A board's do-it-yourself program for identifying, training, and promoting administrators from its own staff. (JF)

Describes appropriate role of school board when controversial personnel issue becomes public. (PKP)

Almost a quarter of disabling work injuries among school employees are caused by slips and falls. Outlines prevention steps and safety programs that can help lower the possibilities of accidents from falls in schools. (MD)

Outlines the package of special incentives the teacher recruitment program in Prince George County (MD) Schools was able to develop with the assistance of the Advisory Council for Business and Industry in the county. (MD)

Cautions administrators to improve their substitute teacher programs, because more substitutes are going to be needed as teachers receive more time off from school for participation in professional meetings and other activities. (Author)

A reduction in force (RIF) policy not exclusively based on seniority includes appeal procedures and provisions for teachers nearing retirement. A point system determines RIF order: supervisors assess teachers' planning and organization, instructional techniques, classroom and school environment, and professional attitude. Education, teaching…

Five suggestions that school boards should consider when they are forced to lay off employees are based on experiences of more than a hundred different school systems where teacher and administrator layoffs have occurred. (Author/MLF)

This fringe benefit plan saves money for both employers and employees, provides a better fit for employees' actual benefit needs, and allows employees to choose options from a menu of benefits. One option is a flexible spending plan. Employees place a portion of their before-tax income into a special account from which allowable expenses are paid…

Describes the six-step faculty-selection process used by Skokie 68 School District (Skokie, Illinois) to recruit the highest quality teachers: (1) recruitment; (2) screening interviews; (3) administrative team screening; (4) reference checking; (5) followup interviews; and (6) demonstration teaching. (LMI)

A trial retirement plan would allow school employees second thoughts in a major life-choice and save the school district expenses, if a younger person is used as a substitute. Cites opinions from four school system administrators and an attorney who has reviewed many school systems' early retirement plans. (MLF)

Discusses employers' duty to accommodate employees' requests for religious leave, based on the case of "Ansonia Board of Education v. Philbrook." A school board denied a high school teacher's request for three days of paid, personal business leave to supplement his paid religious leave. The final court decision turned on "reasonable…

The peer review system for evaluating schools (the "Toledo Plan") is gaining favor among teachers in other school systems. Schools are generally reluctant to dismiss incompetent teachers because of documentation complexities, but incompetent teachers should nevertheless be weeded out. (TE)

Considers recent issues of school law and implications for local districts: the right of untenured school employees on short-term contracts to property interest in continued employment ("Vail vs. Board of Education"), and the constitutionality of public display of religious symbols at Christmas ("Lynch vs. Donnelly"). (JW)

Considers the fallacies behind the following common school-board negotiating practices: attaining labor harmony through collective bargaining, never rescinding once-granted benefits, refusing to grant a demand for fear of escalating demands, and gaining teacher gratitude and reduced tensions through board generosity. (JW)

Describes why school-board employment decisions, especially involving the hiring of a new superintendent, did not work out. Identifies and discusses several common mistakes boards make during the hiring process. For example, the board asked too many "tell me why you would do" and not enough "tell us what you did" questions. (PKP)