The board of education's role is to formulate policy, not to administer it. The process of deciding grievance cases is plainly policy administration. (Author/IRT)

Looks at the usefulness of certain procedures and the significance of certain factors that can minimize the time required to reach an agreement between boards and teachers. (Author/IRT)

Discusses proposed Congressional legislation that would assign to the Federal Government the role of final arbitrator between school boards and teachers. (JF)

The Ashtabula County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities in Ohio has developed an alternative to arbitration. The local conciliation committee, composed of representatives of both management and labor, plus a nonvoting, objective adviser, is a third level in the grievance procedure. Benefits include resolution of conflicts…

Teacher unions have pushed beyond bargaining over teacher welfare issues to include participation in education policy and decision making. Offers suggestions for school boards to deal with curriculum and instruction issues creeping into contract negotiations. (MLF)

Lists the things that school board members need to know in order to understand and make a positive contribution toward contract negotiations. (JM)

Following a 1980 strike by San Jose, California, public school teachers, the San Jose school board was embarrassed by a $6.2 million budget surplus into granting a teacher contract beyond its fiscal capacity. The school board's subsequent decision to declare bankruptcy established a controversial precedent for similar actions elsewhere. (JBM)