1 of 36

New Jersey Public School Collaborative

Newark Public Schools

Saul Rubinstein, Professor, Rutgers University

September 26, 2024

2 of 36

Overview

Evidence of Benefits of Collaboration and Union-Management Partnerships to Educators and Students

NJ Public School Collaborative

Multi-Stakeholder: Administration, Union/Faculty/Staff, School Board

Capacity Building

3 of 36

Union-Management Collaborative Partnerships and Educational Quality

Public School Improvement based on:

District-level, School-level, Faculty/Staff Union-Management Partnerships
Empowering Educator Collaboration in Schools
Shared Decision-Making, Goal Alignment, Educator Voice
Innovation from Educators within Districts & Schools
With Focus on Teaching and Learning

4 of 36

Institution for Conflicting Interests: �Collective Bargaining

U

M

5 of 36

�Institution for common interests? �Collaborative Partnerships�

U

M

(Teaching Quality and Student Achievement)

6 of 36

Why Collaborative Partnerships?

Quality of Decisions

People Closest to the Problem

Quantity of Solutions – More Resources Devoted to Improvement

Quality of Implementation – More Support

Quality through Educator Voice

7 of 36

Union-Management Partnerships as Antecedent to School Collaboration��

Greater School Collaboration

Educational Impacts:

Student Outcomes, Teaching, Culture

Formal Union- Management Partnerships

8 of 36

Variables:

Partnership (District): Union leaders and district administration working together to improve teaching and learning. District initiatives are developed collaboratively.

Collaboration (School): Teachers and administration working together on innovations to improve teaching and learning, engaging in significant problem-solving activity, and developing school initiatives collaboratively.

9 of 36

National Performance Data

% of Students Performing at or above Standards
English Language Arts (ELA) and Math
District Partnership
School Collaboration
Controls for Poverty & School Type
5000 Educators
25 Districts
450 Schools
6 States: California, Illinois, Maine, Mass, Minn, NJ

10 of 36

Collaboration and Student Performance

11 of 36

Union-Management Partnerships as an Catalyst for Educator Collaboration�

Creates Positive Climate
Builds Trust
Directs More Resources toward Improvement

Creates Problem Solving Infrastructure

Better Communication and Information Sharing
Support for Joint Decisions & Implementation
Union is a Network – Social Capital

12 of 36

WHAT ARE EDUCATORS COLLABORATING AROUND?

Instructional Practices

Student Performance Data

Mentoring

13 of 36

Partnership Quality and Density of School Communications

14 of 36

Middle School with Density of 69%

15 of 36

Collaboration Eliminates the Negative Impacts of Poverty on Teacher Retention

15IRRA Meetings, 2005

16 of 36

17 of 36

Dimensions of Collaborative Culture:

Teachers' Efficacy
Goal Alignment
Shared Decision Making
Discretion
Principal as Resource
Union Rep as Resource
Psychological Safety
Mentoring
Joint Problem Solving

18 of 36

Shared Decision-Making and �Viewing Principal as a Resource�

Principal as Resource

Commitment to Shared Decisions

18

19 of 36

Shared Decision Making and Association Rep �as Resource�

19

20 of 36

Shared Decision-Making and �Teacher Efficacy

20

21 of 36

Shared Decision Making and Mentoring

21

22 of 36

Shared Decision Making and Problem Solving

22

23 of 36

Shared Decision Making & Communication

on Cross-Subject Integration

Shared Decisions

23

24 of 36

Summary of Findings

Union-Management Partnerships Lead to More Extensive Collaboration between Educators in Schools

Collaboration Improves Student Performance (ELA and Math) even after controlling for Poverty

Collaborative Climates Increase the Attractiveness of Schools to Teachers

Strong Collaboration Reduces the Impact of Poverty on Teacher Turnover & Increases Engagement

