Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/315828
have district administrators tell teachers how to do their jobs. The teachers will tell the administrators what they need to do their job." For MUTA, the language that ensures this principle reads: "A full partnership m e a n s t h a t t h e p a r t i e s w i l l t a ke j o i n t responsibility and accountability to create a collaborative process that is driven from the school level upward, engaging site administrators and MUTA members with the opportunity to fully own the implemen- tation of Common Core." Regarding decision making: "All deci- sions and directives made by the CCSC (Common Core Steering Committee) shall be a result of engaging in col- laborative discussions." The committee will begin its collaborative meetings this month. Richmond The United Teachers of Richmond MOU reached in November is teach- er-driven and pays teachers stipends for their involvement, while creating a school site structure that ensures wide empowerment of members in the West Contra Costa Unifi ed School District. "It's seen as a model because the teachers' vision and design for Common Core implementation and tran- sition was respected," says UTR President Diane Brown. "We can create a vision that comes directly from teachers now. It's all transparent. All responsibilities are outlined clearly." Brown says the early UTR agreement model influenced many Bay Area CTA chapters on CCSS — including those in Pittsburg, Oakland, Alameda, Brentwood and San Leandro. Read the agreement at www.unitedteachersofrichmond.com. Click on the "Common Core" tab. The thing Richmond does differently is utilize NEA's Keys to Excellence for Your School (KEYS) continuous school improvement program. KEYS is a researched-based, fi eld-tested, data-driven approach that starts with a survey that reveals the strengths and opportunities for improvement in a participating school. Data from the survey indicate where a school stands on some 42 indicators that research has shown correlate with a high- performing school. VISUALS? MUTA's agreement is a "full partnership" that has teachers telling administrators what they need to do their job. All responsibilities are outlined clearly in UTR's agreement, which is a model for other locals. cta.org/qeia cta.org/bargainingupdates GO ONLINE GO ONLINE GO ONLINE GO ONLINE CTA RESOURCES S E V E R A L P A R T N E R S H I P S between districts and teachers unions are using CTA resources, such as sending teams to CTA's Common Core workshops (see page 59 for upcoming sessions). Many districts are using the research findings of the acclaimed, CTA-backed Quality Education Investment Act of 2006 (QEIA) as the basis to implement school improvement efforts. The largest school turnaround program of its kind in the nation, QEIA is investing nearly $3 billion over eight years at 400 mostly high-poverty schools for proven reforms like smaller class sizes, more high school counselors, and better teacher training. The result is one of the most comprehen- sive studies of low-performing schools, and the findings show class size matters. "Giving educators more collaboration time, building community accountability, and using student data to differentiate instruction are pathways to school improvement," CTA President Dean Vogel says, adding that the findings offer ideas for Local Control Funding Formula spending by school districts and effective professional development, too. Courtney L. MaLLoy, Ph.D. anDrea K. nee, M.a. TO CHANGE SEPTEMBER 2013 PATHWAYS LEARNING FROM EXEMPLARY QEIA SCHOOLS UTILIZING CTA RESOURCES 35 www.cta.org M AY 2 0 1 4 Educator 05 May 2014 v1.6 int.indd 35 5/16/14 3:21 PM