Getting the Business: District Management Practices Under Fire

By Ann Bradley

The public school system in Montgomery County, Md., an affluent Washington suburb, enjoys a national reputation for academic excellence. Last year, 41 of its students were National Merit Scholars and three won the Westinghouse Science Talent Search competition.

But when it comes to managing the 113,570-student district, Montgomery County has less to brag about. A report released last month concludes that its administrative practices are cumbersome and inefficient.

"The quality of service in the administrative-support operation,'' it says, "is not of the caliber most parents and taxpayers expect of...