Collective Bargaining in Education
EDL 623
Department of Educational Leadership
Western Illinois University
Spring Semester 2015
Video Conference to all three campuses.
March 14-15, April 11-12, and May 2-3
Saturdays 8:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. – Sundays 8:00 A.M.-1:30 P.M.
Stuart, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Educational Leadership
Macomb Campus, Room 81
Work (309) 298-1070
Cell: (309) 255-0955
E-mail: so-yager@wiu.edu
Office Hours: Before and after each class session.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites for this course.
Purpose
This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills to represent their organizations
during the collective bargaining process. It includes a realistic experience in the collective
bargaining processes, conflict resolution, communication, and contract management. Students
will learn how to navigate through the collective bargaining process effectively and legally.
Objectives
The student will
1. Identify and utilize information sources, data collection, and data analysis strategies necessary
for navigating through the collective bargaining process
2. Demonstrate effective consensus building and negotiation skills
3. Identify and describe local operational policies and procedures
4. Describe current trends in collective bargaining in the public sector
5. Demonstrate an understanding of school district finance structures and models to
ensure that adequate financial resources are allocated equitably for the district
Instructor Bio
Let me take this opportunity to tell you a little about myself...
Over the past thirty years I have worked as an elementary teacher, elementary principal, middle school
principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent, and college professor. At the present time I am
working fulltime as an associate professor at Western Illinois University. I am also an educational
consultant and mediator. Most of my consulting is in the area of school board governance, transitioning
to the common core state standards, and applying current brain research to classroom
instruction. Additionally, I have considerable experience with facilitating labor negotiations.
I look forward to working with all of you over the next semester. Once again, welcome to the course and I
hope your experience here is full of learning and enjoyment!
1
Texts
Fisher, R., Ury, W. L., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without Giving In
(3rd Ed.). New York, NY: Penguin Books.
Booth, Ronald R, (2009). Collective Bargaining and the Illinois School Board Member. 3rd Ed.
Springfield, IL. Illinois Association of School Boards.
Kaboolian, L. (2005). Win-Win Labor-Management Collaboration in Education: Breakthrough
Practices to Benefit Students, Teachers, and Administrators. Education Week Press.
Iowa Association of School Boards: Collective Bargaining Guide on Western Online
Additional Resources
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service http://www.fmcs.gov/internet/
Illinois Education Association http://www.ieanea.org/
Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) http://www.illinois.gov/elrb/
Illinois Federation of Teachers http://www.ift-aft.org/
Illinois Labor Relations Board (ILRB) http://www.state.il.us/ilrb/
Local District Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA’s)
U.S. Department of Labor - Employment Standards Administration
http://www.dol.gov/esa/olms/regs/compliance/cba/index.htm
2
COURSE SCEHDULE
EDL 623
Collective Bargaining in Education
Summer 2014
This schedule is very flexible and subject to change due to the needs of this course. Students are
expected to have read the materials before the class period in order to be prepared for the
class discussions.
Class Date
Class Focus
March 14
Interest-based
Bargaining
March 15
Interest-based
Bargaining
with Jerry
Meehan,
Federal
Mediator
April 11
April 12
Readings
Assignments
Due
#1
#2 on IBB with
Jerry
Meehan
Positional
Bargaining with
Lynn Himes,
School Law
Attorney
#1
#2 on Positional
Bargaining with
Lynn Himes
How Bargaining
Works
#3
 The Politics
 Ground Rules
 Proposals &
CounterProposals
 Bargaining
Strategies
#4
Unfair Labor
Practices
May 2
June 15
Three Texts
Share an article
AND Final Exam
#5
#6
3
Point Values for the Course Assignments
ASSIGNMENTS
%
Individual (100%)
Class Participation (See Appendix A and B)
30
Reflective Briefs (See Appendix C)
10
Contract Analysis
10
Research Presentation
10
Discussion Questions from the Three Texts
20
Share an Article
10
Final Exam
10
Total
100
4
Assignments
All assignments are to be submitted by posting them in Dropbox and the Discussion folder in
Western Online.
1.
Participation in in-class exercises and the bargaining simulations. Each class member will be
assigned to a negotiating team as either a member of the teacher’s union or a member of the
district management team. Teams will be provided with proposals and information about the
district. There will be an interest-based bargaining simulation on Sunday of Weekend #1
and a positional bargaining simulation on Saturday of Weekend #2.
2.
