Dear County and District Superintendents:

California Labor Management Initiative Summer Institute

Partnership and teamwork are critical to accelerating learning and closing the achievement gap in California’s schools and districts. Fulfilling the promise of public education as we recover from the pandemic requires all educators to work together in deep collaboration.

Since the launch of the California Labor Management Initiative (CA LMI; http://cdefoundation.org/cde_programs/clmi/), the CA LMI has sought to advance continuous improvement and make labor-management collaboration an integral part of improving public schools and advancing equity in California.

The CA LMI convenes public school leaders and facilitates exploration and sharing research and best practices through peer learning networks and trainings to build deep enduring cross-sector union–management partnerships in California public schools.

That is why I invite you and your labor-management team to register for the California Labor Management Initiative Summer Institute, June 21–23, 2022, at the San Diego DoubleTree Hotel Mission Valley.

The Summer Institute is an opportunity to convene with your labor-management team to learn from other districts, share insights, and plan your work for the coming school year. The conference will feature concurrent workshop sessions and presentations by school districts that have made significant strides by making collaborative partnerships a priority.

The keynote address features Tyrone Howard, Ph.D. (https://seis.ucla.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-directory/tyrone-howard), professor of education in the School of Education & Information Studies at UCLA. His research addresses issues tied to race, culture, access and educational opportunity. Professor Howard is the author of several best-selling books and has been listed by Education Week as one of the 30 most influential educational scholars in the nation on education practice, policy, and research.

June 21 will be a pre-conference day for districts and team members new to the CA LMI to become oriented with the work and take their initial steps toward developing labor–management partnerships prior to the Summer Institute programming.

The CA LMI is proud to present the Summer Institute with a strong coalition that includes the California Department of Education, Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), California Federation of Teachers (CFT), California School Boards Association (CSBA), California School Employees Association (CSEA), the California Teachers Association (CTA), and the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA).

For additional information, see:

• CA LMI website at https://cdefoundation.org/cde_programs/clmi/
• CA LMI FAQs at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RqUaih3XDhRvgbsJneqSwAmadQaKfYtl/view
• The Six Elements of Partnership: A description of the Elements of Partnership—Launch, Build, Refine, Problem Solve, Grow, and Advance. This graphic outlines the approach that CA LMI uses to guide teams through the journey of developing, refining, and institutionalizing labor–management partnerships through building a collaborative organizational culture.

Registration Process: All interested school districts in California are invited to attend the Summer Institute. If you and your colleagues have an interest in learning more about the benefits of labor–management partnerships, we hope you will attend, even if you have no prior experience with this approach. Please register by June 1.

Please forward this invitation to your School Board President, Certificated and Classified Union Presidents, and other key staff you would like to participate.

If you have questions about the Summer Institute, please contact Gustavo Morales at 818-632-6289 or via email at gustavo@cdefoundation.org.

I hope this convening will give your district team the opportunity to begin building or improving future collaborative activities and will connect you with peer districts, school board leaders, superintendents, and union leaders to share your experiences. I know that by working together we can create schools where all students have the support and learning environments they need to overcome challenges and accomplish great things.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction