March 4, 2010
Dear Steve,
On behalf of the 2,500 members of the Lincoln Education Association, I
would like to congratulate you on being named the new superintendent of
Lincoln Public Schools. Our many education association leaders, involved
members, the staff at LEA, and I look forward to working with you to continue
to make the Lincoln Public Schools the best they can be for the students,
community, and the professionals who have committed their careers and
their lives to Lincoln’s children.
LEA and LPS have a long history of working in a collaborative fashion to
problem solve mutually acceptable solutions to issues when they arise and
to be proactive to serve the needs of our community and many constituent
groups. It has long been a mutually held belief that a strong working
relationship between the LEA and LPS makes for a better school district,
and we look forward to continuing that tradition with you as the head of
Lincoln Public Schools.
I have been informed that you will be taking a day to visit the schools in the
LPS system in the near future, and I would welcome the opportunity to
accompany you on your tour of the schools and help introduce you to the
teacher Association leaders in each building so that you can begin to feel
comfortable forming a solid bond and working relationship with the
Association.
Another important part of our LEA-LPS relationship is the pride that we take
in having a well thought out professional agreement that is negotiated using
an interest-based bargaining model as well as the fact that in our district we,
in effect, negotiate year-round. We do not wait until it is time to conduct
formal negotiations to engage in dialogue both at an informal and a formal
level. With informal monthly meetings with the Superintendent and the
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources as well as more formal
discussions held with both LEA and LPS decision makers on the LEA-LPS
Professional Committee (ProCom), we are able to keep communication
between the District and LEA flowing freely and keep the District as an entity
moving forward.
Both LEA and LPS have learned from experience that communication and
an open exchange of ideas, discussion of issues, and joint problem solving
is the best way to advance our mutual goals. Many years ago, such a model
of collaboration didn’t always exist at the level that it does today. At one
point in the early 1990’s the Superintendent was not a part of the LEA-LPS
negotiations and because of the lack of that decision-making entity at the
table, negotiations were often awkward, time consuming, and far less
productive than they needed to be for both sides. Once that model was
changed and all of the LEA and LPS decision makers were at the table and
LEA and LPS developed ProCom, both LEA and LPS have been able to
make greater strides forward. We look forward to continuing these practices
and models with you, too.
To that effect, we would like to invite you to a day’s joint training (LEA and
LPS) on Interest Based Bargaining which is scheduled for April 19, 2010.
The day-long training will bring both parties together before assuming the
actual start of negotiations for the next contract, help review the concepts
and processes of Interest Based Bargaining, and help the two teams form a
bond of trust and understanding. The training will be conducted by an
outside facilitator whose expertise in this area has been utilized before by
both LEA and LPS. We hope you will join us for this important day of
preparation.
In conclusion, I and the 2,500 members of LEA, again, congratulate you on
your appointment and welcome you to Lincoln as we look forward to many
years of productive collaboration.
Sincerely,
Jenni Absalon
LEA President
Jenni.absalon@nsea.org
489-7500
Dear Steve,
On behalf of the 2,500 members of the Lincoln Education Association, I
would like to congratulate you on being named the new superintendent of
Lincoln Public Schools. Our many education association leaders, involved
members, the staff at LEA, and I look forward to working with you to continue
to make the Lincoln Public Schools the best they can be for the students,
community, and the professionals who have committed their careers and
their lives to Lincoln’s children.
LEA and LPS have a long history of working in a collaborative fashion to
problem solve mutually acceptable solutions to issues when they arise and
to be proactive to serve the needs of our community and many constituent
groups. It has long been a mutually held belief that a strong working
relationship between the LEA and LPS makes for a better school district,
and we look forward to continuing that tradition with you as the head of
Lincoln Public Schools.
I have been informed that you will be taking a day to visit the schools in the
LPS system in the near future, and I would welcome the opportunity to
accompany you on your tour of the schools and help introduce you to the
teacher Association leaders in each building so that you can begin to feel
comfortable forming a solid bond and working relationship with the
Association.
Another important part of our LEA-LPS relationship is the pride that we take
in having a well thought out professional agreement that is negotiated using
an interest-based bargaining model as well as the fact that in our district we,
in effect, negotiate year-round. We do not wait until it is time to conduct
formal negotiations to engage in dialogue both at an informal and a formal
level. With informal monthly meetings with the Superintendent and the
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources as well as more formal
discussions held with both LEA and LPS decision makers on the LEA-LPS
Professional Committee (ProCom), we are able to keep communication
between the District and LEA flowing freely and keep the District as an entity
moving forward.
Both LEA and LPS have learned from experience that communication and
an open exchange of ideas, discussion of issues, and joint problem solving
is the best way to advance our mutual goals. Many years ago, such a model
of collaboration didn’t always exist at the level that it does today. At one
point in the early 1990’s the Superintendent was not a part of the LEA-LPS
negotiations and because of the lack of that decision-making entity at the
table, negotiations were often awkward, time consuming, and far less
productive than they needed to be for both sides. Once that model was
changed and all of the LEA and LPS decision makers were at the table and
LEA and LPS developed ProCom, both LEA and LPS have been able to
make greater strides forward. We look forward to continuing these practices
and models with you, too.
To that effect, we would like to invite you to a day’s joint training (LEA and
LPS) on Interest Based Bargaining which is scheduled for April 19, 2010.
The day-long training will bring both parties together before assuming the
actual start of negotiations for the next contract, help review the concepts
and processes of Interest Based Bargaining, and help the two teams form a
bond of trust and understanding. The training will be conducted by an
outside facilitator whose expertise in this area has been utilized before by
both LEA and LPS. We hope you will join us for this important day of
preparation.
In conclusion, I and the 2,500 members of LEA, again, congratulate you on
your appointment and welcome you to Lincoln as we look forward to many
years of productive collaboration.
Sincerely,
Jenni Absalon
LEA President
Jenni.absalon@nsea.org
489-7500
A Letter to the New LPS Superintendent Steve Joel
from LEA…
from LEA…
Public Education Advocacy for the 21st Century
