This paper examines the history of teacher compensation in the United States from the 1800s through the present. It examines the three major changes in the method of teacher pay: (1) the rural tradition of paying teachers room and board; (2) the move to a grade-based salary schedule; and (3) the shift to today's single salary schedule. It…

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…

The appropriateness of proposed Standard 405(e), which stipulates employment conditions of full-time clinical (law) faculty members, is considered. This proposal of the Accreditation Committee of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) would establish job security, economic equality, and a governance voice for clinicians who are not…

Problems posed by varying interpretations of the terms "native speaker" and "native language" in relation to discrimination in hiring foreign language teachers are discussed. The central question is whether there is an educational basis for giving hiring preference to a native speaker. One argument stresses that it is preferable for students to be…

A growing component of the instructional workforce in higher education, graduate teaching and research assistants are frequently viewed by university administrators and trustees as students rather than employees, according to this American Federation of Teachers (AFT) report. As the number of new full-time faculty hired decreases, an increased…

The application and selection processes involved in filling a full-time assistant professor position at a small liberal arts college are discussed, as are the results of a survey returned by 64 undergraduate departments that undertook a search for a similar position during the 1995-1996 academic year. The survey involved departments that offered…

Compensation of early childhood professionals is not on an equal basis with that of other teachers or other professionals with similar training and experience. Six guidelines that can be used for making decisions about the provision of compensation to early childhood professionals are offered. (DG)

Offers insights into the effects of federal and state unemployment compensation laws on child care operations, including for-profit centers, nonprofit agencies, and family home care. (BB)

Discusses one child care center director's attempts to solve the problem of finding a reliable substitute teacher by sharing one substitute teacher between two day care centers. Also discusses the effectiveness of such a solution. (BB)

Scottish teachers' job uncertainty results from school funding problems, trends toward part-time or temporary employment, labor mobility, and qualifications mismatch. Continuing professional development of teachers may help alleviate concerns over teaching standards in Scottish schools, but a more comprehensive review of the recruitment, training,…

Racism remains a distinct factor in problems faced by black teachers and teacher educators. The number of black teachers in the public schools is diminishing, especially in the southern states, where the black student population is the highest. The higher education environment has been undergoing drastic changes in faculty and student body…

Four contributors discuss the difficulty of instituting a fair merit pay system, the threat merit pay may pose to teachers' academic freedom and job security, and possible solutions to the merit pay dilemma, such as a tenure/merit pay option, evaluation by a central board, or by peers. (MM)

The civil service standard that is the basis for most public school employment decisions conflicts with the assumption of tenure statutes that no teacher should be reappointed or given tenure if a better teacher can be hired. Schools have a legal responsibility to hire the best available teacher. (Author/MLF)

One approach to raising the appeal of the teaching profession ties diagnostic evaluations to promotions and creates a career ladder for teachers. Changes in career opportunities for teachers may be possible, if proposals like those prepared in North Carolina by the Charlotte-Mecklenberg school district or in the state of Tennessee are widely…

Two newsletter articles are presented that examine legal aspects of campus collective bargaining: (1) "Campus Bargaining and the Law: A Decade of Higher Education Collective Bargaining--1972-1982" (June M. Weisberger); and (2) an analysis of the the Appellate Court decision in the S. Simpson Gray case. The first article examines major…