25 of 36

ASSOCIATION REPS: CHANGING

ROLE PERCEPTION

COMMUNICATION AROUND BARGAINING & GRIEVANCE ISSUES

LOW Lo

WEAK PARTNERSHIP = PRIMARILY PERCEIVE ROLE AS FOCUSED ON TRADITIONAL UNION ACTIVITIES

STRONG PARTNERSHIP =MORE BALANCED ROLE

COMMUNICATION AROUND BARGAINING & GRIEVANCE ISSUES

COMMUNICATION ABOUT SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT (EXTERNAL)

COMMUNICATION ABOUT SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT (INTERNAL)

ENSURING EDUCATOR VOICE IN DECISION-MAKING & EDUCATION QUALITY

26 of 36

Partnership as Organizational Network

26

27 of 36

May 2013

28 of 36

NJ Public School Labor Management Collaborative

I. State

5 State Associations:

NJEA, AFTNJ, NJSBA, NJASA, NJPSA

State-wide Summit

II. District/School

District/School Capacity Building Workshop

III. Scaffolding Support

Inter-District Learning Network (Twice a Year)
District Facilitators
Website, Online Community, Resources, Courses

IV. Research

29 of 36

Types of Improvement Initiatives

New Curriculum
Technology
Sharing Instructional Practice
Math & Language Performance
Professional Development
Energy Conservation
K-12 Articulation
Exam Coordination
Mentoring

Textbook Selection
New Teacher Induction
Peer Assistance
Social-Emotional Learning
Covid-19
English as Second Language
Student Advisory Periods
New Courses
Scheduling
Homework Policy

30 of 36

To Date:

30 Districts
250+ Schools
500+ Administrators
10,000+ Teachers
150,000+ Students
Adding 6-8 Districts 2024
Over 10% of NJ Students

31 of 36

NPS/NTU School Collaborative Structures - 2024 CBA

School Leadership Council (SLC)

Principals, Supervisors, NTU Building Rep, Teachers, Students
Meeting Minimum 2 Times Month and More as Needed
Review Functional Side of Schools Operations

SLC Sub-Committees

Curriculum, Instruction, Program, PD, Mentoring / SIP
Student Support
School Climate & Culture
Personnel & Hiring
Budgeting

32 of 36

Continuum of Shared Decision-Making

1	2	3	4	5
Administrator Centered	Collaborative/Consultative Consensus			Staff Centered
Admin decision (without staff input) and staff will be informed “Admin will tell staff”	Admin decision, where staff consults “Staff gives input, then admin makes the final decision”	Equal-weight decision. Vote on the decision. “We make the final decision together”	Staff decision, with input from admin “Admin gives staff input, but the staff makes the final decision”	Staff decision (within admin guidelines) and staff will inform admin “Staff will tell admin”

33 of 36

School Leadership Capacity Building:

Overview

Research Overview on Collab Leadership and Student Achievement, Teacher Turnover, Recruitment, and Seeing Principal and Union Rep as resource
Understanding shared/common interests
Collaborative Norms for Working Together
Team Building

Planning School Leadership Councils, SIPs, Curriculum/Instruction

Membership
Roles and Responsibilities
Collaborative Structures
Processes
Shared Leadership

34 of 36

School Leadership (continued):

Problem Solving

Cycle of Problem Solving
Identification of Needs
Criteria for Problem Selection
Priority Matrix
Use of Data
Vital Few: Pareto Analysis
Priorities for Improvement
Cause-Effect Analysis
Improvement vs Control
Managing Project/Improvement Teams
Organizing Initiatives/Action Planning

35 of 36

School Leadership (continued):

Decision Making

Methods of Joint Decision Making/Consensus
Value and Difficulties of Joint Decision Making

Communication

Within and Across Schools

Meeting Management
Conflict Resolution

Alignment of Goals, Roles, Procedures

Shaping Organizational Change

Inter-school Learning and Implementation across District

Evaluating Progress and Making Adjustments

36 of 36

School Leadership

School Leadership Team

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Climate & Culture

Solutions

Instructional Strategies

Compassionate Care Team

Project Unified

36