1st Edition

Teachers’ Unions and Education Reform in Comparative Contexts

By Lindsay Whorton Copyright 2016
    272 Pages
    by Routledge

    272 Pages
    by Routledge

    Teachers’ unions have long been controversial and divisive organizations, but criticism and distrust of them may be at an all-time high. This volume considers the prevailing assumption that unions successfully block change in education because they are primarily motivated to protect members’ interests. It challenges the conceptualization of teacher union motivation and provides a more nuanced account of unions’ interests, power and impact.

    Through a series of international cases from the United States, Finland and the Canton of Zürich, this volume examines the hot-button issue of performance-related pay reform and compensation. It argues that a better understanding of the union-management relationship may be the key to securing more meaningful change and reform. It will be of use to scholars, policy-makers, union leaders, teachers and citizens who are interested in the possibilities for the union-management relationship, rather than the limitations.

    Introduction PART ONE: RESEARCH DESIGN  1. Teachers’ Unions and Education Reform: A Review of the Literature  2. Beyond Narrow Assumptions of Interest and Power: A Conceptual Framework  3. Research Design, Case Selection, and Methodology  PART TWO: INTERNATIONAL CASES  4. Finland: History and Context  5. Quiet Compromises: Finland’s New Salary System  6. The Canton of Zürich: History and Context  7. Eventually Overcoming Resistance: The MAB System  8. Finland and Zürich: Multiple Pathways to Reform  PART THREE: SCHOOL DISTRICT CASES  9. Teachers’ Unions in the United States: A Sub-National Test  10. School District Analysis: A Series of Congruence Tests  PART FOUR: CONCLUSION  11. Useful Conflict?: Finding the Path to Progress

    Biography

    Lindsay M. Whorton received her DPhil at the University of Oxford, UK and served as Legislative Director to Colorado Senator Mike Johnston. She lives in Washington DC.