1 A Vision for Comprehensive Teacher Unionism Jo Anderson, Consortium for Educational Change The purpose of a union is to be a vehicle for meeting the needs, interests, and aspirations of its members. By organizing and banding together, the union’s strength in numbers provides more power and effectiveness beyond what individuals could accomplish themselves. Stephen Covey describes in his work that there are four basic human needs: • To live • To love • To learn • To leave a legacy Those needs can be translated for the teacher union members. • To live = the need for a decent salary and benefits and fair treatment. • To love = the need to be in relationship with colleagues and to have a sense of belonging in one’s work. • To learn = the need to continuously grow and learn in one’s practice. • To leave a legacy = the need to make a difference in ALL students’ lives. It is the need to leave a legacy where the teaching profession derives its moral purpose through making a difference in the lives of students. When the union serves as a conduit for teachers to collectively impact and improve the lives of all students, then the union exists for more than just the needs of its own members - it also exists for the benefit of students. In order to improve the lives of ALL students, especially those impacted by poverty, the Comprehensive Union will develop an array of community organizing and political organizing strategies to improve the circumstances in which many students live. The union, along with community partners, will be a vehicle to organize around the social justice issues that impact the lives of their students and families. The union also will be a vehicle for transforming teaching into a profession that will improve learning for ALL students within schools. The rest of this paper will focus on that journey. However, that focus is not intended to under-emphasize the social justice aspects of a Comprehensive Union.
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AVisionforComprehensiveTeacherUnionismJoAnderson,ConsortiumforEducationalChange
Thepurposeofaunionistobeavehicleformeetingtheneeds,interests,andaspirationsofitsmembers.Byorganizingandbandingtogether,theunion’sstrengthinnumbersprovidesmorepowerandeffectivenessbeyondwhatindividualscouldaccomplishthemselves.StephenCoveydescribesinhisworkthattherearefourbasichumanneeds:
• Tolive• Tolove• Tolearn• Toleavealegacy
Thoseneedscanbetranslatedfortheteacherunionmembers.
• Tolive=theneedforadecentsalaryandbenefitsandfairtreatment.• Tolove=theneedtobeinrelationshipwithcolleaguesandtohaveasenseof
belonginginone’swork.• Tolearn=theneedtocontinuouslygrowandlearninone’spractice.• Toleavealegacy=theneedtomakeadifferenceinALLstudents’lives.
Itistheneedtoleavealegacywheretheteachingprofessionderivesitsmoralpurposethroughmakingadifferenceinthelivesofstudents.Whentheunionservesasaconduitforteacherstocollectivelyimpactandimprovethelivesofallstudents,thentheunionexistsformorethanjusttheneedsofitsownmembers-italsoexistsforthebenefitofstudents.InordertoimprovethelivesofALLstudents,especiallythoseimpactedbypoverty,theComprehensiveUnionwilldevelopanarrayofcommunityorganizingandpoliticalorganizingstrategiestoimprovethecircumstancesinwhichmanystudentslive.Theunion,alongwithcommunitypartners,willbeavehicletoorganizearoundthesocialjusticeissuesthatimpactthelivesoftheirstudentsandfamilies.TheunionalsowillbeavehiclefortransformingteachingintoaprofessionthatwillimprovelearningforALLstudentswithinschools.Therestofthispaperwillfocusonthatjourney.However,thatfocusisnotintendedtounder-emphasizethesocialjusticeaspectsofaComprehensiveUnion.
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Thismoralpurposeisattheheartofwhatitmeanstobeaprofession.TheLatinrootsoftheword“profession”meantoputforthabelief,tostandforsomething.Literallyaprofessionoffaith.Asanorganizedgroup,aprofessionisacollectivewholethathasasetofstandardsaroundgoodpracticeintheservicetowardthebettermentofitsclients.Theorganizedgroupiscommittedtotrainingandsupportingitsmembersinlivingoutofthosestandards.Theprofessiontakesresponsibilityforensuringthathappensandalsohasacommitmenttocontinuouslyimproveitscollectivepracticeovertime.Ifteachingistobecomeaprofessionandliveoutitsmoralpurpose,thentheunioncanbethevehiclefororganizedteacherstomakethatareality.Historically,teacherunionshavefollowedanindustrialunionframethatdidnotallowthemtobecomeavehicleforprofessionalization.Theindustrialframeapproachindicatesthatthepurposeoftheunionislimitedtobreadandbutter,andsecurityissues.Inthismodel,concernsaboutthenatureandqualityoftheworkofteachingandlearningaretheprovinceofmanagement,andmanagementrights.Inthebeginningoforganizingtheteacherunionsandfightingforcollectivebargaining,manyteacherunionorganizersaspiredtomorethanjusttheindustrialframe.However,thestancefrommanagementandpolicymakersandtheprevalenceoftheindustrialframe,especiallyinrelationtocollectivebargainingandprivatesectorlaborlaw,forcedmostteacherunionsintothisindustrialframe.Overtime,unionleadersandstaffbecameusedtotheselimitations.Infact,someunionleadersevenembracedthem.Tomovebeyondthisnarrowindustrialframeandbecomeatrueprofession,teacherunionsneedtopursueaprofessionalcontinuumaswellaspowercontinuum.(SeeFigure1.)
