It's Just Lunch... Or Is It?

Jeffrey Alstadt is attempting to adapt a collaborative working relationship with the teachers’ union from his previous district in central Illinois to his role as district administrator in Burlington, Wis. PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFFREY ALSTADT

An exchange opened this way between Robin Twidwell, regional UniServe director for the Illinois Education Association, and me, who was superintendent at the time of a small, rural school district in central Illinois.

Jeffrey: Is there any way we can meet for lunch?

Robin: I am not sure, Dr. Alstadt. What would you like to discuss?

Jeffrey: It’s just lunch.

Robin: What do you mean?

Jeffrey: I would like to have lunch. No plan. I think we need to sit and have lunch.

Robin: I think that might be an excellent idea.

As it turned out, not only was lunch an excellent idea, but Robin’s willingness to have lunch would lay the groundwork for months of collaboration and problem solving amid tough times for communities and school districts. Robin serves as union director for multiple and diverse school districts in the region.

A New Attitude

Many challenges confront relationships between unions and school district leaders. One of the pitfalls is not having a collaboration plan, by assuming parties will come to the discussion table amicably. However, both union and district leaders need to be intentional and strategic when building reciprocal accountability relationships.

When I proposed that lunch a few years ago, Robin and I already had undergone a rough start. She walked into a situation in which she was representing members who had recertified their union. They were happy with the “don’t ask and don’t tell” relationship they had with the previous superintendent. Now, a new sheriff was in town, and they were not happy. But it turned out I was not a sheriff. I was just new.

During that lunch, Robin and I did not agree on everything. However, we were able to work through our differences because of the connection we were building together. We also respected each other’s positions and moved forward when we could not find common ground. There were a few accountability systems in place that Robin asked to be removed. She described these systems as a form of micromanaging and asked we consider alternative accountability measures. We agreed to disagree on that issue.

“It’s Just Lunch” was a unique way to start building a much-needed relationship. Often, school districts and union leadership wait until they are in the trenches to begin working together. But why wait for tensions to be heightened to start difficult dialogues?

The playbook for school administration is typically not to trust the teachers’ union. Moreover, the union learns not to trust the administration. Yet we have everything to gain by building a relationship of trust and support. The first step is to welcome unity into the partnership. The more we can champion one another, the more we can shift our focus toward our students.

Roger Prosise and Lynn Himes, writing in the June 2002 issue of School Administrator, found that “understanding the collective bargaining process and the roles played by teachers, the teachers’ union, the board, the superintendent and the public can help the district’s chief executive gain perspective and maintain balance in an atmosphere of conflict.” I recommended district leaders widen their lenses and look beyond collective bargaining. We need to have several data points before and after collective bargaining.

Some argue that unions are rigid and categorize management via a defensive stance. It could be argued that management is quick to shift blame for problems onto the unions. In a perfect world, Robin and I would have built a trust relationship before jumping into the deep end together. Nonetheless, no one wins when both ends are responding through systems of defense. Based on the relationship we developed, the two of us could have transparent conversations on vital information being presented to the school board and the public.

Reconnected Relations

Because I’ve moved on to a leadership position in another district in another state, I recently contacted Robin about our prior work together. Our reconnection was a wonderful reminder of the importance of building a positive relationship with union leadership during the current challenging climate in education.

Robin recalled the first time we met for lunch, we found common ground around meeting teacher and student needs. We agreed to collaborate with teachers, ensuring they had a voice in the school system. Once we came to this agreement, we needed to take care of the needs of the students.

She further recalled our willingness to sit together to engage in dialogue. Some administrators fail to realize they will have to talk with the union one way or another. Robin and I started by focusing on the school system and its needs. We both cared deeply about supporting students and teachers.

The importance of listening to each other’s perspective and finding common ground was the key to our success. The imminent concern over employee relations and the need to transfer a staff member and its impact on the staff were major hurdles we had to overcome.

Robin pointed to the unique experience we had working on teacher professional development. She had facilitated a collaborative evaluation training, using the Danielson Framework to reinforce the levels of teaching across the four domains: planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction and professional responsibilities.

We laughed as we reflected on the picture of a district administrator sitting in the room to take part in teacher professional development facilitated by the UniServe director. We further collaborated on another training on healthy communication in improving teaching practice. We needed to prove to all stakeholders that this was not merely an administrative “gotcha.”

Lastly, Robin remembered encouraging me to meet with the union president weekly to ease information sharing. Robin attended the first few meetings before the union president felt she and I could handle them going forward.

That was a big step in the collaborative process to have one-on-one meetings between the district superintendent and the teacher union president. Robin and I continue to collaborate to this day. She is able to provide honest, unbiased feedback to help me support the teachers in the district. Even though she does not directly support those teachers, she is an advocate, and I can trust her feedback. Her insights have been crucial during the recent pandemic and the complications of planning the return to school this fall.

A Triangle Structure

Upon my relocation to a school district in Wisconsin, I may not have had a productive relationship with the union if it were not for the processes Robin and I underwent together. My new local union, the Randall Teachers’ Association, and I have worked collaboratively throughout the school shutdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Before I began in Randall, I sent the union an invitation to meet, explaining my former working relationship with union leadership. I conveyed to the teachers’ association that not only did the UniServe director become a partner during a challenging time, but she helped build stronger reciprocal accountability throughout my former district.

I shared my image of a solid leadership triangle in public school systems, involving management, union and school board. In the center of the triangle are the students, who must be the reason for all we do. I am proud to work in a district where the three sides are balanced with students in the middle.

As we head into 2021, I hope to sustain a collaborative relationship. Although we may not agree on everything, if the union feels it has a voice, it might not need drastic actions. The school board has trusted us to do our jobs.

No claims of micromanaging have surfaced this year — there’s been nothing but support, compassion and love for the school. Randall is like no district where I have worked. Most schools say they are a family and that staff love students, but Randall “walks the talk.” Without that positive experience with Robin Twidwell in my first superintendency, I am not sure I would have led my new district with an open and collaborative mindset. 

The Randall Teachers’ Association has solidified my position that a robust three-sided triangle frames the communication, collaboration and trust, creating a system to best support our students.

JEFFREY ALSTADT is district administrator of the Randall Consolidated Joint School District in Burlington, Wis. Twitter: @jalstadt