Dismissal Doesn't Have to be Difficult: What Every Administrator and Supervisor Should Know

by Chet H. Elder

Overview

In Dismissal Doesn't Have to be Difficult, author Chet Elder gives lie to the universal belief that tenure is a firewall of protection for unsatisfactory teachers. Elder provides school administrators with a simple method, called Exit Counseling, to rid their schools of mediocre, marginal, and incompetent teachers. He teaches principals how to build a case and document it so tightly that virtually any union challenge will fail. His theory is simple straightforward, clear, and concise.

Elder watched and learned a lot about teacher dismissal over the 32 years he spent as an education association UniServ Director in Maryland and Delaware. Having "worked the other side", he shares the techniques, tips, and even the traps he learned and used over the years. He has interacted with hundreds of administrators and teachers, he knows both sides' vulnerable spots, and in Dismissal Doesn't Have to be Difficult, he shares that knowledge.

In case format, Elder uses his "war stories" to illustrate and confront school reform, incompetence, insubordination, negligence, union secret weapons and tactics, grievance avoidance, and bouncing lemons. This book is a user friendly, handy reference every administrator and supervisor should have on hand.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781578860999
Publisher:	R&L Education
Publication date:	03/25/2004
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.06(w) x 9.12(h) x 0.33(d)

About the Author

Chet H. Elder retired from the Maryland State Teachers Association in 1998 having served 32 years as a UniServ Director in Maryland and Delaware where he is fully certificated in school administration in these states. Chet has negotiated dozens of collective bargaining contracts and has handled hundreds of teacher grievances over the years. He has also conducted professional seminars in the field of teacher dismissal in several states.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Foreword Chapter 2 1. Dismissal Doesn't Have to Be Difficult: Making Dismissals Simple, Professional, and Positive Chapter 3 2. Insubordination Flows Too Freely: An In-Depth Examination of Insubordination and How to Eliminate It Chapter 4 3. School Reform's Greatest Obstacle: How Deadwood in the Classroom Stands in the Way Chapter 5 4. Ignoring the Weapons You Have: Overlooked Opportunities to Act Chapter 6 5. Kids Make the Tough Calls Easy: One Simple Question Makes Hard Evaluation Decisions Easy Chapter 7 6. Dismiss a Teacher: Five Easy Calls: Dismissible Behaviors That Can't Be Overturned Chapter 8 7. Documentation: The Key to Success Chapter 9 8. Consistency Is Critical: Inconsistency Is the Union's Best Friend Chapter 10 9. Time Limits and Deadline Dates: Why You Can't Afford to Let Them Slide Chapter 11 10. Personality Conflicts: Do You Have to Put Up with Them? Chapter 12 11. "I Just Can't Do It": Building the Confidence Necessary to Dismiss Chapter 13 12. Don't Pass Up the Gimmes: Learn What They Are and What to Do About Them Chapter 14 13. Only the Excellent Teachers Get Tenure: Eliminate the Marginal and Mediocre Nontenured Teachers Chapter 15 14. Tenure Is Not a Firewall for the Unsatisfactory Teacher: The Most Overrated Myth in Public Education Chapter 16 15. Why Principals Are Reluctant to Act: Learn the Number One Reason and How to Get around This Obstacle Chapter 17 16. Don't Worry About Those Outside Organizations: How to Handle Groups with Powerful Initials Chapter 18 17. Does the Union Have a Secret Arsenal? Find Out the Truth Behind the Union's Most Powerful Weaponry Chapter 19 18. Exit Counseling: More Than Just a Euphemism for Firing Chapter 20 19. Don't Let Fairness Become and Albatross: Why You Should Avoid Going Overboard in the Name of Fairness Chapter 21 20. Being a Buddy or Being a Boss: What Research Says about the Good Guys Chapter 22 21. The Politics of Teacher Dismissal: Recognizing the Political Realities of Dismissal and Learning How to Deal With Them Chapter 23 22. How to Avoid Grievances: The RAW Method Chapter 24 23. Peer Assistance and Review Program: Is It Right For You? Chapter 25 24. My Most Memorable Cases: Learn From These True Stories Chapter 26 25. Learn From These True Stories Chapter 27 Appendix A: The Dismissal Doesn't Have to be Difficult Checklist Chapter 28 Appendix B: Incompetency Defined Chapter 29 Appendix C: Negligence Defined Chapter 30 Appendix D: Cases Summarized Chapter 31 Bibliography Chapter 32 Index Chapter 33 About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Chet Elder tells like it is. His book...should be required reading in schools of education and a copy should be in every teacher's lounge.

Donald B. Owen Esq.

Chet Elder's expertise with administrators will help guarantee excellence in our classrooms.

Eddie L. Robinette

Elder reminds us that neither continuous school improvement nor educational experience can be achieved through the employment of mediocre or incompetent teachers.

School Administrator

Many administrators have been placed in their jobs without sufficient training on staff evaluations, dealing with discipline issues, or understanding the pitfalls they might face in their administrative role. This book has proven to be a tremendous training tool and reference manual for our entire administrative staff. We have reviewed it, discussed it, highlighted it, and identified ourselves with others throughout the text. Without hesitation, I recommend this book as one of the best I have read. It is not a book that you read once and put on the shelf. It is one that you will keep close at hand, and refer to often. Enjoy!

Connie Gillette

All of the building administrators in our district read Mr. Elder's book and found it to be full of practical suggestions for understanding and handling situations with marginal or difficult teachers. One of our newest administrators used it religiously during a tough first year to resolve some difficult personnel issues.

Joseph M. Deardorff

I just finished [the] book and it was OUTSTANDING!! I bought a copy for each of my administrators.

John Dardzinski

Tips and techniques in this reference manual provide school administrators with the knowledge needed for dismissing incompetent teachers.

Ers E-Bulletin

Elder reminds us that neither continuous school improvement nor educational experience can be achieved through the employment of mediocre or incompetent teachers.

School Administrator Magazine

Tips and techniques in this reference manual provide school administrators with the knowledge needed for dismissing incompetent teachers.

ERS E-Bulletin