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Collaborative Practice

Research shows that effective collaborative partnerships in education lead to greater teacher retention and educator empowerment, more effective communication among stakeholders, and an increase in student success, even in high poverty school districts.
Teachers and staff from UCLA Community School meet with UCLA professors Allison Shelley for American Education

When LMC=Results

educators and administrators work in groups at tables as part of NJEA's labor management collaborative
Cherry Hill School District Labor Management Collaborative includes the various local associations along with administrators and the school board. At the table on the lower right are Superintendent Dr. Kwame Morton (at end of table) and Educational Assistants of Cherry Hill President Rosemarie Casey (at table corner facing Morton).

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.

Read the full story  

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.

Storytime at school

Champion Public Schools

Public school parents, families, and supporters are coming together to advocate for the public schools every student deserves.
National Education Association

Great public schools for every student

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.