Reflective Briefs (two page maximum). After the bargaining simulations in weekends
one and two, you are to reflect on concepts introduced and discussed and then write
about two items you found interesting or new. The paper should not exceed two pages
and is due the Wednesday following class. The paper should contain the following
information: 1. Clear statement of the concepts or items you identified and why they
stood out. 2. How might each concept impact the overall operation of an
organization/district? 3. Answer either “a” or “b” (the one that best fits your reflection
content): a) As it pertains to your items, what additional information would be helpful or
needed to ensure your success as a CEO; or b) Explain if and how the items/concepts
could be advantageous or a hindrance to an organization meeting its mission. 4. Overall
impression of the day’s class session (for example, it was informative; needed more
application; it left you anxious to try what you learned in your district; or it was a repeat
of what you already knew). Post this assignment in both “Discussions” and Dropbox.
3.
Contract Analysis Presentation (ten-minute maximum). An analysis of the collective
bargaining agreement from your district. If your district does not have a collective
bargaining agreement, find one from a district that matches your demographics. Your
critical analysis should include looking at the following: 1) readability, clarity, and
usability; 2) benefit (who benefits more from the agreement?); 3) language of each
section from the management perspective (for this part, solicit the assistance of an
administrator/manager who has had to abide by the contract); and 4) provide alternative
language for those sections deemed poorly written. Include a copy of the contract with
your analysis. Post this assignment in both “Discussions” and Dropbox.
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4.
Research Presentation (ten- minute maximum). Research presentation (power point or
Prezi) on approved collective bargaining topic. Topics include but are not limited to:
interest based bargaining, costing out the contract, writing good contract language,
pitfalls in collective bargaining, part-time employee rights, the ethics of collective
bargaining, administrator negotiation strategies, consensus building with constituents,
preparing for negotiation, the impact of logistics in collective bargaining, how to recover
when collective bargaining breaks down, the effects of collective bargaining on teacher
quality, contract language and teacher evaluation, the benefits of collective bargaining,
the Board of Education’s role in negotiations, the role of media and the community in
collective bargaining, fact-finding, mediation, arbitration, strike management, grievance
procedure, selecting a spokesman, using an outside negotiation, establishing credibility,
role of human resources, or topic of student interest pre-approved by the instructor.
Post this assignment in both “Discussions” and Dropbox.
5.
Text Discussion Questions. Post the answers to the discussion questions from the three
texts. Post your answers in the “Discussions” folder under the designated thread (not in
Dropbox). Your answers need to be posted prior to the end of Weekend #3. Time on
Saturday of Weekend #3 will be given for you to do this assignment. Also, respond to
one other student answer posted for each text. Your answers and your response to
another students’ post should be at least three sentences in length. Post your answers in
the “Discussions” folder under the designated thread and in Dropbox.
6.
Share an Article About Collective Bargaining. Give the title of the article and at least
two essential understandings, new learnings, or insights. Include any questions of
curiosity about the article. Try to expand the meaning or insights gained from the article.
You will present this to the class (no power point necessary) on Sunday of Weekend #3.
Post this assignment in the “Discussions” folder under the designated thread and in
Dropbox.
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Grading
Percent
Grade
Notes
92-100
A
A = Superior Graduate Work
80-91
B
B = Good Graduate Work
70-79
C
C = Unacceptable Work at the
Graduate Level
60-69
D
0-59
F
A work exceeds requirements in some form, shows originality and clarity, insightful and reflective.
B work thoroughly meets requirements and is coherent with only minor flaws.
C work minimally addresses requirements and contains flaws or shortcomings.
Group Work and Learning Team Assignments
You will be assigned to a learning team during the first class. If you have any special requests regarding
group assignments, please contact me privately as soon as possible.
Your participation in the Learning Team is essential to the success of the course! Lack of participation in
the learning team will result in a reduction of the grade, or no grade for that project for the individual(s)
involved.
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Policies and Expectations
Attendance
A 500-level student who is absent for more than 50% of a scheduled day of a Weekend Academy class
will be assigned a grade of incomplete (I) by the instructor and must make up the appropriate day in its
entirety the next time the course is offered in order to change the Incomplete to a letter grade. If a student
is absent for more than 50% of the first day of a weekend academy class, the instructor may, at his or her
discretion, either exclude the student from attending the class or award an incomplete under this
attendance policy.
If a 600-level student is absent for more than 50% of a scheduled day of a weekend academy, the
instructor may assign an Incomplete (I) and require that the student make up the appropriate day the next
time the course is offered. Under rare circumstances, the instructor may elect to assign the student
additional activities to demonstrate that the student has accomplished the course outcomes missed in
class. If this option is chosen, then in advance of completion, the instructor will report to the Chair the
name of the student, time missed, and a summary of the work assigned as make up.
Incomplete Grade for Missing Course Requirements
An incomplete grade may be given only when a student, due to circumstances beyond his or her control,
is unable to complete course requirements within the official limits of the term. The instructor may allow
additional time for completion of the requirements after consideration of a written petition from the student
to the instructor. The petition must include what the student will do to complete the requirement and the
expected date of completion of the incomplete requirements.
