1. The Union’s Role in School Transformation
Successes and Lessons Learned in Evansville, Indiana
Mark Lichtenberg, President, Evansville Teachers Association

2. Background Information

3. Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC)
Third largest Indiana school system containing urban, rural, and suburban elements
23,000 students
59 percent free/reduced lunch
3,400 employees
$250,000,000 annual budget
3 Priority School sites

4. Evansville Teachers Association (ETA)
Established in 1912
Affiliate of Indiana State Teachers Association and NEA
Represents certified staff who are not administrators
Currently has approximately 1,200 members – just over 80% membership with no agency fee or “fair share” provision
Largest local in the state of Indiana

5. ETA’s role in school transformation in EVSC

6. EQUITY schools ( )
Excellence and Quality Unite In Transforming Youth
Joint effort between ETA and EVSC to transform schools before they faced state takeover
Collaboration was the key – EQUITY model was bargained into the contract
2009 MOU provided:
EQUITY Academy – training for staff
Increased autonomy for identified schools
Academy—we weren’t going to demand change without providing training, and we weren’t going to demand training without providing compensation
Autonomy—a top-down approach to school transformation was not acceptable; change had to come from within; mandates lead to compliance, collaboration leads to change

7. EQUITY schools ( )
Collectively bargained intervention components
EQUITY Academy
Automatic enrollment for staff, unless they opted out
Successful completion required to teach at an EQUITY school
Non-EQUITY staff could apply to be accepted into the academy
PD rate of $20/hour paid for all academy classes; $1,000 stipend paid for successful completion
Teacher, administrator and counselor tracks
Contractual limitations on transfer were waived to allow individuals who did not want to be a part of the EQUITY schools to move out.

8. EQUITY schools ( )
Collectively bargained intervention components
EQUITY Academy
Curriculum included:
Using data to build curriculum
Backwards design for assessment and instruction
Developing activities for the classroom
Interdiciplinary planning
Cultural competency
Quality lesson development
Seamless integration of technology

9. EQUITY schools ( )
Collectively bargained intervention components
Increased autonomy of identified schools
Length of school year for both students and teachers
Teachers paid at daily rate for days worked beyond regular contract year (183 days)
Waivers for regulations
School design and governance
Resource allocations
All were staff decisions
Embedded coaching models, PLCs, etc.—this is the component that allowed teacher-leaders to emerge and be the catalysts for change in the schools – not top-down

10. Transformation Zone (2013-present)
Developed with Mass Insight Education for five EVSC schools based on the EQUITY model
Continues to be a joint effort between ETA and EVSC even though state law now prohibits school transformation efforts from being bargained
Specialized training for TZ staff
Dedicated central office administrative supports for TZ schools
District recognized that it could not expect change of school staff without also changing the way it supported those schools
When there are state interventions, the state assigns a “lead partner” –Mass Insight serves as an internal lead partner, maintaining local control

11. Results

12. EQUITY schools ( )
Increase in % of students passing on state standardized tests between 2009 and 2012
Elementary 1
Elementary 2
Middle
District
ELA
+15.9%
+8.7%
+2.8%
+6.6%
Math
+13.9%
+16.8%
+7.8%
+8.2%
Elementary 2 and Middle also included in Transformation Zone – have outpaced the district when considering the impact of both interventions ( ). Elementary 2 has more than doubled district gains.

13. Transformation Zone (2013-present)
was the first year of full implementation – too early to measure real impact on student achievement
One school was in its 6th year at the bottom level of the state’s accountability model, mandating a hearing and possible state intervention
Based on the work being done and results with locally developed interventions, the state board of education voted to allow the work to continue
First time in the history of this accountability system that the state did not prescribe its own intervention for a school in this circumstance

14. Establishing and Maintaining Collaborative Work

15. Establishing Collaborative Efforts What Do You Need?
Both parties must:
Have a willingness to collaborate
Identify common goals
Set aside preconceptions and beliefs - approach one another at face value
Have effective leadership
Lead with integrity and trust
Establish and maintain open lines of communication
Collaboration:
Improves morale
Establishes/Strengthens relationship between district and union
Provides value/benefit of membership
Positive public relations
Opportunities for community outreach

16. Maintaining Collaborative Efforts
Be prepared to:
Work through disagreements
Meet throughout the process, not just at the beginning and end
Discuss what goes well and what does not – with one another
Work together on all aspects of new work
Development, Finance, Training, Implementation, Follow up and Adjustment
Share credit for success and failure

17. Discussion, Questions and Answers
Mark Lichtenberg
, ext. 3403