Using the theories of John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx, this article supports the educational entitlements of intellectual freedom and economic sufficiency. Explores these issues in reference to their implications for teaching, the teaching profession and its training. Concludes that ideas cannot be controlled by the interests of the dominant class.…

With declining enrollments projected for the next decade and program discontinuance and retrenchment already a reality at many campuses, the retraining of tenured faculty to teach in a new discipline has been a critical issue for both faculty and administrators. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the courts offer…

The actions of Clark College in terminating, for reasons of financial exigency, two faculty members previously granted indefinite tenure are reviewed according to the AAUP statement of principles and recommended institutional regulations on academic freedom and tenure, and procedural standards, and found to be in violation. (MSE)

This article investigates the uncertain history of academic freedom in public schools, from the viewpoint of the courts' understanding and related commentaries. Also considered is the magnitude of teachers' classroom discretion, and whether courts are likely to treat content and pedagogical conflicts differently. (IAH)

A discussion of sexual harassment on American college campuses focuses on the case of Silva v. University of New Hampshire. The article examines the university's responsibility to protect students from sexual harassment while at the same time protecting freedom of expression. Various examples are presented in an attempt to define sexual…

An analysis of policy documents from six national organizations that promote intellectual and academic freedom for teachers and students supports the need for school systems to develop and articulate guidelines for addressing challenges to instructional methods and materials used in the schools. Recommended actions are discussed. (SM)

Intellectual property questions, as they concern college faculty, are composed of many issues and have substantial and far-reaching implications for the work of faculty and students and for administrative decision making. Both faculty and the American Association of University Professors must become involved to guard against incursions of academic…

In view of the dramatic increase in the numbers of laws and lawsuits since the 1960s, teachers must become aware of the privacy considerations and potential legal problems that may arise when writing a letter of recommendation or giving a verbal reference. They should become familiar with present common law doctrine and recent legislation…

Discusses censorship in public schools, noting how parents can help protect academic freedom. School districts must develop a policy for selection of instructional materials, and parents must be meaningfully involved in the selection. The public school's role in assuring a balanced curriculum with a free exchange of ideas is examined. (SM)

Analysis of a Supreme Court case, in which university use of academic freedom as a basis for protecting confidential peer-review documents was rejected, explores the general development and this application of academic freedom doctrine. Individual academic freedom is distinguished from institutional autonomy in protection of the free exchange of…

How schools can effectively work with exceptional students who have communicable diseases was the focus of an eight-member Task Force appointed by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Governmental Relations Committee. Its report begins with an overview of existing guidelines and defines specific communicable diseases (Hepatitis B,…

The growing teacher shortage and increasing bureaucratization of schools make it imperative that new means be developed to make teaching more attractive as a profession. Teacher organizations, professional newsletters, informal discussion groups, networking, ad hoc pressure groups, and alternative schools might provide some route to reform. (KH)

Contains a summary of the events leading to the firing of teacher Cissy Lacks and her successful court battle to win her job back with compensations. Presents Lacks' own reflections on censorship, discrimination, tenure, publicity, legal representation, and constitutional issues. (TB)

Within the core of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) are a number of measures to hold states, school districts, schools, and school personnel more accountable for student progress. Summarizes state legislation and court cases concerning school administrators, tenure, collective bargaining, and personnel records. (Contains 32 references.) (MLF)

Explores whether using a review board to approve the use of a movie infringes on a teacher's right to academic freedom. Also examines, in the absence of such a policy, whether teachers can be disciplined for showing movies that some parents, board members, or administrators regard as inappropriate. (68 footnotes) (MLF)