QUESTIONS FOR EDUCATION ARBITRATION PANEL NOMINEES
By: Soncia
Coleman, Research Analyst
GENERAL
QUESTIONS FOR ALL NOMINEES
1. Municipal officials, news media, and members of the public are often
highly critical of the teacher binding arbitration law and of arbitrators’
decisions on particular contracts. How do such criticisms affect your decisions
as an arbitrator?
2. The Teacher Negotiation Act (TNA) requires arbitrators to give
priority to the public interest and the school district’s financial capability
in deciding issues. Do these two factors ever conflict? How do you give
priority to both?
3. Does the fact that voters in certain districts have repeatedly
rejected local education budgets weigh in your consideration of a district’s
financial capability?
4. What is your opinion of the “last-best-offer” system?
QUESTIONS FOR
ARBITRATORS REPRESENTING PARTIES
1. You will be representing the interests of parties in arbitration
decisions. How do you seek to influence the outcome?
2. Do you ever vote against the offer of the party whose interests
you represent? In what type of situation would such a vote be justified?