The publication is advice designed to help employers in all schools with staffing and employment issues, and to inform their decision making. It advises on matters contained within the School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009 for maintained schools and for independent schools, which include academies and free schools, the Education (Independent…

Outlines 12 steps a principal should follow when he or she has put a teacher on an intensive evaluation cycle because of the teacher's unsatisfactory performance. The steps focus on following and documenting procedures that will lead to a fair dismissal case. (IRT)

Reviews a recent case that exhibits the mistakes that can be made when teachers, school boards, and administrators fail to understand that teacher tenure is not a guarantee of employment but does guarantee that procedural and statutory protections will apply in any termination process. (PGD)

Provides guidelines for meeting legal standards of fairness in teacher evaluation. (WD)

Reviews rationale for firing incompetent teachers and obstacles to dismissal. Citing 13 specific court decisions, discusses subcategories of successful dismissal cases involving insubordination and neglect of duty, unprofessional behavior, immorality, and inferior classroom performance. Mentions dismissal cases that foundered due to First…

By building in due process procedures and substantive review, a school system provides the opportunity for the teacher, the supervisor, and the administrator to work together to improve the instructional environment. (Author/IRT)

Provides school executives with due process information concerning termination of school personnel, including teachers. Outlines the usual reasons for termination, ranging from reduction in force to wrongdoing on the job, and explains the burden of proof resting on the employer. (MLH)

Describes methods to assess teacher evaluation procedures relative to their type and rigor. Districts using contemporary, more rigorous evaluation systems experience fewer due process hearings than districts with traditional evaluation systems. Draws practical implications concerning district vulnerabilities and presents brief overviews of due…

A recent North Carolina school board's decision to dismiss a tenured teacher was upheld by the courts. Florida's statewide competency exam was also supported by a federal court. (MD)

Suggests ways for ensuring that teacher evaluation methods used by principals when dismissing teachers will stand up to the challenges posed by hearings: Did the principal try to help the teacher improve? Were evaluation criteria relevant? Was the decision to terminate arbitrary or capricious? Was the evaluation process confidential? (PGD)

An examination of two dozen recent court decisions dealing with teacher dismissal for drug-related incidents reveals that the facts of each case, not traditional guidelines, determine the legality of the action. (Author/MLF)

Outlines a seven-step procedure for dismissing incompetent or unprofessional teachers, including conferring with the teacher, summarizing the conference, developing an action plan with the teacher, having the personnel officer approve the plan, implementing the plan, and holding a progress assessment conference. Provides a sample performance memo…

Secondary school administrators considering the termination of an employee prior to the expiration of contract are offered several suggestions. These are: have a good evaluation system in place; follow all phases of the evaluation system; document all conferences, observations, and other encounters; alert the superintendent early in the process;…

Describes a complex case involving termination of a third-grade teacher with recurrent tuberculosis. The United States Supreme Court upheld a circuit court's ruling that the teacher's condition satisfied section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act protecting handicapped persons against discrimination. Since contagiousness was not addressed, the…

Presents a set of model regulations on the issue of reduction in force applicable to certified personnel. (Author/WD)