A teacher describes the four-year bureaucratic maze she went through to rectify a problem with the lack of proper toilet paper dispensers in the women teachers' bathroom of a brand new school. (MD)

Outlines the concerns about collective bargaining issues and teachers brought about as a result of the "National Labor Relations Board v. Yeshiva University" decision. (MD)

To identify applicants with past criminal records, 22 states have passed laws making F.B.I. checks mandatory for teacher certification. Because many teachers are affronted by background checks and fingerprinting, unions often block this type of proposed legislation. Insets provide tips on avoiding defamation and negligent hiring charges and on…

Based on a recent Supreme Court decision which allows schools to censor school-sponsored newspapers, this article offers guidelines to avoid legal challenges in this area. Questions raised by the decision regarding the extent to which school authorities may censor student newspapers and the amount of judicial interference in curriculum matters are…

The Connick vs. Myers Supreme Court decision regarding public employees' right to express themselves has been applied to public schools in two recent federal court cases. The rulings suggest school boards may discipline school employees for disputes over internal office matters but must tolerate their dissent over public matters. (DCS)

Dismissing a teacher for insubordination is usually acceptable to the courts when the teacher willfully defies reasonable and specific regulations and orders despite repeated and clear directives that such behavior must cease. (PGD)

When performance problems arise with a tenured teacher, the principal has the following obligations: (1) determine the extent and cause of the problems; (2) devise a remediation strategy; (3) respect the teacher's due process rights; and (4) maintain written documentation. (MLF)

Administrators must understand the type of evidence called for in a teacher dismissal hearing and set up procedures for gathering the evidence. Offers guidelines on the following sources of evidence: (1) school records; (2) evaluations; (3) recordings; (4) eyewitness accounts; (5) photographs; (6) policies and rules; and (7) direct testimony. (MLF)

This discussion of child abuse in children with disabilities focuses on teachers' rights and responsibilities for reporting abuse and the need to overcome barriers to reporting abuse. Recommendations to protect teachers from unwarranted allegations of abuse are also given, including creating an open classroom environment, distinguishing between…

Discusses the confusion on issues of teacher roles and collective bargaining resulting from the court case, "National Labor Relations Board v. Yeshiva University." Presents the possible implications from the perspective of teachers as well as administration. Outlines the "Toledo Plan," an Ohio program where a teacher governance…

Examines the current state of First Amendment rights of faculty at public colleges and universities. Using as a focus the recent case of Crue v. Aiken, analyzes the place of the prior restraint doctrine and the treatment of public employees in the free speech context, arriving at a conclusion that offers an extension of the restrictions allowed by…

Discusses the "Yeshiva issue" from a management perspective critiquing Iorio's article and his assumption that the decision would serve as a "moderating influence." Points to the need for schools to increase teacher decision-making participation while ensuring a continuation of teachers' unions in collective bargaining. (MD)

Garland Independent School District (Texas) has a clear-cut policy of free choice regarding union membership and has placed firm restrictions on union activities during shool hours. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld these restrictions but struck down a superintendent's claim that teachers' private communications violated district…

The University of Michigan vs. Scott Ewing case, in which a medical student who had not passed a required examination was dismissed, and the potential for legal pressure brought to writing teachers and writing programs are discussed. (MSE)

Discusses five areas of the school environment lending themselves to the possibility of teacher and student teacher liability: negligence, malpractice, rights to privacy, field trips, and search of students and school property. Suggests specific guidelines for decreasing the possibility of adverse legal action. (NEC)