Education

State News Roundup

May 30, 1990 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The Montana Supreme Court has ruled that nontenured teachers have a right to be told by school districts why they will not be rehired, but that the districts do not have to justify their decisions.

The May 15 ruling reversed an earlier decision in which the high court had ruled that nontenured teachers were entitled to be notified of what “undesirable qualities” led to their firing.

In its new ruling, the court called its previous ruling inaccurate, saying it suggested that nontenured teachers could only be fired for specific reasons.

The ruling was made in the case of Carolyn Birgenheier, who filed suit in 1986 against the Yellowstone County School District after her teaching contract was not renewed.

The district told Ms. Birgenheier that she would not be rehired because her contract had expired, prompting the teacher to sue for a more detailed reason.

A district court judge in Helena ordered the district to give its reasons. That ruling was upheld by the high court in a 6-1 decision.

The Kentucky Board of Education has approved a resolution barring school districts in the state from signing contracts to show “Channel One,” the commercially sponsored, in-school television newscast.

The board voted this month to draft a formal regulation barring the use of commercially sponsored shows in the classroom. “Channel One,” which is part of Whittle Communication’s Educational Network, features a daily 10-minute news report along with 2 minutes of commercials.

At least three other states have effectively banned the program from their schools.

A version of this article appeared in the May 30, 1990 edition of Education Week as State News Roundup

Events

Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum New Insights Into the Teaching Profession
Join this free virtual event to get exclusive insights from Education Week's State of Teaching project.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz What is a Project 2025 Author Doing at the Education Department? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: June 11, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
5 min read
Education Quiz What Is the #1 Factor Boosting Students' STEM Motivation? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: June 4, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read