As local unions respond to the challenge of improving schools, close attention should be paid to the delicate balance between the need for dramatic improvement and the rights of school staff affected by change. Center for School Improvement staff often provide technical assistance in suggesting contract language and creating memorandums of understanding to support school improvement. Such strong language enables change and protects the rights of teachers and other educators in the bargaining process.

Click on the links below for brief examples of successful AFT local contract language. The language included here is the end product of negotiations, based on give and take by both the union and management. Emphasis given to certain policies and procedures in any one contract is a reflection of the collective bargaining needs at a particular place and point in time. Many factors will affect contract language, including state and local collective bargaining laws and current demographic and economic conditions.

Examples of contract language regarding:

• No Child Left Behind
• School Improvement and Restructuring

Profiles of districts where contract language led to improvement:

• Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida
• Baltimore City Public School System, Maryland