Considers the fallacies behind the following common school-board negotiating practices: attaining labor harmony through collective bargaining, never rescinding once-granted benefits, refusing to grant a demand for fear of escalating demands, and gaining teacher gratitude and reduced tensions through board generosity. (JW)

Teacher collective bargaining is expected to have negative consequences for educational reform measures such as merit pay because the union's function is to advance the compensation and benefits of its constituency. The author maintains that the public sector union is a de facto political party formed to influence public policy. (MLF)

School boards are woefully unprepared to deal with "make or buy" issues, due to massive union efforts to eliminate or restrict board freedom to contract for services. Teachers neither understand nor support a market economy. School boards' contracting out ability will not be secure until favorable legislative options are considered and…