Realizing that failing teachers need both help and confidentiality, the Orange County (Florida) Public Schools developed an Institute for Professional Development to help teachers improve or leave the profession with dignity. This successful program can be adopted by other districts through partnerships with local colleges or universities. (MLH)

In the spring of 1988 an independent school district in Texas formed a 30-member strategic planning team which gathered data on factors impacting the school district at that time and into the foreseeable future. Planning was facilitated by the appointment of 15 action teams formed to write specific plans to fulfill various targets and strategies.…

About 5 to 15 percent of teachers in 2.7 million public-education classrooms are marginal or incompetent. Assistance plans offer structure, purpose, and remedial help. Plans have six components: definition of the problem, statement of objectives, intervention strategies, a timeline, data-collection procedures, and final judgment. (MLH)

When executive action is necessary to assist marginal principals, the superintendent should appoint a central-office helper and work with this person to develop and implement a principal induction program. The principals' helper should maintain close contact with principals, proffer alternative forms of assistance if required, confront principals'…

Employee assistance programs (EAP's) have been set up by many businesses and organizations to help employees resolve their personal problems so they can maintain or resume an acceptable job performance level. So far, only a few public school districts have considered or implemented such programs. This monograph examines EAP's in general and…

Socialization of the new principal is becoming an increasingly important issue calling for serious attention by practitioners, researchers, and educational policymakers. This paper attempts to contribute additional insight into the ways in which beginning school principals become socialized in their new school settings and the ways in which they…

This update of a report originally issued in 1990 provides an overview of the federal tax rules as they pertain to different types of employee-benefit plans that are available to members of the National Education Association (NEA) through their employers. The report is based on the law in effect as of August 15, 1994. Section 1 examines retirement…

A series of benefit programs for school personnel in a Maryland county includes a smoke-free workplace, an employee wellness program, and an employee assistance program. The county has been able to correlate a dramatic decrease in the cost of health insurance for employees with the activities of these programs. (MLF)

This work provides sample letters, charts, timelines, and checklists, to help principals adequately prepare for possible teacher dismissal. Chapter 1, "Describing the Marginal Teacher," lists traits common to marginal teachers. Chapter 2, "Establishing the Teacher Evaluation Process," presents a monthly timeline for assessing…

This report, eighth and last in a series, discusses the important role community groups and leaders, schools, and employers play in providing children and parents support and encouragement. It reports the opinions of California adults, expressed in a survey conducted by the California Center for Health Improvement (CCHI), about a variety of issues…

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 was passed to promote a healthier balance between work and family responsibilities. It allows covered employers to grant up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to eligible workers for: (1) the birth, adoption, or foster-care assumption of a child; (2) the "serious health condition" of a spouse,…

Employee assistance programs (EAP) are evaluated in questionnaire responses from 73 of 109 (67 percent) Canadian school boards and 35 (50 percent) of the clients of the EAP in London, Ontario. Explores the nature of current programs and emerging trends in this field. (MLF)

Managerial motivation models have evolved beyond the human resource tradition of the 1960s and the 1970s to a form of corporate involvement with the personal needs of employees, many of whose family lifestyles have changed dramatically. To analyze the new role for companies and the corporate concern for employees' well-being, this research study…

Today's increasingly complex financial services market offers consumers a vast array of products, services, and providers to choose from to meet their financial needs. While this degree of choice provides consumers with a great number of options, it also requires that they be equipped with the information, knowledge, and skills to evaluate their…

This book provides answers to the most common legal questions of Nevada's school board members, administrators, and educators. Chapter 1, "The Nevada School System: Governance, Programs, and Standards," explores the constitutional, legal, and statutory basis of school system governance. Chapter 2, "The Nevada Plan: Finance of Public…