The author gives a brief account of the American Federation of Teachers annual convention. (IRT)

Offers advice to school board members who might seek a teachers' union endorsement in their reelection campaigns. Includes hypothetical questions and answers that might be given in a candidates' forum. (WD)

Fact finders should be called on the scene only when an impasse results in a disagreement over facts. Nevertheless, mediators typically recommend fact-finding regardless of the nature of the impasse. Such a move typically exacerbates the controversy instead of settling it. (Author/IRT)

A district about to bargain for the first time should perform a comprehensive review and revision of board policies before it begins to bargain. Once a union is recognized, a board cannot make unilateral decisions to change its policies on terms and conditions of employment. (Author/IRT)

Suggests steps that can be taken if a board member or anyone close to the board has ties with the teacher union and may supply the union with information about the board's position at bargaining time. (IRT)

Most of the differences between private and public sector bargaining are advantages for the public sector. (Author/IRT)

Criticizes a federally funded Rand Corporation study ("Organized Teachers in American Schools") for being naive and biased and for not being true research. (IRT)

To compensate for the inherent advantages of public employment, public employees should have representational rights that are different from, and significantly less than, private sector bargaining rights. (Author/IRT)

Any reduction in annual district revenues will greatly increase the time and energy devoted to bargaining. (Author/IRT)

His contract should protect a superintendent from arbitrary and capricious actions by the board and should provide for financial compensation if the superintendent is terminated, but the contract should not provide for tenure or due process. (Author/IRT)

Warns of the conflicts of interest that are possible when a professor of educational administration is used as a consultant in the search for a new superintendent and offers suggestions for avoiding pitfalls. (IRT)