States like Georgia have brought policy change allowing schools to arm teachers. However, ramifications of unforeseen costs and possible legal issues this could bring are still unclear. Since no school that out has openly armed their faculty and/or staff has been in an active shooter situation it is unclear whether this policy is effective.…

Describes one small Illinois school district's experience with collective bargaining. Emphasizes the superintendent's role. (PKP)

Implications of conflict management for the superintendent's role as instructional leader are explored in this study. A theory of conflict management that looks at the shift in the administrator role from nonpartisan to political professional is applied to case studies of three Illinois school districts in which superintendents involved in teacher…

Parents and members of the public want safe schools that are free of violence. This document explicates Illinois' state plan for ensuring safety and order in its public schools. The plan contains 44 steps that are designed to commit the state to school safety; restore safety and order; implement conflict-resolution programs; prevent violence by…

An examination of collective gaining (interaction between people in a collective and collaborative transaction in which everyone gains) in educational institutions involves comparisons with collective bargaining, two case studies, a discussion of theoretical bases, and a consideration of do's and don'ts. Collective bargaining is anti-intellectual,…

This report discusses findings of a study that investigated the resolution of disputes in the field of special education. Information was collected from ten states (Alabama, California, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming) on their current dispute resolution systems and from two additional states…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 stresses procedural safeguards regarding special education identification, placement, or services. Reviewed a sample of Illinois due process appeal decisions and concluded that the system appears to be serving Illinois educators and parents reasonably well. (20 references) (MLF)

Current research on school effectiveness concludes that differences among schools affect students' academic achievement. An important characteristic of effective schools is providing a safe and secure environment. An example of programs that address this issue are peer mediation or conflict resolution programs. These programs require the combined…

This book closely examines the functioning of the Education Committee of the Sixth Illinois Constitutional Convention. As an administrative assistant to the committee throughout the convention, the author was able to gather detailed information about the committee's activities through personal observation and interviews with committee members.…

This guide is designed to inform Illinois parents of children with disabilities about their childrens' educational rights and about special education services. Topics covered include: (1) steps to getting services, parent participation, and examples of modifications; (2) screening, referral, evaluation, and conference; (3) eligibility categories…

It is essential that school board members understand the important role that public sentiment plays both in the management of the public schools and in the determination of legislated powers of local school boards. The 14 articles from the "Illinois School Board Journal" presented here were chosen for the light they shed on public…

Conclusions about public school labor relations advanced in this report are based on analysis of data from a two-phase study. The first phase consisted of case studies conducted during entire collective bargaining cycles in eight school districts--four in Illinois and four in California. The second phase of the research expanded the work into 65…