The Case for Collaboration
The National Labor-Management Partnership
The National Labor-Management Partnership includes several national organizations representing a diverse contingent of education stakeholders including teachers, principals, superintendents, and many more.
We all have a stake in our education system, and together we can raise the bar on student outcomes all while creating a better environment for everyone from educators to administrators. To that end, the National Labor Management Partnership issued a call to action to the education community to foster a culture of learning and joint problem solving in our schools and districts.
Together, as those closest to the students and families, empowered education stakeholders will transform our nation’s public schools. Learn more and read the Call to Action
The Guidebook
The National Labor Management Partnership is proud to announce the release of the newest edition of "Collaborating for Student Success: A Comprehensive Guide for Increasing Shared Decision-Making Through Lasting Partnerships."
Research shows that everyone is stronger through authentic collaboration: student outcomes improve, teacher retention increases, and shared decision-making leads to increased job satisfaction and improved working environments for everyone involved.
The NLMP, and each of its stakeholder groups is committed to fostering those outcomes nationwide, and this guidebook is a resource to that end. It offers information and practical tools for educators to get started building successful, collaborative, sustainable partnerships today, wherever they are, no matter their current environment.
You can download the guidebook here.
Learn, Lead, & Transform
In partnership with the Catalyst for Educational Change, the NEA is offering its members and their district partners an opportunity to participate in a transformative, facilitated learning cohort centered around Labor Management Collaboration.
This opportunity is designed to help your district implement best practices for collaboration and shared decision-making.
Participating teams will:
- Gain full access to NEA’s “Collaborating for Student Success” online course and resources
- Participate in live, virtual cohort sessions with districts across the country
- Engage in live coaching with CEC experts
Teams should include at least one district administrator and the education association/union president, and the program is limited to 10 participants per district. As a demonstration of its commitment to collaboration, NEA is offering sponsorship for its members to participate in this exciting opportunity.
We are recruiting for new cohorts in 2025. To learn more, check out the program flyer here, or sign up today and learn how to transform your district's collaboration for better student outcomes.
When LMC=Results
For an example of how labor management collaboratives can bring positive change to our public schools, check out this article from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Their LMC is working together to obtain $1.5 million in salary guide stabilization to head off educator shortages and recruit and retain teachers.
“This is all about building and sustaining partnerships for our students,” says Cherry Hill Education Association President Steve Redfearn. “Our students need consistency to reach their full potential, and this is achieved when the board, our district and the association leadership work collaboratively rather than in opposition to each other. It’s exciting to think about what other accomplishments we can attain in the future within the Labor Management Collaborative structure.
The Collaborating for Student Success Online Course
If you’re ready to co-create solutions that benefit students, this course is for you. Our Collaborating for Student Success course can guide you to develop a sustainable system of labor-management collaboration in your district or school. Sign up here: nea.org/collabcourse
As a companion to this online learning course, the Collaborator's Toolkit is a convenient compendium of all the tools presented in the Collaborating for Student Success Guidebook. It's a handy reference for practitioners as well as LMC facilitators and trainers. You can download the toolkit here.
Downloads
- The NLMP Collaborating for Student Success Guidebook
- The Collaborator's Toolkit.pdf
- National Labor Management Partnership Call to Action
- Case Study: Veterans Memorial Family School
- Collaborating in a Crisis: Working Together to Safely Reopen Our School Buildings
- The LMC Framework
- LMC Tour of Exemplars
Suggested Further Reading
