The study sought to understand the essence of the lived experiences of principals in labor relations. Labor relations include aspects of collective bargaining, teachers unions, and interactions with teachers from the perspective and experiences of elementary and middle school principals who are also members of their district negotiation team with…

In recent years, rigorous studies have shown that effective public schools are built on strong collaborative relationships between administrators and teachers. The two largest national teachers' unions--the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association--have embarked on major initiatives to promote greater collaboration,…

Of late, teachers unions have worked together with district management in new and notable ways. This paper examines the role of teachers unions in shaping the Together Initiative (TI), which seeks to increase autonomy and broaden decision making in urban schools in one northeastern state. In general, state-level union leaders have taken more…

For most of the past decade, this author has studied union-management efforts to improve public education, and has witnessed extraordinary examples of teachers, union leaders, and administrators working together to improve teaching and learning. In this article, seven case studies on collaborative partnerships between teachers' unions and…

In this article, the author has equated the principal's relationship with the president of the teachers' union as a dance where each wants to lead and yet there is, as in most relationships, a mutual dependency that makes each person realize that there is a time when one leads and a time when one follows. The author presents the details of when…

In recent years policymakers have seized on teacher evaluation as a primary lever for improving schools. Of all school factors--from expanded school calendars to smaller class sizes to community and family engagement programs--teachers contribute the most to student achievement. Policymakers reason that evaluating teachers based on their students'…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the strength of correlation between union-administrator relationships and principals' opportunities to create a positive school culture for learning during intent to strike conditions. The goal of this positivist study was to allow for an exploration of the extent to which…

Collective bargaining between teachers and educational administrators has frequently had negative effects on the climate of school supervision and administration, but this need not always be the case. Before collective bargaining, teachers as a group were powerless over their pay and working conditions. Now many teachers feel that collective…

Administrator bargaining in the public schools has altered the traditional pro-managerial outlook of many principals. A survey of school administrators in New Jersey revealed that, on issues such as dismissal procedures, grievance rights, and use of outside arbitrators, middle managers diverged from superintendents and took a more pro-labor…

Attitudes of principals and assistant principals before, during, and after a teacher strike that occurred in mid-1988 in Louisiana's "A" parish school system are examined in this study. A second focus is on differences between principals and assistant principals in levels of experience and attitudes. Questionnaires mailed to 23…

The effects of collective bargaining contracts on school administration and teacher-principal relations are neither as visible nor as far-reaching as has been believed. Interviews with 189 teachers and 100 administrators, conducted in 18 schools in six diverse districts in as many states, indicate that implementation of contract provisions varies…

The responsibility for education in Australia rests with the states. Teachers in the state of New South Wales, as in other Australian states, are employed by the Public Service Board, which determines working conditions. Teachers are administered, however, under the Department of Education. Labor disputes in Australia are settled not by formal…

Examines from a union perspective the problems faced by bargaining units that represent both teachers and principals. The author discusses the differences between private and public sector labor relations and the organizations and issues involved, and contends there is a need for supervisory representation but recommends separate units for…

Examines some of the factors that management should consider in formulating a strategy concerning supervisor unionization. Discusses the issues of election, negotiation, employees in sensitive or confidential positions, quality of supervision, reductions in force, promotions, and transfers. (Author/MLF)

Summarizes school reform efforts in several urban districts, focusing on professional unionism and its superiority to traditional industrial unionism. These districts exemplify the art of school leadership, as administrators work through challenges to administrative authority, feelings of being excluded, and overloaded agendas. Teaming,…