In this essay, possible mechanisms which may lead to discrimination in the allocation of inputs to public education are discussed. A model of market discrimination in the supply curve for public school teachers is explained and tested using data from the Boston Metropolitan Area. The consequences for the distribution of teacher inputs in the…

The study committee that compiled this report extensively reviewed articles analyzing research on personnel evaluation in Massachusetts' public schools. The report provides a definition and list of principles of evaluation, committee recommendations, a discussion of evaluation procedures in Massachusetts, examples of illustrative practices,…

During 1987, investigations of 113 cases of alleged or suspected child labor violations at Massachusetts business establishments were conducted. Thirteen (38 percent) of these were randomly selected for review. Compliance officers in the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division substantiated child labor violations in 9 of the 13 cases. A total…

This handbook describes what it is like to be a school superintendent in Massachusetts and offers conclusions and practical suggestions on how school board members, superintendents, and state officials can maximize the effectiveness and productivity of the superintendent. The author's analysis of the superintendent's role is based in part on…

As a result of declining enrollment and newly instituted limitations on property taxes resulting from passage of Proposition 2 1/2, school districts in Massachusetts have been forced to reduce the size of their teaching staffs. The Massachusetts Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights sought to determine what steps were being…

The use of seniority in current school layoff and transfer practices and the impact of seniority provisions on school operations are examined in this paper. The data for the study came from two sources: interviews with teachers, principals, union leaders, and district administrators in four school districts (drawn from a national sample) facing…

This report is an initial effort to provide systematic information on teacher contracts in Massachusetts. In 1999, the Pioneer Institute solicited copies of the current contract from all districts in the state. Forty districts were selected to reflect the makeup of the Commonwealth. This study confirms that teacher compensation is determined by…

In response to declining enrollments, some local school districts are using performance criteria to determine the order of teacher layoffs. The difficulties of implementing this practice are illustrated by the experiences of four Massachusetts school districts. Interviews with principals reveal the adverse impact upon teacher-principal relations…

A curriculum packet is presented that is designed to give English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers the information and tools they need to help students address the issue of job discrimination, especially discrimination based on citizenship status or national origin that may result from the employer verification requirement of the Immigration…

People of color make up a vital and growing part of Metro Boston's workforce, yet they face substantial challenges in obtaining employment (especially in faster-growing and higher-paying sectors), in reaching locations of rapid job growth, and in earning a livable income. Latinos and blacks face the greatest hurdles, yet certain Asian populations…

In this article, the authors consider three sources of support for new teachers--hiring practices, relationships with colleagues, and curriculum--all found in earlier research to influence new teachers' satisfaction with their work, their sense of success with students, and their eventual retention in their job. They find that a "support…

As faculty and other public sector unions become more sophisticated in collective bargaining, they tend to lay a greater variety of demands on the table. This, in turn, forces the employer to ask, Do I really have to bargain about these subjects? As more employers refuse to bargain, more unions charge them with failing to bargain in good faith,…

Discusses substantive and procedural restraints, including legal pitfalls, due process, and no-layoff clauses, within which public employers must decide questions of reduction in workforce (RIF). Describes elements of a sound RIF policy and considers ways of using the collective bargaining process to facilitate the RIF process. (JBM)

Collective bargaining in higher education and a few other fields is examined in 21 papers from a 1986 conference of the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions. After an introduction by Joel M. Douglas, the academic collective bargaining system is reexamined in four papers. Additional papers…

Two consecutive collective bargaining agreements between the Massachusetts Board of Regents of Higher Education and the Massachusetts Community College Council/Massachusetts Teachers Association are presented, covering the years 1983 through 1986 and 1986 through 1989. The 26 articles in the agreements set forth rights and provisions related to:…