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Priortoorganizingintoaunion,teachersinpubliceducationlivedatthebottomofatop-down,command-control,bureaucraticsystem.PatrickDolanbestdescribesthenatureofthisexistencethroughtheillustrationinQuadrant1withinFigure1above.Teachersaredefenselessagainstthedemandscomingfromthetopdown,evenwhenthesedemandsarearbitraryandcapricious.Teachersarealsoisolatedintheirpractice,workinginaprivatizedpracticeworldbehindcloseddoorswithverylittleusefulfeedbackandopportunitiestoimproveintheirpractice.
Figure'1'! POWER&CONTINUUM&
Solidarity&
Weakness&Isolation&
Isolatio
n&Private&Practice&
PROFESSIO
NAL&CONTINUUM
&Collaborative&Expertise&TOP!DOWN!MANAGEMENT!
COMMAND!CONTROL!DECISIONS!
TOP!DOWN!UNION!
TOP!DOWN!MANAGEMENT!
BREAD!AND!BUTTER!ISSUES!
!PROTECTION!
LEARNING!ORGANIZATION!
PRIVAT
E&PR
ACTICE
& GROUP&PRACTICE&
FIRMS!
DANIELSON!GROUP!
!CEC!
Quadrant(1( Quadrant(4(
Quadrant(3(Quadrant(2(High(
Lo(
High(Lo(
SHARED!VISION!
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TheverticalaxisinFigure1representsthepowercontinuum,thejourneyofcollectivelyorganizingforpowertoprovideacounterforcetothetopdownbureaucraticsystem.Ineffect,asshowninQuadrant2,theunionbecameitsowntop-down,command-control,bureaucraticsystemagainstthesysteminplace.Thepurposewastoputforthanadversarialstanceinordertoprotectitsmembersfromarbitraryandcapricioustreatmentandtocollectivelybargainforbettersalaries,benefits,andfairtreatment.ThisisessentiallytheIndustrialModelborrowedfromprivatesectorindustrialunionism.Thehallmarkoftherelationshipsamongstunionizedteachersissolidarity,andanyattempttodistinguishteachersfromoneanotheraroundtheirpracticeisconsideredtobeathreattothepowerofsolidarity.Teachersremainisolatedintheirpracticeinthismodel.ThehorizontalaxisinFigure1representstheprofessionalcontinuumandthejourneyfromisolated,privatizedpracticeto“collaborativeexpertise,”usingthelanguageofJohnHattieandMichaelFullan.ThiscollaborativeexpertiseisthebuildingofprofessionalcapitalasdescribedbyFullan.Thisprofessionalcapitalnotonlyinvolveshumancapitalorindividualcapacity,butalsosocialcapital…thepowerofthegroupasacontinuouslyimprovingcommunityofpractice.Professionalcapitalalsoinvolvesdecisionalcapital,theindividualandcollectivejudgmentthatisinformedbydataandgrowsoutofcollectiveexpertise.Relationshipsamongpractitionersaremuchmorehorizontalanddensewhereindividualdifferencesinexpertisearepromotedandallowedtoflourish,aswellassharedforthebenefitofthecontinuouslearningofthegroup.TheinterlockingcirclesinQuadrant3depictthisorganizationalstate.Whatholdsthegrouptogetherisnotcoercionfromabovebutthepowerofasharedorcommonvision.Quadrant4representsgroupsofprofessionalsinprivateprofessionalpractice,groupslikelawfirmsormedicalgrouppracticesortheDanielsonGroupineducation.Lawandmedicinehavedevelopedhighdegreesofprofessionalpracticeandstandingcomparedtoteaching.Theinterestingphenomenoniswhengroupsoflawyersordoctorsgotoworkforlargebureaucracies,theyoftenunionizebutbringtheirprofessionalcultureswiththemtosomeextent.TherealjourneyforteachingistomovefromQuadrant2toQuadrant3.ImportanttoemphasizehereisthatthismovemaintainsthecollectivepowerofQuadrant2butdeploysitindifferentandcollaborativeways.Forexample,intheareaofcollectivebargaining,itmeansmovingawayfromadversarialorpositionalbargainingtowardinterest-based,collaborativebargaining.Thisjourneyinvolvesnotjusttransformingtheunionbutalsotransformingthesystemofpubliceducation.Itmeansmovingfromtop-down,command-controlbureaucraciestoorganicandresponsive,continuouslyimprovingandinnovating,learningorganizations.Teacherunionscannotdothatbythemselves.Theyneedmanagementpartnerswithinthesystemofpubliceducationandcommunitypartnerswhoownthesepublicsystems.
