Sidney Hook set the terms of debate on Communism, higher education, and academic freedom in the postwar United States. His view that Communists lacked the independence necessary for teaching and research--a view forged in the heated debates of New York City's radical left in the 1930s--provided the rationale for firing Communist professors across…

The focus on using the courts to abolish tenure is a distraction from the important work of improving teacher quality. Unfortunately, the recent decision of Vergara v. California has only perpetuated the mistaken notion that only after tenure is abolished can underperforming teachers be removed. But the authors contend that administrators,…

The two recently-filed New York lawsuits claiming that teacher tenure laws violate children's constitutional right to a "sound basic education" are finally dragging the long-obscure Section 3020-a of the state's Education Law into the spotlight. This attention is badly overdue because for decades § 3020-a has impeded efforts to ensure a…

Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) is a local labor-management initiative designed to improve teacher quality. In PAR, expert "consulting teachers" mentor, support, and evaluate novice and underperforming veteran teachers. Evaluations under PAR can lead to dismissals. The authors examine the costs and benefits of PAR, both financial and…

Joel Klein, chancellor of the New York City public school system, and Michelle Rhee, who resigned October 13 as Washington, D.C. chancellor, published a "manifesto" in the "Washington Post" claiming that the difficulty of removing incompetent teachers "has left our school districts impotent and, worse, has robbed millions…

The 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" provided a comprehensive review of states' policies that impact the teaching profession. As a companion to last year's comprehensive state-by-state analysis, the 2010 edition provides each state with an individualized "Blueprint for Change," building off last year's "Yearbook"…

Using a random sample of 12,000 teachers in over 500 New York State school districts, this paper considers the effect of specific union-negotiated, employment-related job provisions on the job separations of individual teachers. Reductions in force and class-size limitations provisions reduce the probability of teacher resignations or dismissals.…

This book analyzes the consequences of 260 case decisions in New York State in which tenured teachers have been charged with misconduct or incompetence. Four sections explain the standards used in making these determinations for the purpose of establishing the meaning and measurement of good teaching, the conception of teachers as role models, and…

For five years running, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has tracked states' teacher policies, preparing a detailed and thorough compendium of teacher policy in the United States on topics related to teacher preparation, licensure, evaluation, career advancement, tenure, compensation, pensions and dismissal. The "2011 State…

This paper presents the New York edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook". The 2008 "Yearbook" focuses on how state policies impact the retention of effective new teachers. This policy evaluation is broken down into three areas that encompass 15 goals. Broadly, these goals…

This paper examines a large number of recent court cases, state commissioner of education decisions, and public employee relations board rulings dealing with the employment and dismissal of school employees in New York. Since the discussion focuses almost entirely on New York cases, it will be of limited value to readers in other states. In his…

This document begins with a brief historical survey of the practice of teacher certification in the United States. PBTE (Performance-Based Teacher Education) as a device in teacher certification, particularly in New York, is also considered as well as inservice evaluation as practiced in New York State. The conclusions that emerge from these…

In this article, the author chronicles the summary firing of Joseph Greer, a veteran sociology professor, over allegations of racism that evoke comparison to a Philip Roth novel about political correctness run amuck. Unlike the fictional story, the faculty at St. Bonaventure University did not seem to have much of an appetite for censuring…

Offered as a foundation for subsequent analysis, this report presents data on the frequency of teacher turnover in New York State districts from 1972 to 1977 and discusses the methods used for calculations from State Department of Education records. Data drawn from a 1-in-20 random sample totalling 13,000 teachers are analyzed in order to…

The New York edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…