This document begins a series of issues on employment and dismissal matters of interest to school administrators in North Carolina. It addresses some of the more basic employment concepts, first describing the legal requirements in the state. In North Carolina, local school boards' authority to hire employees is contained in a variety of statutes. An interpretive analysis section describes legal protections for public school employees mandated by the Fair Employment and Dismissal Act (G.S. 115C-325), passed on July 1, 1972. The third section provides answers to frequently asked questions. The appendix discusses federal and North Carolina state laws relating to employment, specifically: blacklisting employees, general duties and powers of local boards of education, superintendent selection and duties, methods of selection and requirements for principals and supervisors, and the hiring of teachers and school personnel. (LMI)