What are collective bargaining and interest-based bargaining?

 

       1. What is collective bargaining?

       In the section of Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA) in the Learning Module, it states that the EERA gave the rights of collective bargaining to teachers and classified employees in California’s public schools. The Learning Module’s Traditional Collective Bargaining section states that Traditional collective bargaining historically has been the most common form of bargaining in California and has been also referred to as “adversarial bargaining.”  And, the Learning Module’s Summary section mentions that collective bargaining in the K-12 school environment is required by law. The law is very clear in its direction to acknowledge the rights of employees and for management and labor to work together to agree upon those items that are within the scope of negotiations. The methods of collective bargaining can be developed by the school district and associations. There are two main methods of bargaining: adversarial and collaborative. Valerio (2016) mentions that traditional bargaining is proposal-based, supported by the explanation of need for proposed change, and is represented by a chief negotiator. Whereas the interest-based bargaining is interest-based, parties work together to find the solutions to meet the interest, and includes members of bargaining teams.

2. How does collective bargaining run in my school district?      

      

       In my school, there is one teacher as the Bargaining Team Executive Board Member and three teachers as our site representatives. The principal emails teachers the tentative assignment for the coming school year per the District Teachers Association Collective Bargaining Agreement. The site representative leader emails teachers at the beginning of the school year to inform our school of who the LTA leadership is on our campus and in the district and how to contact the members of our union directly. The  goal is to secure a safe and healthy workplace where teachers can thrive. Two important documents for teachers to read are your Collective Bargaining Agreement and the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). These documents outline the agreement our union has reached with management that governs your work environment. These documents depend on us to know what is in them and to ask that they be enforced and respected. When we are feeling like things are not going right, we can look over these documents to see if we have an agreement that backs up our position. It is the place to start.  We can join when there is a Collective Bargaining Agreement study hall and learn what has been established for our guidance and benefit.

      3. What is the interest-based bargaining?

       Interest-based bargaining lends itself to Christian leadership as it is built on trust and honesty. It is a method that models Christian ethics in the secular environment (Learning Module). It is essential to provide training to the union, employees, and management to learn about the concept, process, and benefit of interest-based bargaining. The training before negotiations uses a third-party facilitator to introduce the process and work on developing mutually beneficial interests (Boniface & Rashmi, 2012). The training and process can foster the trust and friendly relationship among all parties to reduce misunderstanding, stress, and anger through sharing the honest needs through sincere communication. 

       Sometimes, the union and management parties switch from collective and interest-based bargaining back and forth to balance and decide the better way for all parties. 

       How does your school district apply the bargaining? How would you like to improve it? Why? 

 

	Collective bargaining	Interest-based bargaining
1	Historically, it has been the most common form of bargaining in California.	It is run by Christian leadership as it is built on trust and honesty. It is a method that models Christian ethics in the secular environment.
2	It is also referred to as adversarial bargaining.	Both parties of union and management are encouraged to discuss and decide a shared goal from the labor and management parties. Find mutually beneficial outcomes.
3	It is in the K-12 school environment as required by law.	In the step of negotiation, both parties discuss and decide the salary increasing rate and period of time, then write in the contract.
4	The two main methods of bargaining are: adversarial and collaborative	Everybody around the table was given an opportunity to participate in the discussions.
5	It is proposal-based, supported by the explanation of need for proposed change, and is represented by a chief negotiator.	Create a win-win solution through satisfying all parties after the discussion and negotiation.

 

Resources:

2021. CUI Learning Module

 Kennedy, B. 1999. Interest-Based Collective Bargaining: A Success Story. Industry Relations Center. 

https://irc.queensu.ca/wp-content/uploads/articles/articles_interest-based-collective-bargaining-a-success-story.pdf

 Valerio, E. 2016. Interest Based Bargaining Basics.

https://slidetodoc.com/interest-based-bargaining-basics-presented-by-elizabeth-b/

How to prepare for the classroom observation?

      According to Coaching with a Focus (UCI class material), the first part of the collaborative coaching cycle is the collaborative planning conference (pre-observation conference). It allows the mentor and mentee to discuss the class context, learning objectives, and the focus for the classroom observation.

      1. Classroom context

       The classroom context is established by the teacher and students through daily practice to create a positive and effective teaching and learning environment, for example, set up and follow the class rules, ask and respond to the questions, borrow and return the pencil. Examining the classroom context with the mentee helps the mentor understand the classroom culture during the observation. 

       2. Students' assets

       During the collaborative planning conference, the mentor can guide the mentee to get to know deeper about students by examining students' assets. This process allows the mentee to discover students’ students' weaknesses, strengths, and more. The mentor can ask the mentee the following guided questions “Who are your students outside of the school walls? What do they love? Where did they come from? What do they fear? (Harper, 2020)”. My volunteer teacher selected CSTP’s sub standard “1.3 Connecting subject matter to meaningful, real-life contexts” as the focus of the observation and coaching. In order to to help her meet and exceed this standard, I can guide her to truly know about her students’ background, interest, strength, and areas that need to improve by asking the above questions. Knowing students’ assets can make her teaching connect with students’ lives in a more meaningful and fun way. The coach can also share the growth mindset with the mentee what Labor (2020) states regarding the asset-based approach to teaching: that is grounded in what students can do rather than what they cannot do or areas of weakness. 

      3. Students' learning needs

        It is crucial for the mentor and the mentee to analyze students' learning needs during the pre-observation conference. It can be conducted by using and analyzing the collected data to distinguish the different learning needs groups: advanced, average, and struggling students. The mentor can guide the mentee to plan the differentiated teaching to each group to meet their needs with equity. 

       4. Learning goals

       Marzano (2012) states that setting goals or objectives is associated with gain in student achievement. Goal-setting strategies are most effective when used in specific times, for example, at the beginning of a unit. The discussion between the mentor and the mentee about the learning goals and objectives can help the mentor to have the focus of the observation and the mentee to have the clear purpose of teaching. 

       5. Student's work

       During the collaborative planning conference, the mentor and the mentee can also discuss how to collect students' work products, such as how many sample works are needed, should it be randomly selected, or select sample works from the advanced, average, and struggling group of students? In the following conference, the mentor can discuss with the mentor about the collected students’ works. The mentor can support the mentee to analyze and dig more deeply into the evidence they have captured together (2014). The mentor and the mentee can analyze students’ strengths and areas that need to be improved, and discuss the ways of adapting teaching to meet students’ needs with equity.

Resources:

2014. A Reflective Guide to Mentoring and being a Teacher Mentor.  EdPartnerships International, commissioned, the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development

Coaching with a focus. Concordia University class material

Labor. 2020. 3 Steps to Developing an Asset-Based Approach to Teaching.  Edutupia, https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-steps-developing-asset-based-approach-teaching

Harper, N. 2020. Empower Your Classroom: Let's Talk About Assets-Based Instruction. 

https://www.yeseep.org/blog/empower-your-classroom-lets-talk-about-assets-based-instruction

Marzano, R. Simms, J. 2012. Coaching Classroom Instruction. Marzano Resources.