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PART A - Capstone Challenge and How it was Identified

The challenge I've identified is fewer members of the Belgrade Education Association, in general, as well as a lack of engagement by many of those that are members. There is a level of apathy and over-reliance on the President to tackle issues. Outside of negotiations, there is little to no communication or concern or just a passive acceptance - the district is going to do whatever it is going to do.  A Negotiations Committee was utilized this year to try to increase information gathering and provide concrete data to support the team before it moves to the bargaining process. While we have 135 members of our BEA, only 3 members outside of the traditional leadership and current negotiations team joined the committee resulting in a total number of 8 working on negotiations.

While going through the pre-negotiations process, our BEA President has announced she does not plan to run again for reelection.  Simultaneously, our Vice President has announced he also is not seeking another term. There has been 1 person nominated for president, and 1 nominated for vice president;. The treasurer/secretary combined position has 2 nominations (see Artifacts #2, #3 and #4). This means there are few to no members stepping up for the election as well.

1. Describe your diverse stakeholders and how you selected them, such as colleagues, parents, students, association members, community members, state or local partners, etc.

My primary stakeholders are association members and colleagues (non-members) as the health of the union impacts the salary and working conditions for all of us. Secondary stakeholders are the students, families, leadership and the community as a whole.

2. Why is it important for your diverse stakeholders that the Capstone Challenge be addressed?

There are two distinct issues I see as it relates to my current context and understanding. First, a lack of engagement limits our ability to take collective action during a very challenging time for all educators, but particularly those living in one of the most expensive areas in the state and one of the least affordable states in the nation. Significant improvements to salary and benefits are needed to increase recruitment and retention. 

Second, too many responsibilities are falling on the BEA President as opposed to being managed by our Union as a whole. There is a sense that the President is in charge of addressing all issues, providing all necessary communication, etc. This is not true as not every issue of concern is truly a union issue, and the President is not the decision maker for everyone.  There is  a need to delegate some of the duties back onto various members, most likely through the development of committees. 

3. In what ways will addressing the Capstone Challenge promote or support the foundational competencies?

Lack of engagement or cohesive organization can prohibit diverse voices from being heard and equitable working conditions being available. If our union isn't robust with voices and leadership, it won't be robust with providing and safe and supportive working environment. The health and wellness of the staff impacts the health and wellness, as well as the quality of education, the students receive.

4. Is it your intention to broaden the existing vision, values and/or culture of the association or to create a cultural shift? Explain.

My intention is to create a cultural shift. A union is not a single person or a handful of selected service members such as the President and other elected officers. A union is ALL the members, and it's strength is defined by the voices within. Complacency, resignation and apathy appear to be the norm which is a potentially dangerous position for our membership to be in given our current climate at the local, state and federal levels. A union is also not a grievance management board in and of itself. It is designed to improve salary and working conditions. However, there are creative ways for the union to support members finding solutions to non-contractual issues. 

5. Why might this strategy be a viable solution for your Capstone Challenge?

My hope is to shift the understanding of a union's definition, purpose and power within our members. Restructuring the association so that it is no longer in a framework that perpetuates an impression that the BEA President "decides" or "takes care of" any issues is a necessary step to achieve this. By creative a more cohesive and organized association structure, members will have more robust opportunities to be informed and be involved.

PART B - Competencies and Pathway

1. On which two Overarching Competencies will you focus in addressing the identified challenge? Why are they relevant to for this particular challenge?

Overarching Competency: Interpersonal Effectiveness  

There are some very difficult challenges facing us to get what we need as a staff when so little resources are available due to forces outside of our control. What our staff want is far outside of what it is plausible for the district to offer. We're going to have to have some hard conversations with the constituency to clarify what is realistic and what are common priorities. 

Overarching Competency: Group Processes 

As I've worked through this process, I've come to understand our group is stagnant and there is a lot of misinformation about the union's mission and purpose. There is a mixture of resignation as well as weaponization of the leadership team from the Building Representatives all the way up to the President that does not lend itself to a supportive or functional organization.

Description of Action:

I will continue ongoing dialogue with the current Belgrade Education Association leadership team to help identify action steps to take as an individual to support our BEA organization shifting to a more inclusive and effective unit.

2. If your foundational competency is not Explore and Challenge Inequity, please explain? Why is it important? 

My foundational competency is Explore and Challenge Inequity. My Capstone has been designed to achieve this by:

• Collaborating with current leadership and other stakeholders will help identify historical and systemic challenges that impact our success. In identifying these challenges, we can determine where the inequities lie and may be able to address them more effectively.

• Providing opportunities for our staff to feel supported, seen and heard will  improve morale which improves student outcomes. It also improves relationships with families which increases the non-monetary support from which all educators and students benefit. When we are able to consistently see each other as people doing our best with what we've got, the capacity to support diverse learners and families increases. 

• It also lends itself to better understanding of each other to help address those needs.

3. Which Leadership Pathway competency will you focus on in your Capstone Challenge? Why is it relevant? 

The overarching goal is to support a successful negotiation and ratified contract that can be used both to improve working conditions, but also be recognized as wins that will support increasing membership. Once negotiations are complete, additional work to support BEA leadership is going to be needed to create a more functional association, where leadership and service work are more robust and sustainable. From a resources perspective, time and effective communication are the primary needs. To move forward, it will require ongoing outreach to work with outgoing and incoming BEA leadership as well as networking to determine more effective school-based unions organize themselves. Therefore my chosen Leadership Pathway is Association Leadership:  Building Capacity.

4. With whom will you work in addressing your Capstone Challnge? Who else might you recruit beyond your own cultural and/or professional identity group?

I will work with:

• Current BEA Leadership (President, Vice President, Treasurer/Secretary and Building Representatives)

• Negotiation Committee

• Negotiation Team

• Additional members

• Community members

Additional persons may or may not include:

• Colleagues from other AA districts who are knowledgeable regarding their Associations structures, organization, etc. 

• Professional support staff through the Montana Federation of Public Employees

5. Which resources (such as people, money, programs, time and space, etc.) do you have to address in your Capstone Challenge? What resources will you need? How will you obtain them?

The bulk of my Capstone can be achieved without the need for significant resources. Time, contacts and communication are the primary resources needed. Space for negotiation activities are already arranged. With regards to additional contact information and next steps, I should be able to obtain it through my connections with BEA Leadership and members.

Artifact #2  - Original Nominations Email Artifact #3 - Update on Nominations dated Feb 18

Artifact #4 - Nominations Update dated Feb 21