First, I wanted to thank the poster for the fired question.  I was recently laid of from my job and wondered why.   I read the board questions and answers.  I loved the idea about calling my former boss and discussing it with her. 

My boyfriend is an MBA student with great management and speaking abilities.  So, I asked him to pose as an employer and call her.  I will tell you this much, she spoke well about me.  But I also learned other things from their conversations.  I learned a lot from that phone call and realize that it was just not a good fit for me... and its for the better that they laid me off.  I did also learn about what jobs I should and shouldn' t apply for, from her response.  The job was just too technical and did not fit my skills correctly. 

Now I am confident on what to say to future employers based on her response...which was very positive in my opinion.   If you are nervous, which I was, about your previous employer, have someone call them and ask about you as employee....then you will know what to expect!