What Impact Do Charter Districts Have on Collective Bargaining?
Friday, February 20, 2004
Education Commission of the States (ECS)

Denver -- As districts and states create charter districts to improve student achievement, collective bargaining agreements with teachers are coming under intense scrutiny. A new publication from the Education Commission of the States (ECS) examines what happens to these often untouchable arrangements when district, union and school leaders decide to head down the charter district path.

The increasing popularity of charter schools is leading some states to create new districts in which they allow entities other than traditional school districts, such as public universities, to grant charters. In other states, school districts are converting all or most schools to charter schools. In most new charter districts, collective bargaining arrangements are going out the window. State requirements are split when it comes to traditional districts converting their schools to charters.

"Collective Bargaining and Teachers' Unions in a Charter District" looks at the challenges that arise in charter districts around work rules, compensation, job security and benefits, and offers options for dealing with them.

The publication is available as a pdf on the ECS Web site: http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/49/71/4971.pdf .

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The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is a national, nonprofit organization that helps governors, legislators, state education officials and others identify, develop and implement public policies to improve student learning at all levels. A nonpartisan organization, ECS was formed in 1965 and is located in Denver, Colorado.