A recent Supreme Court decision on a First Amendment case involving a teacher in Texas illustrates how teachers' and other public employees' rights to freedom of speech face serious erosion. The problem is deciding whether grievances fall into the protected area of "public concern" or the unprotected area of a "purely private…

Eighteen suggestions for reducing or even preventing grievance arbitration costs are detailed under negotiating the contract, administering the contract, and preparing for arbitration categories. (KS)

Advice about the role of the superintendent in the grievance and arbitration process: Be sure you are not violating the teachers' contract; check past practice; examine the basis of your decision; work closely with the school board's attorney; and plan for future related questions. (MLF)

Arbitration is an effective way to resolve disagreements between school systems and their employee unions. A practicing arbitrator offers some suggestions that encourage the best use of the arbitration process. (MLF)

The ratification of a new contract in a school district includes clarifying any contractual language that can be subject to multiple interpretations. In addition, all of the school district's administrators should be trained in proper contract management. (MLF)

Although school districts can expect an increase in grievances filed by their local unions, new methods of resolution are available including grievance mediation where school and union officials undertake informal discussion to reach a compromise position, and involving principals in the input evaluation of contractual clauses. (MLF)

In "Connick vs. Myers" the Supreme Court applied a threshold requirement to an employee's First Amendment protection of free speech: speech must be related to public concerns as determined by the content, form, and context of a given statement. Discusses applications of this decision to lower court cases. (MLF)

The American Council on Education's recently revised statement on sexual harassment on college campuses discusses the importance of developing a campus program, outlines key components of such a program, defines sexual harassment, and offers guidelines for developing school policy. Need for prevention, grievance procedures, and due process are…

Defines the use of the terms "grievance,""mediation," and "arbitration"; discusses a typical grievance procedure; and provides a management grievance checklist and an arbitration preparation checklist. (MLF)

A discussion of conflict resolution in student activities planning and administration, presented in radio talk-show format, looks at a variety of issues, including making confrontation positive and effective, conflicts between campus activities programs and artists, student involvement in activities planning, the advisor's role, and contracts.…

Describes the grievance-arbitration process for collective bargaining used in the Connecticut State University System, consisting of a grievance-arbitration panel of administration and faculty representatives. The process, the final step before professional arbitration, is used for faculty. However, it could be adopted for bargaining units…

A discussion of Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments, concerning sex discrimination in federally funded education programs, looks at grievance procedures, the effect of the legislation over time, factors encouraging swift compliance, and ways that a college or university can protect itself and its students. Focus is on college athletics. (MSE)

Board members should learn from two court decisions about the limits the First Amendment places on chain-of-command policies. Employees who have complaints about matters that affect the public may not be prohibited from bypassing the superintendent and coming directly to the school board. (MLF)