Peeping software takes several forms and can be used on a network or to monitor a certain computer. E-Mail Plus, for example, hides inside a computer and sends exact copies of incoming or outgoing e-mail anywhere. School staff with monitored computers should demand e-mail privacy. (MLH)

Public schools are unique environments where the rights and responsibilities of one individual or group can easily, if unintentionally, infringe on the rights and responsibilities of other individuals or groups. This can leave public school employees wondering about the nature and scope of their rights. While it is well established that public…

This article, written by two lawyers, defines defamation, discusses the basic law of defamation and stigma, and focuses on recent case law on this topic. The cases are only a sample of the numerous cases that school districts across the nation face on the issues of defamation and stigma. The following topics are included in the legal review: the…

Due process hearings should not threaten principals who have performed their teacher evaluation duties well and can demonstrate (1) the persistent nature of the teacher's difficulties; (2) repeated warnings; (3) frequent assistance; (4) adequate time and opportunity to improve; (5) close supervision; and (6) the teacher's involvement in a normal…

This book provides a history of the U.S. tradition of academic freedom, peer review, and shared governance in higher education as a background to a discussion of academic ethics. The book also contains a selection of ethical problems for peer discussion. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "The American Academic Profession: The Tradition of…

This paper describes the context and conditions leading up to the November 1998 Jersey City Education Association (JCEA) strike, including the JCEA's history, state takeover of the district, and constraints in New Jersey's collective bargaining law that hampered the union's ability to address teacher dissatisfaction with curricular issues that…

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…

The author sees cause for concern in the number of complaints to the International Labour Organisation alleging violations of teachers' union rights. She examines the right of public employees to organize and strike and government interference, concluding that greater protection for teachers' unions may be needed. (SK)

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…

These days, most newly hired faculty are appointed on a part-or full-time nontenure- track basis. The AAUP has reported that between 1975 and 2003, full-time tenure-track positions increased by only about 16 percent, while full-time non-tenure-track positions grew by 178 percent, and part-time appointment rose by 189 percent. Yet tenure…

A case involving the harassment of a female college writing instructor by an older, male student serves as a model to provide a framework for dealing with similar problems in the future. This case moved from initial acts of challenging authority in the classroom and monopolizing office hours to the bizarre: obscene phone calls, mysterious mail,…

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…

This booklet provides answers to 12 questions about the rights and responsibilities of child care providers in California concerning the issue of child abuse. The questions are (1) Who is a "Child Care Custodian?" (2) How do I decide whether or not to report? (3) How do I recognize 'abuse' and 'neglect'? (4) How and when should I tell…