Districts are facing a tough fight over incentive plans that offer teachers the chance to enter the performance contract race along with private firms. (Author)

Gives tips on negotiating and writing employment contracts for teachers. Topics considered include a no-strike clause, bargaining format, administration of welfare funds, and use of the term "mutual understanding." (Author/DN)

Answers questions related to collective bargaining in education. Includes discussions of monitored meetings, health benefits, attorneys at the bargaining table, and hiring demand. (Author/DN)

Gives ten "don'ts" coming out of recent court rulings that school administrators should bear in mind before firing a teacher. Issues such as homosexuality, militancy, and insubordination are discussed. (Author/DN)

In precedent-setting decrees, courts and federal and State authorities have branded compulsory maternity leaves either unconstitutional or illegal. School administrators are urged to prod boards of education to adopt more lenient maternity leave policies -- now. (Author)

California districts have discovered that a Statewide enrollment dip has hindered efforts to hire minority personnel. (Author/DN)

Offers four critical considerations for secondary schools considered year-round on a 4-quarter basis: (1) essentially equalized enrollment in all four quarters is impossible to achieve and sustain; (2) subject matter must be reorganized to fit a year-round calendar; (3) qualified teaching personnel must be available to fill in for those who take a…