An increasing number of states are mandating teacher performance be considered in educator employment decisions, including awarding tenure and layoffs, according to a 50-state policy review of teacher tenure laws. Tenure laws have historically granted job protections based on years of employment. The Education Commission of the States (ECS)…

When Dr. James Ammons took the helm of his alma mater, Florida A&M University (FAMU), he inherited a nationally recognized school facing numerous crises. Ammons, who served as provost of FAMU during its heyday in the 1990s, knew the school was mired in trouble with the state, having accumulated dozens of state auditor questions about its…

On May 9, 2008, Kathleen Norona received notice that she would no longer be working as a school psychologist for Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) where she had been employed for the past 5 years. In total 41 out of 240 school psychologists were given official notice that they would be placed on surplus. That is, they would no longer be…

The federal stimulus package provides badly needed aid to school districts, allowing them to avoid massive staff and teacher layoffs and injecting them with a healthy dose of funds for many programs ranging from technology to renovation work. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which President Barack Obama signed on Feb.17, provides…

This study was conducted to learn whether black educators who had been principals of all-black schools experienced job displacement during the period when schools were being desegregated. Reactive and nonreactive data-collecting techniques were used to gather information on 343 black administrators. The findings indicate that during the…

Collective bargaining agreements between the boards of trustees and faculty associations of Broward Community College (BCC) and Indian River Community College (IRCC) in Florida are presented. The BCC contract period covers 1987 to 1989, while the IRCC contract period covers August 1989 to July 1990. With some variation between the agreements in…

Eight collective bargaining agreements between the boards of trustees of selected community colleges in Florida and their respective faculty associations are presented, representing contracts in effect in 1987. Contracts for the following colleges are provided: Brevard Community College, Broward Community College, Chipola Junior College, Edison…