“It started with a cup of coffee. In the wake of an intense contract negotiation, and against the backdrop of a district bankruptcy, multiple teacher strikes, and a wave of mistrust that veterans of the era still refer to as “rock bottom,” the San José superintendent and the San José Teachers Association president decided to chart a different path forward.  Anew report from the California Collaborative on District Reform, From Combat to Collaboration, explores the way in which the district and union laid the groundwork for a new way of working together, how leaders have continued to foster and deepen the partnership, the day-to-day policies and practices that allow the relationship to flourish, and how collaboration enables the district to better serve its students. The report concludes with a set of lessons that can inform other districts and unions seeking to develop a more productive relationship.”

DWK’s Greg Dannis shares his experiences in the report as San José Unified School District’s Labor & Employment attorney.

For the full report on the relationship between SJUSD and SJTA, click the link: https://cacollaborative.org/sites/default/files/CA_Collaborative_San_Jose.pdf

To read a stand-alone four-page executive summary, click the link: https://cacollaborative.org/sites/default/files/CA_Collaborative_San_Jose_ExecSum.pdf