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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)