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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 5, 1999

News Release

Six Innovative Partnerships Recognized by NEA, UAW and Saturn For Collaborative Efforts To Boost Student Achievement

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The third annual Saturn Partnership Awards were presented today by the National Education Association (NEA), United Auto Workers (UAW) and the Saturn Corporation, honoring local education associations and school districts who have boosted student achievement through innovative, collaborative partnerships.

NEA President Bob Chase saluted this year's winners before a crowd of nearly 10,000 delegates attending the NEA's Representative Assembly, saying, "These partnerships are examples of labor and management working together to satisfy the interests of all involved in education." The awards are given to collaborations that replicate the success of the partnership between labor and management at the Saturn Corporation that resulted in increased productivity, quality, and consumer satisfaction. This year's winners hailed from Norwalk-La Mirada, California; Marion, Indiana; Portage Township, Indiana; Olathe, Kansas; Chesapeake, Virginia; and Edmonds, Washington.

The Saturn Partnership Awards are part of NEA's course of "new unionism" -- where cooperation and risk-taking are encouraged, and members take personal responsibility for school quality. "Our focus on new unionism involves forming partnerships to make public schools and universities the best they can be," said President Chase. Today's winners are bright examples for everyone, he continued, "their experiences make the path easier for us all."

The 1999 winning partnerships are in the following communities:

Norwalk-La Mirada, California, where teachers decided a decade ago to redirect their professional energy and find a way to boost student achievement and stakeholder satisfaction in the decisions about education in their community. Using the Pat Dolan model of collaboration, the Norwalk-La Mirada Teachers Association and the Unified School District together drew up a program of shared decision-making. The partnership now includes 18 sites, each with its own design team. Today, academic standards are up and decisions are data-driven. Professional development is ongoing, and new teachers are given the help they need. The Association and school district also worked to help new teachers with an intern program at the University of California at Los Angeles. The Saturn Partnership Award was accepted by Richard J. Secoda, president of the Teachers Association of Norwalk-La Mirada and Ginger Shattuck, superintendent of the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District.

Marion, Indiana, where the Marion Teachers Association and the Marion Community Schools in 1995 embarked on a partnership to put students first and created a positive, cooperative atmosphere to advance education. After successfully embracing collaborative bargaining, the groups began work on a series of collaborative efforts, including implementation of alternative education for disruptive students. To further ensure that Marion classrooms are safe havens for learning, a joint committee is creating a district-wide safety and crisis plan. Association members and the district are working together on teacher evaluation, orientation for new teachers, and professional development. A renewed emphasis on student achievement has had positive results. Staff development days have been increased, with a focus on state standards and student assessment, and student test scores are up. Marion Teachers Association President Judy Creviston accepted the award, along with Marion Community Schools Superintendent Charles Coleman, Vern Owensby, president of the School Board of Trustees, and Bill Fields, School Board of Trustees member.

Portage Township, Indiana is the home of a win/win partnership that began seven years ago with development of a District Quality Schools Team (DQST). The collaboration involves the Portage Association of Teachers, Portage Township Schools, Bethlehem Steel, parents, and students. Teachers now use site-based decision-making in all district schools, enabling them to put the needs of their students first. The Association and administrators are also working to establish a labor-management committee to enhance professional development, increase parental involvement, and keep lines of communication open. Jeanne Kerr, president of the Portage Association of Teachers and Debra Howe, assistant superintendent of Portage Township Schools, accepted the Saturn Partnership Award.

Olathe, Kansas, where 25 years ago, the Olathe National Education Association and the Olathe District Schools began negotiating on a meet-and-confer basis. Today, the two groups operate as a team called the Profession Council, with a focus on quality education. Council members -- six teachers and six administrators -- use a consensus-based procedure to negotiate academic concerns and contractual issues. The trust and open communication developed by the Council have helped the group make changes which have resulted in innovations such as evening parent-teacher conferences and stipends for student tutorial assistance. Today, test scores are up, and Olathe's dropout rate is down to less than 2 percent. The partnership works with the local Chamber of Commerce to help pass bond issues and with the Olathe Public Schools Foundation to provide scholarships for seniors. Accepting the Saturn Award was Judy Rapp, president of Olathe National Education Association and Jody Shelton, assistant superintendent for human resources, Olathe Unified School District.

Chesapeake, Virginia, where the Chesapeake Education Association decided to take the lead in preserving and enhancing the cooperative relationship that existed with an outgoing superintendent who had lead the school district for two decades. More than 300 members of CEA and the Chesapeake School Administration, parents, and community members developed a five-year school improvement plan. The plan lays out shared goals and objectives to boost student achievement. The high level of collaboration is evident. The CEA leadership meets with the superintendent and the superintendent's planning council monthly, and they attend school board meetings and retreats. This inclusive style of communication fosters trust and cooperation, enabling the focus to remain on helping students learn. The Saturn Partnership Award was accepted by James D. Caruth, director of the Chesapeake Education Association and its past president, Randall Trivett, as well as Barbara Head, chair of the Chesapeake school board, and William Myers, assistant superintendent for personnel.

Edmonds, Washington, where the path to a true collaborative labor-union relationship emerged after a dozen years of conflict. After a strike that left both sides wanting to find a better way to do business, the Edmonds Education Association and Edmonds School District #15 developed a relationship based on shared principles. In 1989, both groups approved the Ideal Decision-Making Process for the Edmonds School District, and it became part of the collective bargaining agreement. Six years later, the district and the Association negotiated Washington state's first public school "Trust Agreement" which identified shared interests and laid the foundation for a joint Professional Excellence Committee. The new committee has worked on new teaching performance standards, a redesigned performance evaluation process for teachers, and the creation of an improved teacher induction and mentoring program. For the last seven years, the partners have worked together to implement Edmonds 2000 -- an initiative to improve student achievement. This effort resulted in a new standards-driven education system. Today, students' test scores are up in math, reading, and writing. Accepting for Edmonds was Dave Scott, president of the Edmonds Education Association, and Penny Peters, director of human resources for Edmonds School District #15.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.