As school districts continue to seek administrative efficiencies and cost reductions in the wake of severe budget pressures, the resources they devote to creating or expanding retirement plan consortia is increasing. Understanding how to structure a retirement plan consortium is paramount to successfully achieving the many objectives of…

Whether an employee is a top performer or at risk of dismissal, clear and consistent feedback plays a key role in his or her professional development. Informal and formal feedback are crucial throughout an employee's tenure. Through the use of formal performance evaluation forms and regular performance discussion meetings, employees and managers…

Sick leave banks are a common staple of teacher contracts. Although these banks may benefit employees, they expose school districts to a variety of complications and unintended consequences, including administrative complexity, potential cash flow implications, cost disparities, increased absenteeism, instructional instability, privacy issues, and…

School business administrators and other education leaders do not have the luxury of simply uttering words like "You're fired!" to employees whom they believe should no longer work for the district--especially in states with tenure and collective-bargaining agreements. Rather, administrators must follow appropriate personnel procedures…

A year ago at ASBO International's Annual Meeting and Expo in Seattle, Washington, school business officials from four states presented a powerful double-session panel on the status of changes in teacher contracts and educational funding in their regions of the country. The presenters have since updated their comments with new information and…

Annual double-digit increases in health insurance premiums may be the reality for school districts and private-sector employers for the foreseeable future. The author presents several factors that account for this unwelcome possibility. One cost-saving alternative for districts is to self-insure employees and assume the risks. Districts are…

In April 2009, a high school principal in a large Arizona school district met individually with 18 of his most senior teachers to inform them that they would not have a job the following year. Why didn't tenure protect them from wholesale dismissal? The answer is they all had one thing in common: they were retirees who had been leased or hired…

An insurance management system has the goal of minimizing unemployment insurance costs. Components of a model system should include general administration, claims management, and appeals process. (Author)

Outlines techniques used in the Union-Endicott (New York) Central School District to manage staff decline in a humane manner. (Author)

Discusses various employee fringe benefit programs and suggests possible ways to ensure that such programs operate in the most efficient and least costly manner. (JG)

The Supreme Court decision in "Johnson v. Transportation Agency" supports affirmative action in principle. However, the types of affirmative action the courts will allow will continue to vary significantly. Questions and answers provide guidance for educational institutions. (MLF)

Careful hiring, monitoring, training, discipline, and safety policies will reduce school automobile and bus accidents. Guidelines are offered for accident reporting, claim handling, and dealing with insurance adjusters. (MLF)

Reviews employee hiring and filing policies in relation to recent court cases involving employee grievances (since 1979) and in relation to "firing at will." Discusses oral employment contracts and presents a checklist for unjust dismissal prevention. Includes an inset offering interviewing tips. (MD)

If future contracts with school district professional personnel can incorporate salary and compensation equity and evaluation systems that are fair, then the issues of accountability and value for the taxpayers will be favorably settled. (MLF)

Identifies federal reporting obligations that govern school districts' human resources management in the following areas: (1) Internal Revenue Service filing requirements; (2) Fair Labor Standards Act recordkeeping; (3) Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reporting; and (4) Family and Medical Leave Act recordkeeping. (MLF)