An alarming occurrence in academia involves the discipline of faculty, under the guise of violating civility or collegiality codes, for engaging in what should be protected academic free speech. This often occurs when unprincipled and/or corporate-minded administrators seek to punish or dissuade faculty from challenging or questioning their…

Workplace absenteeism has widely been reported to be a serious problem which undermines smooth service delivery both in developed and developing nations. The problem is reported to be more serious in developing nations. This paper is therefore studying the mechanisms used to mitigate workplace absenteeism, their adequacy and the effective…

Discussions of teacher turnover usually focus on "how many" teachers leave schools each year, without regard for their performance in the classroom. This oversimplification masks the real teacher retention crisis: not only a failure to retain enough teachers, but a failure to retain the "right" teachers. This executive summary presents findings of…

Dismissing a teacher for insubordination is usually acceptable to the courts when the teacher willfully defies reasonable and specific regulations and orders despite repeated and clear directives that such behavior must cease. (PGD)

A four-phase process for dismissing unsatisfactory teachers is described: (1) early diagnosis of unsatisfactory performance; (2) initiating a 12- to 14-week plan for improvement of performance; (3) notification of corrective action (list deficiencies, provide assistance, and set a deadline); and (4) implementing termination hearings when all else…

The annual compilation for 1976 of the few unresolved cases involving serious departures from the standards for notice supported by AAUP is presented. Institutions involved are Hampton Institute in Virginia, Memphis State University, San Francisco Art Institute, and Shelby State Community College in Tennessee. (LBH)

Responsible and effective administrative leadership requires confronting those members of the teaching staff who are a negative influence on the institution. Importantly, the absence of expressed appreciation for good work can have a devastating impact on a principal's image if he or she suddenly begins to confront poor performances. Actually, the…

Responsible administrators are obligated to confront poor teacher performance. Guides principals through 12 steps to take in the confrontation process that include the following: gathering information, waiting for a specific incident, developing a file, meeting with the teacher, helping the teacher to improve, and working with the teacher union.…

Dismissing incompetent tenured teachers is a difficult and time-consuming task. Contrary to popular opinion, however, that task is not impossible. Effective dismissal of incompetent teachers requires thorough, valid, and well-documented evaluation procedures, appropriate remediation efforts, and a fair hearing prior to dismissal. (TE)

Strategies for principals in supervising marginal teachers are described. Procedures for handling three types of marginal teachers are addressed, which depend on the causes of teacher ineffectiveness. Causes include lack of training, personal problems, and poor attitude. Conclusions are that principal action is necessary to maintain school…

Brinkmanship behaviors are challenges to authority expressed in such a mannner that expected negative sanctions are typically avoided. They are usually extemporaneous, involve satire or sarcasm, and take place in front of an audience. This study investigated 43 principals' and 137 teachers' perceptions of teacher brinkmanship behaviors and sought…

Surveys court cases having an impact on teacher's freedom of expression. (JF)

Highlights research which analyzes administrative response to unsatisfactory faculty performance at 158 western public community colleges. Results showed a narrow range of strategies used by administrators to respond to hypothetical personnel situations, with dismissal and counseling most used. (AYC)

Teachers are increasingly being awarded court cases for infringement on their civil rights by boards of education. (LH)

In an effort to scrutinize the evaluative criteria used by public schools throughout the State of Washington and how these criteria resulted in the placement of certificated employees on probation, a questionnaire was sent to superintendents of 179 school districts. Fifty-one percent responded. The results of the questionnaire provide an…