Members of North Carolina鈥檚 local teacher union, the Asheville City Association of Educators, made history this week when they struck a deal with the Asheville City Schools administration to create a 鈥淢eet, Confer, Collaborate鈥� procedure.
The approach creates a new avenue for educators who have traditionally been locked out of the decision-making process in school systems. Statewide, collective bargaining for educators and other public sector workers has been banned since 1959, limiting the ability of teachers unions to advocate for raises and policy decisions.
Asheville is the first school district in the state to try this move, which gives union educators a formal seat at the table for the major decisions made by the school district.
On Monday afternoon, educators from across the state gathered on the front steps of Asheville High School on a cold, windy evening to celebrate what they consider a big win for teacher鈥檚 unions.
鈥�The work being done here in Asheville is part of a larger movement across this state to elevate educator voices, improve working conditions, and strengthen our public schools,鈥� President of North Carolina Association of Educators Tamika Walker-Kelly said as educators cheered behind her.
Local educators have advocated for the policy for more than a year. Superintendent Maggie Fehrman called the decision 鈥渉istoric鈥� and something she hopes other school districts will model.
鈥淲e will be able to show how much this procedure will be able to help advocate for our staff, bring them to the table and let everyone know that they've got an equal voice in what happens in their district,鈥� Fehrman said.
Union members will elect between five and seven representatives to represent the more than 300 educators who belong to the group.
The policy allows educators eight meetings per year with the school administration and an opportunity to make formal and written policy recommendations, according to Timothy Lloyd, president of the local union, the Asheville City Association of Educators.
In those meetings, elected representatives can discuss 鈥渁nything that is important to staff,鈥� Lloyd said, from pay schedule to bus routes to staffing.
鈥淯nderstaffing has been a problem for many years,鈥� Lloyd told BPR. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely something that's going to take a multi-pronged approach. It's more than just giving staff more money.鈥�
For Carol Smith Hill, an instructional assistant for exceptional children at Asheville High School, staffing is more than just a number鈥檚 game.
鈥淲hen I was a student in ACS, half of the teachers in our district were Black,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I worked at Montford North Star Academy last year, we had no Black teachers on staff. It's a problem we all recognize,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen minority students don't see themselves in their teachers, it hurts their sense of belonging and also impacts their achievement as students.鈥�
The problem is nuanced, she said, but having the perspective of more educators could help.
鈥淭his is a complex problem with no quick fix. It's one that requires a large and diverse group of minds to tackle together. And it's one that we, as staff in our schools, must be a part of addressing,鈥� she said.
The first development session for the new program is slated to take place Wednesday, April 2nd from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the Asheville Middle School Media Center.
