The NEA's National Foundation for the Improvement of Education is preparing a report to be released at the association's annual Representative Assembly in July. The document, in the works for two years, will review exemplary programs and approaches and include policy recommendations. Albert Shanker, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, also plans to call for unions to take on a larger role in teacher training and retraining at the AFT's convention this summer. Urbanski, whose union has crafted a number of professional-development projects, points out that taking responsibility for members' knowledge and skills forces unions to take a different attitude, focusing on quality control and enforcement of standards. And surprise, surprise, you don't get impeached or assassinated when you take that position.
Good teachers feel very frustrated or get angry when uncaring or incompetent colleagues continue.
In 1993, the Rochester Teachers Association launched the Leadership for Reform Institute with funds generated by a membership-dues increase. The institute publishes a pedagogical journal called Raising Standards, provides grant-writing assistance to teachers, and sponsors seminars and workshops on teaching and professionalism. The union also holds an annual conference on instructional issues, at which nearly 1,700 teachers are expected this year. For those who can't attend, the district has agreed to televise portions of the conference. The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers also has been at the forefront of promoting professional development.