This article examines how teacher collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), teacher salaries, and class sizes changed during the Great Recession. Using a district-level data set of California teacher CBAs that includes measures of subarea contract strength and salaries from 2005-2006 and 2011-2012 tied to district-level longitudinal data, we…

In March 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court decided "Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association," a case addressing the constitutionality of "agency fees" for non-union teachers in California. Although the Court's 4-4 decision in the wake of Justice Scalia's death upheld the constitutionality of agency fees, several similar…

About 12 percent of all charter schools have bargaining agreements. Why do charter schools unionize? What is in these charter school contracts? Can they be considered innovative or models for union reform? And how do they compare to traditional district/union teacher contracts? Center on Reinventing Public Education legal analyst Mitch Price…

Many districts and schools have trouble recruiting and retaining teachers who have the necessary credentials and skills to meet the needs of their students. This trend is particularly severe in low-income, "high-needs" schools and districts. As such, districts and schools are implementing policies that are intended to reform compensation…

Spurred by a deep recession and large budget shortfalls, the California Legislature in 2009 enacted what was arguably the largest change to California's school finance system in decades--relaxing spending restrictions on more than 40 categorical programs through 2012-13, extended later to 2014-15. Categorical funding, which gives school districts…

Teachers unions are among the most powerful, yet least studied, actors in public education today. Although public attention focuses on the influence of national unions, the policies that most affect teachers and schooling are bargained by local unions and school boards. Interviews with 30 recently elected local union presidents reveal that these…

This article reports on an outstanding event from May 2007, when the California Faculty Association (CFA), representing more than 24,000 faculty, counselors, and librarians at the 23 campuses of the California State University (CSU), won one of the best collective bargaining agreements in higher education history. The new agreement provides a 20.7…

At the request of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) undertook this analysis of the teacher policies in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). A coalition of civil rights groups were also involved in this project, including Parent Organization Network, Families in Schools, Alliance for a…

In the era of No Child Left Behind, principals are increasingly held accountable for student performance. But are teacher labor agreements giving them enough flexibility to manage effectively? This study answers this question and others. It examines how much flexibility school leaders enjoy on key dimensions of management in America's fifty…

This paper presents a theoretical and empirical evaluation of the impact of teacher bargaining on the demand for school inputs, the compensation of school personnel, and the level of educational expenditure in public school districts. It is demonstrated that the major impact of bargaining for teachers has been on a regional, rather than on a…

Part-time instructors constitute a growing proportion of community college instructors. They receive no fringe benefits or office space, they are not assigned to faculty committees, and they sign quarter-to-quarter contracts which contain no stipulation of job security, even for the quarter contracted. There are three reasons for hiring part-time…

When people talk about school district efficiency, their first thoughts are about financial management. Are districts balancing their budgets, paying bills on time, and maximizing their revenues? This report takes a closer look at financial management in California school districts. The report is a summary of the 2006 research study, "School…

Reports on a study of the effect of unionization on faculty salaries in California community colleges. Finds small effects during initial stages of bargaining but no significant long-term positive effects. Identifies geographic location, size, and percentage of male faculty as more significant predictors of district-level salaries. (MAH)

Argues for statewide collective bargaining on teacher salaries as a way of promoting equity among teachers. The factors opposing such a program are discussed. (IRT)

In May 1985, a survey was conducted by Napa Valley College (NVC) to determine the salary and personnel practices of the 48 single-campus community college districts in California and compare them with personnel practices at NVC. The survey focused on salary and benefit allocations in school budgets, estimated reserves or ending balance in 1984-85,…