Simulations Help School Leaders Hone People Skills

Simulations Help School Leaders Practice 'Tough Conversations'

Syracuse, N.Y.

Jody F. Manning has been a superintendent in New York state for more than 20 years, but his experience didn’t make his conversation with the woman across the table any easier.

"Terry Jones" had made three increasingly urgent phone calls asking to meet about her daughter, whose grades have been dropping precipitously. Ms. Jones talked about her daughter’s bruises and clothes found ripped, bullying the girl has mentioned in passing but won’t talk about directly—and said she suspects the girl has been cutting herself. When Mr. Manning talked about the high school’s anti-bullying policy and suggested ways to find the bullies and stop them, Ms. Jones became increasingly upset and adamant that the school not involve her daughter in any way in the bullies' punishment.

And then she dropped a potential legal bombshell: Ms. Jones is a lesbian, raising her daughter with another woman, and she feared her daughter’s bullying may...