In 1995, members of the local teachers' association sued the Colonial School District in eastern Pennsylvania regarding a policy prohibiting political activities at official polling places on school property during nonworking hours. The court decided in the teachers' favor, declaring the policy unconstitutional. Generally, teachers' partisan…

Considers school choice and employment policies. Suggests that American educators can learn a great deal from other Western nations, which have long made educational freedom a cornerstone of their policies. Concludes that the experience of other Western democracies suggests that a publicly funded school can appropriately ensure the coherence of…

Supreme Court has delineated three-step test to First Amendment cases brought by public employees, including tenured and nontenured teachers' academic freedom cases. Is teacher's conduct "protected expression" that concerns public issue without unduly rocking boat? If so, is protected expression the motivation behind district's adverse…

Discusses Eighth Circuit Court's upholding of an Oklahoma nontenured second-grade teacher's claim of religious discrimination and violation of First Amendment right of expression when school board declined to renew her contract on recommendation of a principal concerned with parent objections to New Age thinking in a letter sent home attached to a…

This booklet is the first in a series about teacher union issues. It notes that agency fees raise profound issues in education, labor relations, and public policy. Chapter 1 introduces the booklet, explaining that it is helps clarify major agency fee issues and recommend appropriate action. Chapter 2, NEA/AFT Revenues from Agency Fees, explains…

Discusses seven court cases that have helped clarify teachers' privacy rights and the limitations on those rights. (MLF)

Examines litigation involving academic freedom, expressive freedom, and drug testing as examples of the shifting balance between teacher rights and school board authority. Concludes that balancing teacher rights with community expectations is difficult, and the scales of justice may not always tip in favor of a teacher's rights. (SG)

Protecting students from abuse is crucial for principals. However, false allegations can destroy a teacher's career and life. Principals can protect teachers by having a code of conduct, prohibiting false complaints, and providing training in prevention strategies. Teachers should avoid 10 risky behaviors. (Contains 11 references.) (MLH)

This article describes and analyses the growing trend of teachers as mobile knowledge workers in the global labor market. According to the authors, the task of small countries of fulfilling the increasing demands of universal primary education under Education for All (EFA) is reaching crisis proportions. With a more flexible labor market, teacher…

Proceedings from a seminar in which 86 participants from 60 countries exchanged views on the relationship between the International Labour Office (ILO) and the World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession (WCOTP). Particular attention was devoted to the wide range of services provided in relation to trade union rights, the…

This synthesis of current attitudes on academic freedom as defined by lower court and Supreme Court cases describes the (1) framework in which academic freedom operates, (2) powers and limitations of state legislatures and school officials in defining the curriculum and setting policy, (3) rights and limitations of teachers in making curricular…

Reviews the recent history of the Fifth Amendment focusing primarily on its use by government officials during the Iran-Contra hearings and by teachers during the McCarthy era hearings. Concludes that social studies teachers must encourage discussion of the political and philosophical issues contained in the Iran-Contra hearings. (JDH)

Reviews four recent court decisions affecting school law. A Circuit Court of Appeals ruling upheld Norfolk Schools' decision to abolish busing and reinstate neighborhood schools. The United States Supreme Court dismissed appeals to lower court decisions involving a minimum grade prerequisite, a teacher's privacy rights, and an "adult"…

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)

Pointing out that increasing questions about and attacks on various methods used in teaching English language arts led to a 1994 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Resolution on the right to teach (reaffirmed in 1996) calling for the identification, definition, and defense of methods most often attacked, this brochure is the result of…