Raleigh NC (Oct 15-16, 2011) ~ The MidAtlantic-Southeast TURN (MASE) attracted teacher and union leaders from North Carolina, Georgia and Maryland to learn together about a number of efforts aimed at improving teaching effectiveness and student learning. The meeting began with the big question, "Why Collaborate?"

Mary McDonald, Consortium for Educational Change set the tone for the meeting by engaging the group in a conversation collaboration, describing this point in the reform movement as a "ripe opportunity" to participate in driving decisions rather than merely reacting to others' decisions.  "We can form something from this chaos," says McDonald.

Focusing on the How  

MASE TURN has been examining a variety of teaching and learning conditions and climate surveys over the past few meetings, beginning with a look at the NEA Keys to Excellence for Your School (KEYS) -- an inquiry focused on learning about available options for using data - in collaboration with districts - for school improvement, teaching effectiveness and student learning. 

At this meeting, Eric Hirsch of The New Teacher Center shared an update of their work with the Teacher Working Conditions Survey which is designed to assess teacher perceptions on 9 factors: time, facilities & resources, community engagement & support, managing student conduct, teacher leadership, school leadership, professional development, instructional practices & supports, and new teacher support.

Hirsch runs the surveys through the New Teacher Center where he serves as the Chief External Affairs Officer.  NTC contracts with a number of partnerships.  All surveys are based on the same core questions in 9 construct areas, but are branded and customized to address local needs/issues. 

Hirsch's presentation detailed three versions of the survey:

• The North Carolina Teaching and Learning Conditions Initiative 
• Maryland's Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning Survey (TELL) www.tellmaryland.org
• Pittsburgh's version of the survey is part of the Empowering Effective Teachers Plan, a collaborative project involving the Pittsburg Public Schools and the Pittsburg Federation of Teachers.

The next presenter, Doug Prouty, President of the Montgomery County Education Association (Maryland) described their collaborative efforts with the Montgomery County Public Schools sharing both how they got to where they are as well as what are they doing.

1. Launched with the "New Unionism" in the mid-1990's which was introduced by then-NEA President, Bob Chase.
2. Focused on the quality of teaching and learning
3. Negotiated in the late 1990's used an Interest-Based Bargaining or Problem-Solving Approach
4. Defined a vision for the classroom and what should be for everyone. 

One of the first collaborative efforts between the District and MCEA was the development of a Teacher Professional Growth System - accessing much of what was learned through their participation in the Teacher Union Reform Network.

Prouty also explained and recommended the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Agency as a source of free training in Interest-Based Bargaining (IBB).

The third presentation of the weekend was made by Tom Blandford, the NEA Foundation. He provided an overview of the work of the foundation's Institute for Innovation in Teaching and Learning through an effort to support local collaboration (of which Montgomery Couty is one).  Blanford framed the presentation in the context of the larger effort to professionalize teaching, raising the question among participants as to who should define the terms of entry.  

Getting to What

With the messages of the three presenters in mind, MASE participants engaged in an open forum to begin exploring the question of what can be done in their local settings as part of a larger movement to establish teacher unions as partners in positive change.

(click here for a summary of current efforts and next steps)