The first step in the school improvement process is securing union and district commitment to school improvement. School superintendents and union presidents must resolve to work together. AFT Center for School Improvement staff can help members facilitate a meeting to engage the superintendent, the district’s administrative team, and local leadership in productive conversations on how to work together to assist staff in schools in need of improvement.

Examples of schools and districts where union leaders and superintendents work together:

• ABC Unified School District, California
• Toledo Public Schools, Ohio
• Baltimore City Public School System, Maryland
• Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida 

Resources on forming a labor-management partnership that supports school improvement:

• Baltimore, Maryland: Labor Management Partnership at Work
  This policy brief provides an overview and hands-on detail of the successful labor-management partnership between the Baltimore City Public School System and the AFT. American Federation of Teachers (July 2003).
  
• Examples of contract language that support labor-management partnerships
  
• Public Service Public Savings: Case Studies in Labor Management Initiatives in Four Public Services
  This set of case studies on labor-management initiatives highlights best practices in forming such collaborations. The relationship between the ABC Unified Federation of Teachers and Toledo Federation of Teachers is detailed in this study. Beach, A. & Kaboolian, L. (2003).
  
• Leadership in Education: A Handbook for School Superintendents and Teacher Union Presidents
  Written by a retired union leader, this is a practical handbook for union presidents and others interested in developing collaborative labor-management relationships. Barkely, R. KnowledgeWorks Foundation(2005).