Recent concern about teacher shortages has raised questions about the attractiveness of the teaching profession. This issue brief examines whether teacher salaries have increased in recent years, how they compare with salaries in other entry-level occupations, and how they vary within and across school districts in the nation. Data on scheduled…

Research has shown that: (1) Physiological and psychological aspects of stress and burnout are equated with emotional exhaustion and (2) Individual responses to relationships and the working environment are based, to a large extent, upon the individual's expectations. A model was developed that accounts for individual perceptions of reasonable…

This study focuses on the benefits of early retirement as a policy to ease the adjustment process as public school districts and state universities encounter the problem of declining enrollments. Early retirement as one means of reduction in force, and as a means of saving money, has been adopted by 36 Illinois school districts. This paper…

An overview of issues that will have an impact on educational practice in the 1980s is presented. Issues in the following areas are outlined: (1) control of education by states rather than by the federal government; (2) educational issues that should be the concern of the federal government; (3) education for the handicapped; (4) the future role…

Although state governments have a less direct effect on new teachers than do the actions of school administrators and fellow teachers, state standards and the level of financial commitment determine, to a certain extent, the quality of life for teachers. State departments of education can assist first year teachers by: (1) working with teacher…

A joint committee of a local teachers' association and the Tacoma Public Schools studied stress conditions for classroom teachers. Teachers estimated the magnitude of stress for forty-four events and noted those which they had actually experienced. "Involuntary transfer" was perceived as the most stressful event; seventeen per cent of the teachers…

Academic freedom for the professoriate in America is discussed, based on quantitative analysis of almost a thousand cases from the files of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). The cases represent a large sample of the academic freedom and tenure conflicts that developed during a period of more than four decades (1913-1957).…

Each institution of higher education determines its own conditions and responsibilities of professional employment based on principles of equity and due process. A faculty manual should present clearly and concisely an institution's policies and procedures related to professional employment, and all arrangements between individuals and…

The trend toward increasing the use and cost-effectiveness of off-campus, open university-style instructional programs in Australia is analyzed from the point of view of its impact on faculty welfare, curriculum reorganization, and institutional autonomy. (MSE)

Many administrators and full-time faculty regard adjuncts or part-time faculty as "fringe elements," the "have-nots," the "homeless" of the academic world, or worst of all as "invisible necessities." Adjuncts at the University of West Florida (UWF) are not listed in any campus directory, nor are they invited…

Reviews studies on occupational stress among teachers in British schools. Considers the prevalence of self-reported occupational stress, sources of stress, symptoms and effects, and coping actions. Argues that, in view of changes in education, further research is needed to provide updated information on which to base an understanding of teacher…

Burnout affects all professions but tends to be more pervasive in the human service occupations such as education. Symptoms include dissatisfaction, negativism, boredom, unpreparedness, testiness, frequent illness, forgetfulness, depression, and tiredness. The wellness approach can lessen or prevent burnout in a community college setting. Centered…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the results of tenure and legal protection on lesbian, gay male, and bisexual public school teachers. Specifically, it describes the effect of tenure, state laws, inclusive contracts, and local ordinances on the openness and public identities of gay teachers. A total of 904 out of 1,400…

This paper reports findings of a study that is grounded in the assumption that the ways in which teachers interact outside their classrooms may be critical to the future of school restructuring and the effects of restructuring on students. The paper develops a framework for analyzing professional community within schools, examines school…

Strategies for promoting faculty renewal are discussed in proceedings of the 1986 National Conference on Professional and Personal Renewal for Faculty. Included is an introduction by Ronald D. Simpson, a keynote speech by John W. Gardner and an address on academic culture by Peter Seldin. Summaries of 47 papers are provided, including the…