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Dolandescribedthetopdown,commandandcontrolsystemashavingfourpathologies(SeeFigure2).
Thefirstpathologyhastodowithtop-downcontrol.Thesystemisstronglycommittedtocontrollingpeopleandtheiractionsandimposingorder,keepingthingsthesameandstandardized.Ithasverylimitedcapacityforchangeandinnovation.Thesecondpathologycentersoninformationanditsflowwithinthesystem.Informationishighlyguarded,fragmented,andsectionedinsiloesofexpertise.Informationdoesnottravelwell,especiallyfromthebottomuporacrossthesystem.Thismakesitveryhardforthesystemtounderstanditschangingenvironmentandadapttoit.Thethirdpathologyisaroundrelationshipsamongpeople.Withhierarchicaldropsinthesystemandfragmentation,therelationscenteronthepoweroverothersandcompetitionwithothers.Thereisisolationfromothers,andveryfewrelationships,especiallyatthebottom.Thisbreedsfear,verylittletrust,andlackofopenness.Learninginthesystemisverydifficult.
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Thefourthpathologyisaroundpeople’smotivation.Thesystemdoesnottrustpeopletohavetheinternalmotivationtodotherightthingandthereforeputsexternalsystemsofsupervisioninplacewithemphasisoncarrotsandstickstogetpeopletodowhatthesystemwantsthemtodo.Thisseverelylimitsindividualandcollectiveenthusiasmandcreativityaroundtheworkofthesystem.Thesepathologiespreventthetop-down,command-controlsystemfrombecominganadaptiveandresponsivelearningorganization.Teachingasaprofessioncannotgrowinsuchasystem.Theunionasavehicleforprofessionalizationhastofindstrategies,withpartners,totransformthissystemtoalearningorganization.Inherbook,LeadershipandtheNewScience,MargaretWheatleysuggestssomecuresorantidotestoDolan’sfourpathologies.(SeeFigure3).Shelookstosomeofthebreakthroughsinscienceanditsemergingunderstandingofthenaturalworldasmetaphorsforwhatweneedtodototransformbureaucraciesintolearningorganizations.
InChaosTheory,Wheatleyseesawaytocounterthetop-down,command-controlsystem.Justasevenchaoshaspatternstoit,shesuggeststhatanorganizationcanestablishsomeoverallpatternsorparametersforactionandthenpromotealotof
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autonomyandinnovationwithintheseparameters.Inthissystem,orderandreorderingemerges,ratherthanbeingimposed.InInformationTheory,sheseesawaytofreeuptheorganizationsothatinformationcoursesfreelythroughouttheorganization.Bringingpeopletogetheracrosssiloesandoutoftheirisolationcreatesnewrelationshipsandnewinformation.InQuantumPhysics,shefindsametaphorforrelationshipsandbringingpeopletogether.Attheveryminute,subatomicscaleoftheuniverse,QuantumTheoryfindstherearerelationshipsinsteadofdiscrete,separateparticles.Atthislevel,oneparticlecanonlybefoundanddefinedinitsrelationshiptoanotherparticle.Shesuggeststhatinlearningorganizations,weneedtodevelopnotsomuchrelationshipsofpoweroverbutinsteadpowerwithoneanother.Thisunleashesfarmoresynergy,powerandcreativity.Finally,inFieldTheory,Wheatleyfindsametaphorforhowtopromoteinternalmotivationinorganizations.Amagneticfieldisinvisiblebutanextremelystrongforcethatholdsthingstogether.Wheatleysuggeststhatpromotingsharedvisionisawayforalearningorganizationtocreatethisinvisiblefieldthatholdspeopleandtheorganizationtogetherinadynamicprocessoflearningandchangingtoaccomplishitsmissionandpurpose.Fullan’snotionof“Coherence”asasubjectiveandinter-subjectiveprocessgetsatthemeaningofsharedvision.“Coherenceconsistsoftheshareddepthofunderstandingaboutthepurposeandnatureofthework.Coherence,then,iswhatisinthemindsandactionsofpeopleindividuallyandespeciallycollectively.”(Fullan,“Coherence”).ThisiswhatWheatleydescribesassharedvision,whichistheantidotetosupervision.CEC’sFrameworkforChangeandPathwaysuggestawayforteacherunionstoworkwithpartnersindistrictsandcommunitiestotransformbureaucraticsystemsintolearningorganizations.Thisisacriticalpartoftheprocesstoturntheunionintoavehicleforthetransformationoftheteachingprofession.CEC’sFrameworkforChangebeginswith“TheWhy”theworkisimportant,givingpurposeandmeaningtotheworkfromthe“Inside-Out.”Itarticulatesthemoralpurposethatalsoinformstheworkoftheunionasvehiclefortransformingtheprofession.
