Timely Book for School Negotiators Just Released

WASHINGTON, March 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring is the time when school district contracts are negotiated.  In his latest book, Understanding the Teacher Union Contract: A Citizen's Handbook, Myron Lieberman provides the first comprehensive analysis of school board/teacher union negotiations.

Lieberman's book is an explanation of how school district/teacher union contract provisions restrict many of the reforms that are being discussed at the federal level.  The first chapter in the book summarizes the legal, strategic, and organizational parameters of teacher union bargaining.  The next nine chapters are devoted to the major categories of contract provisions, including union rights in negotiations; representation issues; grievance; procedures; school board/union relations; union security; union rights; and taxpayer subsidies to unions.

Each chapter provides examples of actual contract language to illustrate desirable and undesirable clauses from a public interest point of view. Chapter 10 analyzes the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and Peer Review.  These contemporary union initiatives are coming to the fore as contracts expire and new ones are negotiated.  The concluding chapter is devoted to what can be done about the deficiencies of teacher bargaining.

Dr. Philip E. Geiger, a former school district superintendent in Massachusetts and New Jersey, says "Myron Lieberman may be the country's foremost expert on teacher unions, union tactics, and public employment agreements.  His Understanding the Teacher Union Contract provides clear, concise, and detailed advice for any public policymakers who want to assure themselves a level playing field during labor negotiations.  Lieberman describes many subtle issues that, if ignored, could be disastrous for schools and the public that they serve.  To his credit, he does this not by 'bashing' the unions, but by opening the eyes of school board members, legislators, administrators, and others empowered to set public policy."

Review copies of Understanding the Teacher Union Contract are available upon request from the Education Policy Institute.

SOURCE  Education Policy Institute 

CO:  Education Policy Institute

ST:  District of Columbia

IN:  EDU PUB

SU:  LBR PDT

03/27/2000 06:00 EST http://www.prnewswire.com

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