Abstract
Purpose. This three round Delphi study was conducted to gain expert opinion from organization of (K–12) teachers union bargaining experts that has its membership throughout the United States, on the problems of change from collective bargaining to collaborative bargaining and expanding the scope of (K–12) educational employment bargaining to include educational and instructional issues in the three areas of (1) adopting collaborative bargaining and expansion of educational bargaining; (2) critical problems likely to arise in the next three to five years in adoption of collaborative bargaining and expansion of educational bargaining; and (3) the most effective methods that have been used to resolve critical problems in adoption of collaborative bargaining and expansion of educational bargaining. Statement of the problem and methodology. Inquiry was made of fifteen members of the Teachers Union Reform Network (TURN), which is an organization that promotes collaborative bargaining in the (K–12) public educational system. Using a three round Delphi study, expert consensus was sought from leading members of certificated employee unions (TURN) to identify: (1) what critical problems did arise, (2) the most effective resolution of those problems, and (3) reliable prediction of future critical problems, in relation to (K–12) school districts adopting collaborative bargaining and expanding the scope of bargaining to include educational and instructional issues. Findings of the study. The panel concluded the most important problem encountered in adoption and expansion was institutionalizing collaborative processes. The panel predicted the primary impediment to adoption of collaborative bargaining and expansion of collective bargaining that will arise in the next three to five years will be the issue of low performing schools. The panel concluded the most effective methods used to resolve critical problems in adoption of collaborative bargaining and expansion of bargaining were building trust and focusing on student achievement. Conclusions and recommendations. The panel concluded that in adoption of collaborative bargaining and expansion of bargaining: (1) institutionalizing the collaborative bargaining process is fundamental to its success; (2) trust building is necessary for adoption and expansion, and (3) low performing schools will impede the change. Recommendations are to replicate the study: to gain an expert perspective from employers; and using different questions, to determine if a relationship exists between change from adversarial to collaborative bargaining models and any affect on student achievement.