This document, the result of research conducted to resolve some of the confusion surrounding the question of merit pay, synthesizes information and professional opinion about teacher compensation. The material is presented in two major sections, one devoted to the concept of merit pay and the other to a discussion of alternative methods of…

During the past two decades legislatures and courts have reshaped public educational policy. The increasing public awareness of the role of law in all aspects of society and the growing complexity of the educational enterprises have catapulted teachers into litigation to an unprecedented degree. As this trend shows no signs of diminishing in the…

The Taylor Report recommends that teachers and parents should have more say in the running of schools. But is this necessarily a step towards greater democracy? Here are some surprising reactions by teachers to representation on governing bodies. (Editor/RK)

Reviews the advantages of utilizing part-time faculty. Also discusses the problems of calculating pro rata pay and the impossibility of granting tenure to part-time teachers and analyzes the role of unions in obtaining such benefits. (DC)

Discusses the importance of positive teacher self-concept and self-esteem, including conditions under which they flourish. Briefly highlights 16 strategies that can be used by teachers for healthy development and the promotion of positive self-esteem. (TRS)

Discusses problems new teachers have with the teaching profession, including the low salaries, the adversary relationship between teachers and administrators, overly large classes, and too few instructional materials. (EL)

Results of the authors' survey of Oklahoma Education Association members indicate that moonlighting is a common practice among teachers. Whether through additional work within or outside the school system, many teachers feel the need to supplement their salaries. The continuing need for moonlighting threatens teaching's professional status. (JBM)

This paper describes a bioterrorism incident at a Connecticut elementary school. Flowers sent to a teacher were permeated with anthrax spores that infected the teacher, 12 of her students, 3 office staff members, and an administrator. The teacher subsequently died. The Connecticut Department of Public Health confirmed that the students and staff…

Presents country-by-country information on teacher militancy and the repression and victimization of teachers by Latin American military regimes, as reported to the World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession (WCOTP). Condensed from "ATA Magazine," published by the Alberta (Canada) Teacher's Association, January 1981,…

A survey of Virginia School Board members regarding their attitudes toward collective bargaining in education is reported. (JMF)

Since teachers are a school's most important resource and its largest financial investment, it makes sense to devote time to assuring their success. A school can protect its investment in new teachers by giving them the necessary support from the start through relationships that are both nurturing and evaluative. (Author/AN)

Summarizes the findings of a recent Rand Corporation study of teacher collective bargaining in America. Examined were teachers' gains in compensation, teaching conditions, and decision-making power; tactics of teacher groups; and the financial and administrative implications of these trends. (SJL)

Efforts to reform education in France include proposed changes in teacher education and the teaching profession that are met with a range of responses from skepticism to hostility. The reactions leave the government little room for movement. (MSE)

Discusses a perceived lack of concern for retired teachers among former students and the community at large. Provides examples and excerpts from letters describing loneliness and financial difficulties among retired teachers in the Soviet Union. Urges respect and concern for those who have given everything for their profession, often at the…

The potential impacts of teacher work reform efforts on attracting and retaining the best teachers are summarized in this paper, which draws on research conducted in Utah, Colorado, and Missouri between 1985 and 1991. Bluedorn's (1982) model of turnover is used to evaluate the effects of teacher work reform on turnover, which is composed of…