Four locals were represented at the Aug 14, meeting of CalTURN - San Juan Teachers Association, Poway Federation of Teachers, Hart District Teachers Association, and Santa Monica-Malibu Teachers Association - the first step in defining a new focus for one of the original TURN regional networks.

The meeting was organized by Coordinators Tom Alves and Kate McKenna.  Tom convened the meeting with a review the history of CalTURN and recounted the  initial effort (about a decade ago) that focused on Peer Assistance and Review.  This time around, the lessons learned from the first attempt are informing the new initiative.  

Mr. Alves also provided an overview of the Ford grant and the rationale for developing regional networks, and the theory of change for the overall initiative - preserving and improving public education is best achieved through democracy and professionalization - a viable alternative to bureaucracy and market based reforms.   

Dr. Dennis Shirley, Professor of Education at the Lynch School of Education at Boston College and Principal Investigator for the Ford Grant, keynoted the meeting with a presentation on The Fourth Way (based on a book by the same name co-authored with Andy Hargreaves).  The Fourth Way proposes a new vision for transforming public education that draws on the best of previous approaches, including: Six Pillars of Purpose that support change; Three Principles of Professionalism that drive change; and Four Catalysts of Coherence that sustain change.  He gave examples of effective education systems in other countries that do not rely on testing to measure and document student success. He cited examples where there is a high commitment to public schools and a high level of trust in teachers.  Teachers in other industrialized countries generally substantially more time for collaborative learning and greater control of the profession.  Schools typically have far greater flexibility in how funds and in how they deliver instruction, i.e. no prescriptive models.  Dr. Shirley draws the conclusion that, so far, US education is missing the boat and that unions can play a role in bringing education into the 21st century. 

Next Steps

Alves and McKenna facilitated a conversation to identify possible next steps as a network, using the Three Frames of Progressive Unionism < as a starting point.  The conversation was framed by the question: What do you see as possible now and in the future? Answers to the question were based on two assumptions: a) there is no choice but to transition to a more professional union approach, and b) there is a need to have this discussion a the local chapter/union level. McKenna pulled the conversation together in a chart highlighting the issues being addressed in each local and actions to be taken. This will provide a reference point for the November meeting.

The meeting was held at UCLA in order to reinforce old relationships and partnerships with higher education as well as to develop new ones. The UCLA Graduate School of Education was a founding partner and frequent host of the Teacher Union Reform Network in the early years of its development.  Several faculty at UCLA have been engaged in equity work, integration of scholarship, and activism. Jeanne Oakes (formerly of UCLA) is now with the Ford Foundation.  

The next CalTURN meeting will be held November 6th, also at UCLA.