Chapter 10 of a revised volume on school leadership, this chapter considers the recruitment, evaluation, supervision, dismissal, and professional development of teachers. The chapter also summarizes practical wisdom on these topics and offers suggestions for administrators. Recruiting and selecting teachers may be the most critical tasks faced by…

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)

Featuring the same practical guidelines for ridding schools of incompetent teachers as the 1984 edition, this new edition incorporates substantially revised material on three topics: criteria and information sources for evaluating teaching effectiveness, remediation procedures, and grounds for dismissal. The book presents an eight-step systematic,…

This book addresses the law-related concerns of school teachers. Much of the data on which the book is based was collected during a four year study, conducted by the American Bar Association with the support of the Ford Foundation. Court cases are cited. Chapter one examines "Tenure." Since tenure gives teachers the right to their jobs,…

Tenured faculty can be dismissed for reasons of financial exigency. If the employment contract provides a specific definition of fiscal exigency and the processes to be used in effecting retrenchment, then those terms govern in lieu of constitutional due process. In the absence of such guidance, courts are willing to allow dismissal for reasons of…

Eleven publications are reviewed dealing with tenure laws, establishing criteria for teacher evaluation, due process, relevant state laws, legal case studies, remediation, and the principal's role. The literature agrees that dismissal of tenured teachers is possible if evaluation criteria and evidence of incompetence are clear and if…

An eight-step organizational approach to the problem of identifying, remediating, and, if necessary, dismissing incompetent teachers is described. Addressed to school superintendents, the eight steps are as follows: (1) establish "excellence in teaching" as a high priority for the district, (2) adopt and publish reasonable criteria for evaluating…

Teachers with tenure possess certain privileges. For instance, they are permitted a hearing before the school board when they are threatened with dismissal. The failure of tenured teachers to maintain standards must be proved by the administration. In the case of probationary teachers, the school board has almost unlimited power to renew or not to…

Considerations that can help colleges and universities develop institutionally specific strategies for planning faculty reductions are addressed. It is suggested that an institution can provide a fair and workable reduction plan if it: thoroughly explores alternatives to faculty layoffs; develops explicit standards and procedures for reduction…

An annotated bibliography of 11 publications on teacher tenure and teacher dismissal focuses on the responsibility of school policymakers and administrators to establish clear employment policies and maintain teacher evaluation records. Citing numerous court decisions, Joseph Beckham examines tenure, employment qualifications, contractual…

Intended as a reference volume for elementary and secondary school administrators, this annotated bibliography is divided into 20 chapters on topics of current interest in the educational field. A total of 307 annotations of documents and journal articles that have been indexed in the ERIC system are included. The materials selected for inclusion…