The Future of Charter Schools and Teachers Unions

10/16/2006

Over the past fifteen years, charter schools and teachers unions have battled in state legislatures, the courts, and the media. But with increasing frequency, the two groups are facing each other in the everyday operation of schools. Will on-the-ground experiences change charter schools or unions? Will existing conflicts only spread, or will direct experience lead to some moderation within each party?

To begin to answer such questions, the National Charter School Research Project and the Progressive Policy Institute convened a meeting of local, state, and national leaders from both the charter school and teachers union communities.

The Future of Charter Schools and Teachers Unions: Results of a Symposium summarizes the opinions expressed at the meeting and provides recommendations for how both groups might coexist while maintaining their most valued principles. Some important themes emerged from this unusual meeting:

• Each side (often incorrectly) defines the other by the views of its most extreme members.
• Moderate members from each group share many of the same ideas about good schooling, but each side thinks the other insists on something that will interfere with quality teaching.
• Both sides acknowledge the costs of their conflict, but few leaders are willing to take the first step.
• Thin evidence about the work life of charter school teachers or how unionized charter schools operate exacerbates conflicting beliefs.

This report, authored by Paul T. Hill, Lydia Rainey, and Andrew J. Rotherham, makes the case that if relations are to improve, three things are needed. First, to help ground the discussion in facts, better evidence is needed about the charter school teaching force and the impact of chartering on issues that matter to teachers. Second, more exemplars and models of effective union-charter partnerships can help show how important problems can be solved. Finally, both groups could engage in confidence-building measures to demonstrate their desire to make progress, not just give the appearance of openness.

On the part of charter school advocates, such measures could include acknowledging instances of irresponsible charter school labor practices and working for common standards for fair and respectful teacher employment For their part, teachers unions cannot be seen as credible collaborators while they campaign to repeal or cap charter laws.

For more information, contact Hill, Rainey, and Rotherham at 206.685.2214. To download the full report please visit www.ncsrp.org, or email crpe@u.washington.edu to order copies.

The National Charter School Research Project brings rigor, evidence, and balance to the national charter school debate. It is an initiative of the University of Washington's Center on Reinventing Public Education. For more information please visit www.ncsrp.org.