Just a few years ago, tenure appeared low on the reform list for state policy makers and district administrators, viewed as too hot an issue politically to challenge. But it was front and center in the 2014 landmark "Vergara v. California" lawsuit, which challenged teacher tenure and related policies. Yet whether to grant tenure or not…

Debates over the efficacy of tenure are longstanding but tenure reform is now more prominent in the public eye given recent high-profile legislative battles in states like Ohio and Wisconsin. This focus on tenure also is a natural outgrowth of the large body of research showing that differences between individual teachers can have profound effects…

Policymakers know that improving teaching in our schools requires a systemic look at many policies related to educator effectiveness. For example, teacher preparation programs need to be dramatically improved and strengthened, but without accompanying reform in compensation, even highly effective and innovative schools of education are unlikely to…

Experts and leaders within most fields possess knowledge that is largely tacit and unconscious in nature. The leaders of most organizations do not "know what they know" and cannot share their knowledge with others. The loss of this essential knowledge is of major concern to organizations. This study tested an innovative method of tacit…

Building a stronger teacher workforce requires the thoughtful orchestration of multiple processes working together in a human capital system. This white paper presents a framework that can be used to take stock of current efforts to enhance the teacher workforce in school districts or educational organizations, as well as their underlying theories…

The demand that today's schools shall produce better educational outcomes of their pupils is stronger than ever before, especially in front of the background of our globalized, competitive world. Past and current research has supported the hypothesis that the teacher is the most important ingredient in the educational process. As the Detroit…

When the modern U.S. environmental movement began in the 1970s, it relied largely on regulation to reduce negative environmental impacts. Companies responded by creating centers of environmental expertise within their organizations. The major focus of a second wave of corporate environmentalism, which began during the late 1980s, was on…

In the era of No Child Left Behind, principals are increasingly held accountable for student performance. But are teacher labor agreements giving them enough flexibility to manage effectively? This study answers this question and others. It examines how much flexibility school leaders enjoy on key dimensions of management in America's fifty…

ACTING UPON RECOMMENDATIONS BY A NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF PROMINENT EDUCATORS, A RESEARCH CONFERENCE WAS HELD AT THE CENTER FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, (1) TO CLARIFY STUDENT PERSONNEL PROBLEMS IN JUNIOR COLLEGES, (2) TO PRODUCE A STATEMENT OF RESEARCH GOALS AND METHODS OF IMPLEMENTATION, AND (3) TO STIMULATE RESEARCH INITIATIVE…

BY THE END OF 1966, OVER 1500 WRITTEN AGREEMENTS HAD BEEN REACHED IN THE UNITED STATES PROVIDING FOR DECISION-MAKING BY TEACHERS THROUGH PROFESSIONAL NEGOTIATION. PRIMARY ISSUES INCLUDED THE IMPORTANCE OF STATE LEGISLATION, THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT IN THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS, THE EXCLUSIVE NEGOTIATION RIGHTS BY ONE PROFESSIONAL…

The faculty bylaws of Kalamazoo College constitute the major content of its faculty handbook with articles on meetings and organization, responsibilities, faculty council, standing committees, and employment (rank, salary, retention, tenure, and promotion). Other information on administrative policies and procedures are also included. (JT)

The results of a Michigan survey show that a wide range of salary, staffing, and support conditions exist in various school financial aid offices within the state. The data can be used as a backdrop against which individual campus aid administrators can assess the strengths and weaknesses of their own operations. (Author/LBH)

This study surveyed social-regulatory practices of selected community colleges in Michigan to find out: origin and extent of written social-regulatory policies and the provisions for change; types of rules of conduct; and communication and enforcement of social-regulatory practices and rules. The study was limited to commuter-type publicly…

The objective of this study is to provide partial answers to the question, "What would school districts buy if they were given additional funds?" The answers are potentially relevant to state and federal education policy-makers faced with the task of developing and implementing school finance reforms who must consider whether and under…

As faculty and other public sector unions become more sophisticated in collective bargaining, they tend to lay a greater variety of demands on the table. This, in turn, forces the employer to ask, Do I really have to bargain about these subjects? As more employers refuse to bargain, more unions charge them with failing to bargain in good faith,…