Why Collaborate?
California Labor Management Initiative
Fall 2015 Convenings
Question 1:
What do you hope to accomplish through
collaboration?
Why Collaborate?
Question 2:
What are the potential risks of
collaboration?
Why Collaborate?
Why Collaborate?
“I have learned that no single constituency in education
can succeed by itself in making our public schools
effective for all students.
It’s tough enough even if we all work together—
impossible if we do not.”
- Adam Urbanski, founding director of Teachers Union Reform Network (TURN)
What does authentic labor-management
collaboration look like?
• Authentic collaboration takes place at all levels of the system:
• At school sites
• The district office
• Between and among managers, teachers and staff
• It’s about cultivating a district-wide culture of collaboration
• Authentic collaboration focuses on all matters that affect teaching and
learning, not just issues of collective bargaining.
• Authentic collaboration does not end disagreements, nor does it always
lead to consensus.
• Authentic collaboration does not lead to collusion.
Why Collaborate?
The Purpose of Collaboration
“Labor-management collaboration is not about
unions and districts being more cordial to one
another for the sake of cordiality.
The goal…is to change the substance of the
conversation and, ultimately, the quality of
decisions.”
- Julia Koppich, co-author, United Mindworkers
Why Collaborate?
The ultimate purpose of collaboration
and better decision-making is to improve
student achievement.
Why Collaborate?
Intermediary Effects of Collaboration
Increased
Civility
Greater
Trust
Increased
Innovation
and Problem
Solving
Improved
Student
Achievement
Fewer
Grievances,
Better
Retention
Greater Trust
“School reform movements often are accompanied by external
pressure to improve quickly and considerable external scrutiny
as well.
In short, the stakes suddenly are high and the demands for
change great. The presence of relational trust, however,
moderates the sense of uncertainty and vulnerability that
individuals feel as they confront such demands.
When trust is strong, individual engagement with reform does
not feel like a call for heroic action. In this sense, relational trust
is a catalyst for innovation.”
- Bryk and Schneider, Trust in Schools
Why Collaborate?
Increased Civility
The effects of incivility in the workplace based on a poll of 800 managers and
employees in 17 industries…
•
47% intentionally decreased the time spent at work.
•
80% lost work time worrying about the incident.
•
66% said that their performance declined.
•
78% said that their commitment to the organization declined.
•
12% said that they left their job because of the uncivil treatment.
•
25% admitted to taking their frustration out on customers.
- Porath and Pearson, “The Price of Incivility,” 2013, Harvard Business Review
Why Collaborate?
Better Problem Solving and Innovation
Montgomery County, Maryland
•
•
•
•
•
•
156,000 students
17th largest district in U.S.
31% White
29% Latino
21% African-American
14 % Asian
Why Collaborate?
Better Problem Solving and Innovation
Products of Collaboration in Montgomery County
•
A nationally recognized Professional Growth System that ensures continuous
improvement in teaching and shared accountability for student outcomes.
•
A peer assistance and review (PAR) program that provides intensive support to
all novice teachers and to tenured veterans who are struggling.
•
A National Board Certification Support Program, providing scholarships,
coaches, and professional development to participating teachers.
•
A career lattice program that enables teachers to serve as team leaders,
consulting teachers, instructional specialists, and staff development facilitators.
“Lead teachers” can receive annual salary supplements of up to $3,000.
Why Collaborate?
The Impact of Collaboration
Montgomery County Public Schools
8th Graders Proficient+ in ELA
95
100
85
80
90
80
70
52
African American and
Latino Students
White and Asian Students
60
%
50
40
30
20
10
0
2003
2010
Why Collaborate?
The Impact of Collaboration
Montgomery County Public Schools
• Reduced teacher attrition
• 30% decline in grievances
• 90% graduation rate in 2014
• 92% of graduates attended 2 or 4 year college
• Recipient of the 2010 Malcolm Baldridge National Quality
Award
Why Collaborate?
Better Problem Solving and Innovation
Cincinnati Public Schools
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•
55 Schools
34,000 Students
64% African-American
28% White
3% Latino
Why Collaborate?
Better Problem Solving and Innovation
Products of Collaboration in Cincinnati Public Schools
•
The nation’s second Peer Assistance and Review Program
•
Instructional Leadership Teams at all schools that address operational problems.
Members include the principal and lead teachers who make most of the key
educational decisions at their schools.
•
Community Learning Centers available to students and their families during and
after school and on weekends.
• health services
• counseling
• after-school programs
• nutrition classes
• parent and family engagement programs
• early childhood education
• career and college access services
• youth development activities, mentoring, and arts programming.
Why Collaborate?
The Impact of Collaboration
Cincinnati Public Schools
High School Graduation Rate
82%
90%
80%
70%
60%
51%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2000
2010
Why Collaborate?
Student Learning
Cincinnati Public Schools
Why Collaborate?
ABC Unified School District
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•
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30 Schools
21,000 Students
56% Free/reduced lunch
45% Latino
25% Asian
11% Filipino
9% African-American
7% White
Why Collaborate?
ABC Unified School District
Impact on Student Achievement
Key finding from study by Rubenstein and McCarthy:
• Students in schools with the strongest labormanagement partnerships showed the greatest
academic improvement.
Why Collaborate?
 Statistically Significant: P< .01
 Controls for SES
 Explains 54% of Variation in API
Improvement
Partnership and Performance
Partnership Quality Leads to Performance
Improvement

Statistically Significant Association between Partnership,
API Performance in 2012 & Improvement
 Partnership Factor Can Account for 76 Points on
2012 API
- Rubinstein and McCarthy
Questions and Comments
Why Collaborate?
A Final Thought…
If you want to go fast, go alone…
If you want to go far, go together.
- African Proverb
Why Collaborate?
Team Time 1
Question #1:
When do you collaborate well now and why does it
work?
Why Collaborate?
Team Time 1
Question #2:
What obstacles do you face strengthening
collaboration in your district?
Why Collaborate?