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Renaye Baker, MEA UniServ Director Lisa Robbins, MEA Member

You Can’t Spell “Community” Without “Unity”

Inspiring Unionism Through Community Involvement

NEA Strategic Goal and NEA Organizational Priority in This Session:

• NEA Strategic Goal

Strong Affiliates for Educator Voice and Empowerment

• NEA Organizational Priority

Early Career Educators

NEA Leadership Competency in This Session

• NEA Leadership Competency progression level(s).

– Example: Level inclusive of ALL Levels: Mobilizing & Power Building

• NEA Leadership Competency themes within the competency in this presentation.

– Organizing + Leadership

Strength With Unity!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSQxYWExG50

Strength Together

What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child,

that must the community want

for all its children.

John Dewey, Philosopher and Educator

What is it That Parents Want for Their Children?

Well-fed, clothed, safe and healthy

Well-educated

Good people To feel, think, and act with respect for themselves and

others

Good citizens

Productive members of society

STRONG CHARACTER

Strong Character Means:

Character is a set of qualities, or values, that shape our thoughts, actions, reactions and feelings. Show compassion for others

Honest and fair

Displays self-discipline in setting and meeting goals

Makes good judgments

Strong Character Means:

Shows respect to others

Shows courage in standing up for beliefs

Has a strong sense of responsibility

Good citizens who are concerned for their community, and

Maintains self-respect

How is It Developed in Children:

With the help of parents, schools and the community, we will develop good morale, values in our children. But…..

We all must work together,

We all must get along and agree in general what values are important to our community

We all must be good role models

IT TAKES A VILLAGE!

If There is a Weak Link?

If any one of the three links are weak, the other two have to pick up the slack for the children

If all three of the links are weak, the child will suffer and have difficulties to rise up to the challenges of society

Former Secretary of Education: • Margaret Spelling has said,

“A quality education provides citizens with the tools to participate fully in their society.”

That may mean:

We have to educate parents in parenting

We have to educate people of what makes a good

school

We have to educate a community of what makes a

good society.

PUBLIC SCHOOL UNIONS

Therefore….. Must work together with the parents and the community Must agree as to which values are most important for children to learn/attain Must help the parents and community see what we do will help them in raising their children which will make for a strong society.

In the End:

We must have relationships that enhance parents’ and the community’s desire to be involved,

We must influence how they participate in their children’s educational development, and

We must gain the respect of our students, parents and the community in order to be seen as important in the

equation of a strong community and democracy.

How Can We Gain Their Respect as a Union:

The public needs to trust us that we have their children’s best interest at heart

The public needs to know we care about their children

The public needs to respect us for what we do and the role we play in a successful society

The public needs to see us as the solution, not the problem in helping them to raise their children

Our Goal Then Becomes:

We must broaden our vision of unionism and tie it directly to the protection of our

community not just the protection of our membership.

Goals of the Union: While still important to bargain strong contracts, protect public school employee rights, and lobby for the interest of public school employees, we

must make it our goal to become vital to the community and what we provide to the

community!

They Must See Us as Valuable!

The Union Must….

We must create community alliances! We must build strong ties and coalitions

with parents, community, and civic organizations!

On educational issues

And on broader issues of community concerns

BUILDING THE ALLIANCE

Where to Begin….

Knowing Your Community

Activity Time!

List 10 people or organizations that are key educational stakeholders

List 10 people or organizations that are key community stakeholders

Power Study Knowing Who Your

Community Support Is…..

Member Cards—Surveys Businesses

Those they personally patronize Those they few as most influential Member Families Own

Area Labor Unions and Labor Councils PTA/PTOs in the District What Churches Do Your Members Belong What Organizations Do Your Members Belong

Outreach Before the Crisis

Building Trust

Building Relationships

Educating about the Issues of Public Education

Identification and Pride of Local

Brainstorming Ideas • Parade Participation

• Scholarships

• Volunteerism

• Community Service

• Invite Community to Events and Activities

• Positive Education Message Signs, Bumper Stickers, etc.

• Business Patronage Day/Discount Cards

• Charity Event Participation

Starting the Relationships: o Determine the KEY stakeholders in the

community.

o Ask them to meet to discuss opinions about what makes a quality school for their community.

o Ask them what they need from the quality school

o Get them to: o IDENTIFY WHAT AN IDEAL SCHOOL WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR

THEIR CHILDREN.

BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIP:

Develop a plan with the group on how to create the IDEAL SCHOOL for the community

Strive to identify what needs to take place to meet that ideal goal

Determine a tentative timeline

What can you do in the short-term

What can you plan for the long-term

Identify who will need to make it happen

Identify how they will make it happen

Once the Relationship is Developed:

Then as a union when you are in crisis….

You can solicit help from the community by:

Identifying how your crisis will affect their plan to maintain or create the ideal school

Having the advance relationship where they will want to support your cause is vital prior to the crisis.

Outreach During a Crisis

Educate on the Issues

Educate on the Common Interest of the Concerns

Gain Support for Your Cause

Get Participation from the Community

The Community Must See That the Union’s Problem as Their Problem, too!

How it affects directly and indirectly their children and the community as a whole

BRAINSTORM IDEAS • Mortgage Night

• Writing Letters to Local Businesses from Members

• Donations for supplies for crisis events

• Signs of Support Displayed

• Get Public to Pack Board Meetings and Speak in Support

• Get Social Media News Feeds to Key Public Members

Activity Time, Again!

LET’S WALK AWAY WITH A PLAN!

Developing a Plan

Five Steps of Organizing 1. Identify Your Goal

2. Gather Information

3. Develop a Plan (focused around the goal)

4. Implement the Plan (keeping focus on the goal)

5. Assess and Evaluate

AFTER….THANK YOU CELEBRATION!

What Plans Might Include: Step 1 Plan for initial community alliance

building event

Step 2 Identify the Key Community

Stakeholders—who to invite

Step 3 Develop the Plan

Step 4 Implement the Plan

Step 5 Evaluate the Results before moving to

the next step

RESOURCES

Check with your State Affiliates to find out what resources or NEA resources are available to help

fund these efforts.

Our Plans…..

Break into Groups of Two to Four:

• Using the Five Steps of Organizing

DEVELOP A PLAN FOR YOUR LOCAL TO BUILD AN COMMUNITY ALLIANCE!

Time to Share:

DISCUSSION

Session Outcomes:

• The content from this session can be used in the following ways in your current position/role:

– Example 1 [provide example]

– Example 2 [provide example]

– Example 3 [provide example ]

Please……

• Please complete the evaluation for this breakout session!

• Please visit the Leadership Development Resources website at www.nea.org/leadershipdevelopment