetic pace of teaching and learning. He offers dozens of suggestions for refocusing on what's really important during the school day. In this exclusive Education World e-interview, Wood talks about his new book and about his ideas for changing the way we spend time in school.

Are you looking to improve communications between school and home? Do you want to get the media to pay more attention to the good things that are going on in your school? Do you know how to handle a crisis? Public relations consultant William Harms offers tips for school administrators looking to put their best foot forward.

Michael Klonsky, of the University of Illinois (Chicago) College of Education, says, "A compelling body of research shows that when students are part of smaller and more intimate learning communities, they are more successful." In this story, Education World takes a look at some of that research.

• Student-Led Conferences: A Growing Trend
• Technology in the Schools: It Does Make a Difference!
• K-8 Schools: An Idea for the New Millenium?
• If You Had a Choice, Would You Still Be a Principal?
• Detroit School Repair Program: A Model for Others