Conference on Labor-Management Partnerships for School Success Examines Toledo Peer Assistance and Review Plan

10/31/2002

From: Celia Lose of the American Federation of Teachers, 202-393-6356; email: close@aft.org

News Advisory:

The Toledo Plan, an award-winning teacher peer assistance and review program, is widely regarded as a triumph of labor-management cooperation. Teams of teacher union and school district leaders from across the country will travel to Toledo, Ohio, Nov. 6-8 to learn about the Toledo Plan and other cooperative efforts to raise student achievement.

Highlights of the Toledo Plan:

-- Disputes over teacher dismissals have been eliminated, with huge cost savings for both the district and the teachers union. Toledos ability to retain highly qualified teachers has resulted in substantial savings in recruiting, hiring, and training teachers.

-- In the two decades the program has been in place, the union and district have cooperated in terminating the contracts of more than 300 teachers who did not meet district/union standards, while thousands of teachers have been mentored by accomplished teachers.

-- Teacher quality and retention have improved, a critical benefit during a time of teacher shortages and competition among school districts for qualified candidates.

-- Test scores in Toledo have climbed steadily in recent years.

WHO: Education experts, teacher union leaders, and school district officials including superintendents from around the country, including Toledo, San Francisco, New Orleans, Baltimore, Decatur, Detroit, and Taylor, MI.

WHAT: Lessons from successful school reform efforts, school visits, and updates on education research and legislation.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 6 through Friday, November 8

WHERE: Radisson Hotel Toledo, 101 N. Summit Street, Toledo, OH

For more information, or to attend the conference, please contact Celia Lose at 202-393-6356 or at close@aft.org.