Academic Accommodations
In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic
accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an
accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s) you must obtain
documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability Support Services and provide it to
the instructor. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's attention,
as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may
require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor
as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Support
Services at 298-2512 for additional services.
WIU Academic Dishonesty Policy
The University can best function and accomplish its objectives in an atmosphere where high ethical
standards prevail. For this reason, and to insure that the academic work of all students will be fairly
evaluated, the University strongly condemns academic dishonesty. The most prevalent forms of academic
dishonesty are cheating and plagiarism. Dishonesty of any kind with respect to examinations, course
assignments, alteration of records, or illegal possession of examinations shall be considered cheating. It
is the responsibility of the student to not only abstain from cheating, but also to avoid making it possible
for others to cheat. Any student who knowingly helps another student cheat is as guilty of cheating as the
student he or she assists.
The submission of the work of someone else as one's own constitutes plagiarism. Academic honesty
requires that ideas or materials taken from another course for use as a course paper or project be fully
acknowledged. Plagiarism is a very serious offense in whatever form it may appear, be it submission of
an entire article falsely represented as the student's own, the inclusion within a piece of the student's
writing of an idea for which the student does not provide sufficient documentation, or the inclusion of a
documented idea not sufficiently assimilated into the student's language and style.
Academic Integrity
The link to the WIU Student Academic Integrity policy is: http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php.
8
Vision and Mission Statements
Teacher and Professional Education Program vision statement: Our graduates will
be empowered educational professionals deeply committed to continuous learning and
the empowerment of all learners.
Department of Educational Leadership vision statement: To be one of the premiere
educational leadership programs in the nation.
Teacher and Professional Education Program mission statement: The WIU
Teacher and Professional Education Program empowers candidates to become
educational practitioners who engage in informed action that is grounded in knowledge
and reflection; who are deeply committed to the highest standards of professional
practice; who are able to adapt to emerging social, economic, and cultural landscapes;
who are skilled in the use of technological tools that promote teaching and learning; and
who are committed to empowering all learners.
Department of Educational Leadership mission statement:
We will:
Recruit a capable, diverse student body.
Focus on continuous improvement of our programs.
Create a more meaningful clinical internship.
Establish a series of knowledge and application assessments.
Cultivate effective internal and external relationships.
Diversity
Successful teachers and school administrators embrace diversity. They not only welcome it, they search
for it. They engage diversity, as it is indeed, an integral part of their classroom. We will explore diversity
as we journey together through this course. Diversity will be openly discussed and become a catalyst
and synergize our learning during class time.
NOTE: This course syllabus is not a contract, but serves as an outline for the semester. The
instructor reserves the right to make adjustments the course as the need arises.
In accordance with the provisions of the ADA, if you require any special assistance or adaptations
in this course, please contact the instructor immediately.
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Appendix A
Class Participation
In addition to contributing to class discussions both during class time and online, you will need to be
prepared to share a current event related to school law during some of the class sessions. You may
complete the “question guide” in Appendix B and use it to guide your class discussion.
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Appendix B
Article or Current Event Analysis
“Analyzing the Message”
1) What is the main purpose of this article?
2) What concept/s or information would the reader need to know in order to fully understand
this article?
List any terms or concepts in the article that you do not understand?
3) What are the key questions or issues the author is addressing in this article?
4) What is the main point of view presented by the author of this article? OR What are the
main assumption(s) underlying the author’s thinking?
5) If readers take the article seriously, what conclusions might they draw from the article?
6) What are 1-2 key points that you want to remember from this article?
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Appendix C
(Assignment #2)
Reflection Briefs Rubric
Performance
Criteria
Clear statement of
the concepts/
items identified
Statement of how
concepts/items
impact school
district
Statement of
additional
information that
would be helpful
for CEO or
advantageous to
district
Statement of
overall impression
of session with
example for
assessment
Needs
Improvement
Two or more items Two or more items Only one concept
identified with
identified with
or item identified
reasons for
reasons for
or reason for
identification
identification
identification not
stated were
stated but no
explained
thoroughly
elaboration
explained
The impact of all
Statement of
Briefly mentioned
concepts/items
impact for all
impact for one
was stated and
identified
concept or item
thoroughly
concepts, but no
explained
elaboration
Multiple bits of
Additional
Additional
information were
information or
information
provided that
advantage
implied but not
would add to the
provided but
clearly stated
success of the CEO selection could be
better or
information
stronger
Impression
Impression
Impression given
provided with
provided with
but no examples
strong examples
ample examples
provided
to support the
conclusion
Excellent
Proficient
12
Unsatisfactory
No concepts
identified
No statement on
impact
No additional
information or
advantage
mentioned
No overview
provided