High teacher turnover in large U.S. cities is a critical issue for schools and districts, and the students they serve; but surprisingly little work has been done to develop methodologies and standards that districts and schools can use to make reliable estimates of turnover costs. Even less is known about how to detect variations in turnover costs…

In spring 2010, institution-wide budget cuts resulted in several layoffs at Framingham State University (FSU), including the position of Associate Dean of the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education (DGCE). In his position as the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of DGCE, Scott Greenberg asked their Vice President for…

The author has twice spent a full day in court, as an expert witness; rather an odd task for an English professor, one might think. Each time involved a matter of considerable importance: an obscenity prosecution of a classic novel during the 1960s, and then, about twenty years later, a financial crisis at a community college involving dozens of…

The education headlines have been filled with grim news about facility closings, teacher layoffs and program cutbacks. When the economic climate is gloomy, few areas of schools and universities are spared. In areas outside the classroom, such as safety and security, the cuts may be larger and come more quickly. When money is scarce, education…

Boston University (BU) has had a history of contentious relations between administrators and faculty. John Silber, who ran the university from the early 1970s through the late 1990s, gave faculty little say in university governance, and an "us versus them" atmosphere soon developed. In 2004, however, major changes in the board of…

A study of Massachusetts teacher contracts and interviews with educators in four districts indicated several factors that can affect the impact of applying seniority agreements when laying off teachers. These factors include the size of the layoff unit, bumping rights, prerequisites for teaching in a second field, and reassignment prerogatives.…

As a result of declining enrollment and newly instituted limitations on property taxes resulting from passage of Proposition 2 1/2, school districts in Massachusetts have been forced to reduce the size of their teaching staffs. The Massachusetts Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights sought to determine what steps were being…

A study explored teacher responses to prevailing staff reduction criteria and procedures during a period of widespread layoffs. Questions asked by researchers included: (1) If performance evaluations are used, will teachers seek participation in staff employment and assessment decisions? and (2) Will teachers pressure administrators to apply…

Two consecutive collective bargaining agreements between the Massachusetts Board of Regents of Higher Education and the Massachusetts Community College Council/Massachusetts Teachers Association are presented, covering the years 1983 through 1986 and 1986 through 1989. The 26 articles in the agreements set forth rights and provisions related to:…