Under the present system, public employees do not share with their employers the right to determine terms and conditions of employment. Florida should adopt issue-by-issue compulsory arbitration to correct the present imbalance in power. Available from Florida State University Law Review, College of Law, Tallahassee, FL 32306; $5.00 per single…

Examines three areas of state-church confrontation in Kentucky--state provision of textbooks for private schools, state regulation of private sectarian schools, and state requirement that all schools display a copy of the Ten Commandments. Available from Northern Kentucky Law Review, Salmon P. Chase College of Law, 1401 Dixie Highway, Covington,…

Comments on the effects of the national accountability drive on the teacher. Briefly reports on the results of one accountability program in one school district. (Author/RK)

The experiences of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education are described, including its establishment in 1965, its abolishment in 1976, and reconsideration by the state legislature in 1977. Political and financial problems are noted. (LBH)

Although most teachers are aware of documents identifying standards in their subject areas, few know about "external" standards documents or the standards movement as a whole. Despite impressive lists of content standards, U.S. educators lack direction due to four major problems: multiple documents, too much information, controversial content, and…

Explores the effects of California's Class Size Reduction Initiative on district leaders, examines initial district-level implementation efforts, investigates how district implementation proceeded, and analyzes leaders' perceptions of benefits and challenges. Districts that implemented the program smoothly operated at a businesslike speed,…

Offers strategies for contracting out school services: (1) talk with employees; (2) conduct needs assessment; (3) specify needs and expectations in writing; (4) beware of state laws; (5) investigate the contracting company; and (6) devise a backup plan. (LMI)

Introduces a theme issue that examines Baltimore's educational reform efforts, placing Baltimore's city-state partnership (resulting from Maryland State Senate Bill 795) in a historical and political context, relating it to national developments, and presenting major findings concerning successes and problems attending the partnership after 5…

Regarding the University of Michigan affirmative action cases, addresses: (1) "What did the Supreme Court rule in 'Grutter' and 'Gratz'"?; "How are the rulings a departure?"; (2) impact of state referenda prohibiting race-conscious admissions; (3) ways of dealing with admissions and financial aid post-"Grutter"; and…

Michigan allows four different entities to authorize charter schools: state public universities, community colleges, intermediate school districts, and local school districts. To ensure establishment of high-quality standards, Central Michigan University developed a rigorous two-phase chartering process. Charters avoid "best" approaches…

Argues that funding for education has increased in California since 1989 and that the reason for continued large class sizes is increased enrollment. Compounding the problem is the fact that 7 out of 10 new students had limited English proficiency. (DDR)

Asserts that California's current education reform effort has deficiencies that exacerbate some problems and ignore others, suggesting that while standards themselves are not bad, problems arise when standards become exceedingly prescriptive and testing becomes the main tool of improvement. Some points the article discusses: silencing debates…

Studies the performance of four of Minnesota's school-choice programs. Finds positive impact on student participants' satisfaction, aspirations, and academic achievement; the importance of continuous monitoring and review of choice options; and general lack of support for negative predictions such as open enrollment "could destroy our…

The discussion consists of a national overview of state legislative activity and summaries of state legislation addressing aspects of physician distribution in rural areas and other rural health care issues during the period 1984-89. Legislative summaries are organized by state. (MSE)

Despite their popularity, early retirement incentive programs (ERIPs) remain controversial. Although early retirement may be appealing to some teachers, others bristle at being shoved into retirement. Following a historical overview, this article summarizes recent state legislation and addresses ERIP legal status under the Age Discrimination in…