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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 1998

NEW ORLEANS – The second annual Saturn Partnership Awards will be presented Sunday, July 5 at the National Education Association's (NEA) Representative Assembly in New Orleans. The Saturn Partnership Awards were created by the NEA, the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the Saturn Corporation to honor dynamic collaborations between school districts and local education associations that result in improved student achievement.

The awards are named for the Saturn Corporation in recognition of the groundbreaking contract negotiated between management and labor relations 11 years ago that led to increased automobile production, better quality, and employee and customer satisfaction.

Before 10,000-plus delegates, NEA President Bob Chase and UAW/Saturn Vice President Emeritus Don Elphin will salute six successful partnerships between school districts, a community college, international unions, and NEA local affiliates in Lincoln, Nebraska; Long Beach, California; Mishawaka, Indiana; Flint, Michigan; Queen City, Texas; and Santa Maria, California.

The "NEA-UAW/Saturn Partnership Award" honors partnerships between school management and employee unions that improve the quality of public education, both K-12 and postsecondary. The six communities to be honored have demonstrated joint decision-making, long-standing collaboration between staff and management, and increased student achievement.

"The Saturn Partnership Awards represent the 'can-do' spirit of 'new unionism' that NEA embraced a year ago and the startling success of the Saturn Corporation's new management-labor relations," said NEA President Chase. "NEA and Saturn salute these six pioneering communities who put students' academic achievement ahead of narrow self-interest. Everyone is a winner when students achieve."

Chase popularized the term "new unionism" over a year ago to describe the new collaborative, consensus-building approach that NEA affiliates are taking in labor-management negotiations -- and the Association's renewed emphasis on professional development and student achievement. This year's award-winning partnerships are in the following communities.

• Lincoln, Nebraska, where the Lincoln Public Schools and the Lincoln Education Association (LEA) created a grassroots collaboration. Through the "Ventures in Partnership" and School to Work programs, LEA members, administrators, and members of Lincoln's business community work collectively to decide program direction and content. In ten years the partnership has grown from 14 members to over 800 companies, organizations, and agencies. Volunteers from the community have contributed more than 30,000 hours during a single semester. LEA President Dan Studer and Barbara Hopkins, director of Ventures in Partnership, are expected to accept the award on Friday.
• Long Beach, California, where the Long Beach Unified School District and the Teachers Association of Long Beach (TALB) are equal partners in decision-making. The eight-year partnership has led to improved test scores and a declining dropout rate. A mandatory summer reading program was implemented for third graders not reading at grade level and the cooperation has led to an end of social promotion. TALB President Patricia Williams and School District Vice President Bobbie Smith will accept the award.
• Mishawaka, Indiana, where a decade-long partnership between the Board of Trustees of School City Mishawaka and the local education association has led to increased participation from parents and the community. The shared decision-making has created a sense of ownership among parents, teachers, students and the community. Similar to the Saturn Corporation and UAW partnership, Mishawaka reports positive growth and productivity, but in student achievement. The Mishawaka Education Association President Bruce Shannon and Superintendent Dr. Stella Batagiannis will accept the award.
• Flint, Michigan, where an unusual partnership between Mott Community College, the Michigan Education Association (MEA)/NEA, UAW, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has led to better staff morale, new programs, and a wider course selection. Faculty, staff, and administrators are involved in joint decision-making ranging from course offerings to budget preparation. Accepting the award will be Kelly Banks, president of the Michigan Education Association's Professional-Technical Unit, and Dr. Allen D. Arnold, president of Mott Community College.

• Queen City, Texas, where the Independent School District and the Queen City Educators Association created a committee of staff, parents, businesses, and members of the community. For five years the committee has used site-based decision-making for the budget process, hiring, and instructional strategies. Since then, two of the Queen City campuses were recognized by the state for outstanding achievement on the state's standardized test, TAAS. Queen City now scores 20 points above the state average, attendance has improved, and curriculum has expanded. Ignacio Salinas, Jr., president of the Texas State Teachers Association, and Sandra Allison, representative of the Queen City Independent State District will accept the award.
• Santa Maria, California, where members of the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District and Faculty Association created a partnership that involves site-based management based on shared decision-making and interest-based bargaining for the school district. In seven years, daily attendance, tutoring, grade point averages, and number of credits earned by students have increased while suspensions have decreased by 40 percent. Accepting the award will be Angela Boyle, president of the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Faculty Association, and School Superintendent Dean Reece.

The 1998 award winners are invited by Saturn to send representatives to visit Saturn's plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. in November 1998. In addition to the July 5 ceremony, UAW/Saturn will formally recognize the recipients in their hometowns.

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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.