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CECbeginswithEmpoweringStudentsthroughLearning,whichistheheartofthework.Learningincludesbothacademiclearningandencompassessocial-emotionallearningaswell.Toprovidestudentswiththelearningexperiencestheyneedtobeabletowork,live,andthriveinthe21stcenturyglobalworld,schoolsneedtoImplementanEmergingPedagogythatengagesstudentsactivelyintheirlearningtothinkcritically,problemsolve,developcreativity,andworkcollaborativelywithothers.Thisemergingpedagogyisabigliftformanyteachersandleaders.ItrequiresTransformingtheProfession,specificallytransforminghowteachingisorganized,providingopportunitiesforthedevelopmentofprofessionalcapital,includinghuman,social,anddecisionalcapital.Thistypeofmajorsystemchange--movingfromisolated,privatizedpracticetocommunitiesofpractice--requiresLabor-ManagementCollaboration,beginningwithfundamentalchangesinhowteacherunionsandschoolmanagementrelatesothattheycancollaborativelyredesignthecurrentsystems(contracts,administrativeprocedures,boardpolicies,etc.)toempowertheteachingandlearningprocess.CEC’sFrameworkforChangethenmovesto“TheHow,”whichdescribeshowtheorganizationcollaborativelybuildscapacityfromthe“Outside-In.”TheinnerpurplearcdescribesCEC’sPathway.
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ThePathwaybeginswithacollaborativecommitmentamongthethreeanchors(teacher’sunion,superintendent/administration,schoolboard)toworktogetherandbuildthecollaborativerelationshipsneededtotransformthesysteminplace.Itisnotexpectedthatpeoplealreadyknowhowtoworkwelltogether.However,itisarequirementthattheyhavethedispositionandcommitmenttolearnandtrytoworkwelltogether.ThesecondstepinthePathwayisaprocessofdiagnosingneeds.ThereareavarietyofwaysCECdoesthis,including:
1. Dolan’sBoundaryAuditsofrelationships2. TheSystemAssessmentprocess,thatisin-depthandbasedontheDuFour
ProfessionalLearningCommunity(PLC)framework,includingthethreefocusareasoflearning,collaboration,andresults
Thethirdstepisaboutsettingdirection.Whilethereareavarietyofwaystodothis,oneofthemosteffectiveandcomprehensivewaysisthein-depthCECstrategicplanningprocess,whichengagesmultiplestakeholdersinafour-monthprocessthat
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typicallyleadstoanongoingprocessofstrategicactionplanningandimplementation.Thefourthstepinvolvesutilizingcollaborativestructuresandprocessestodotheworkatthevariouslevelsofthesystem:district,school,andPLC.Thediagrambelowmapsoutthestructuralinterventionsthatprovidethecontainersforjointcollaborativeworktoempowerteamsattheschoolandclassroomlevels,andtothendotheongoinglisteningandlearningthroughoutthesystem(bottomup,topdownandacross)toidentifyandsharebreakthroughsandtoremovebarriers.
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Thefifthstepinvolvestargetedsupportthatmatcheseffective,research-basedpracticestospecificdistrictandschoolneeds.CEChasdevelopedacatalogueofofferingsforsuchtargetedsupport,organizedbythestagesinthe“Inside-OutFrameworkforChange”thatisavailableat:http://cecillinois.org/programs-services/CEC’sFrameworkforChangeandPathwayprovidethelargercontextfortheparticularworkoftheunionto:
• becomeavehiclefortransformingtheprofession• becomeaComprehensiveUnionresponsivetoallfourlevelsofneeds,
interests,andaspirationsofitsmembers• defineandliveitsmoralpurpose
Thecomprehensiveunionwillalignthefollowingsystemswiththismoralpurposeofbecomingaprofessionthatmeetstheneedsofallstudents:
• sharedanddistributedleadershipsystems• strategicplanningandexecution(alignedwithDistrictplans,stateand
nationalteacherunionplans,andotherunionsinthecommunity)• memberrelationships(processesandstructurestorecruit,support,develop,
andcommunicatewithmembers)• partnershipsandprocessestodefinethework,anddescribethehowandthe
whatofthework(collectivebargainingisoneoftheseprocesses)• dataandinformationsystemstomonitorandtrackprogressandresults
(includingthefinancialhealthofthelocal)
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