Experience with performance pay projects across the United States has demonstrated that, if performance pay programs are to be successful, teachers must be involved in their design. In addition, the district and the union must agree on the purpose of the program, it needs needs to be based on consensually agreed, credible measures that determine…

An Alberta school district that used a cost-recovery model to finance school services for 20 years is finding that the model produces unintended negative results. Some schools didn't spend this money on services but used it for other school operations. Some spent the money on external consultants. Professional relationships were damaged, and…

One lesson to be learned from the turmoil in Idaho that resulted from the passage of a Proposition 13-like tax limitation measure is that the electorate doesn't understand the tax system. Voters seemed to want to reduce property taxes while preserving school programs. (Author/IRT)

Black superintendents are challenged to ask university researchers to investigate the proper mix of parental, cultural, community, spiritual, and formal education inputs required to turn out achieving, socially competent human beings. (Author/DW)

The people say they favor reduction in the property tax -- an inequitable and disastrously inflexible source of funds for schools in a period of inflation. Voters have recently turned down proposals that would have reduced reliance on the property tax in five States. Tells why. (Editor)

In a major development in the state politics of resource allocation, two rival political movements--school finance reform supporters and spending/tax limitation supporters--are going to confront each other in several states. (Author/IRT)

As a means of understanding the Jarvis-Gann initiative, the author examines the political and economic climate of California in 1977-78, examines the Jarvis initiative and the legislative alternative, and discusses the campaign strategies and unanticipated events as they affected the voters. (Author/IRT)

Describes two related programs, one in energy conservation and one for substitute teachers, that have created building-level incentives that have saved the district money and given 80 percent of the savings to the individual schools that made the saving. (Author/IRT)

Suggests that Florida's finance formula to relieve interdistrict cost-of-living differences fails to equalize school district attractiveness. (DW)

Describes the California legislature's education-related response to Proposition 13 and analyzes the likely long-range effects of that response--including its effect on revenue stability, expenditure equality, and school governance. (Author/IRT)

As a result of efforts to reform New Jersey's method of financing education, education has become enmeshed in state-level politics while, critics assert, little is being done to improve urban education. (Author/IRT)

The social and economic problems that are affecting New York City are not local problems. Adequate responses to the problems will require state and federal help. (IRT)

John Coons, coauthor of a book on equity in public education finance that influenced the theories tested in "San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez," discusses the issues involved in the case, the likely impact had the decision favored the plaintiffs, and the future of school finance reform. (RW)

Unless educators can develop a realignment or consensus of the beliefs of the various interest groups in the nation who must financially and spiritually support public education, the level of interest in providing adequate funds may not be sufficiently strong to meet the need. (Author)

Despite similar problems, Australia has instituted several educational practices that contrast sharply with those in the U.S. (WD)