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CAPSTONE CHALLENGE

Describe your Capstone Challenge and how you identified it.

The Capstone Challenge that I identified was influenced by negotiations between the school district and the union that took place in the spring of 2024. Without commenting on the benefits or drawbacks of the negotiations themselves, what I noticed more as a board member of the union with these negotiations that I had not noticed before is just how much misinformation and how many rumors spread throughout the process. This motivated me to research ways to bolster consistency and efficiency in communication for our union in general, not just during negotiations.

The problem itself is not only that misinformation may be spread, but also that the system in place is not always the most efficient. BEA is a large local, so if a member has a question in one building, it is likely that another member has the same question in a different building. Is that question being answered consistently by these members’ building reps? Are multiple building reps asking the same question to the union president, and is the union president therefore answering the same question multiple times? These thoughts led me to consider how ineffective email is as our main method of communication. Artifact 1 below shows that 45% of building reps are either not confident or somewhat confident in addressing a union-related question or concern, and Artifact 2 reveals that 49% of reps reach out to either a director on the board or the union president when needing help. Although seeking help from a board member or the president is not a problem, these questions at times are duplicative, and the answers to these questions are not always consistent.

Artifact 1:

Artifact 2:

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

Stakeholders include all union members, but because BEA includes over 1,000 members, those who bear the brunt of communication responsibilities are the building reps, and yet at the time of this survey, 47% had 3 years experience or less as building reps (see Artifact 3). In addition, diversity exists among teachers of different grade levels and educational specialists.

Artifact 3:

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

Certain groups within the union feel more comfortable having their voices heard, and my goal is to implement a tool that encourages all building reps to feel comfortable to reach out and ask for the support that they need. As a matter of fact, after I conducted my needs assessment survey, two reps contacted me separately and both expressed that they felt too “green” to be effective building reps.

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

Culture and diversity in this case focuses specifically on the community within the union and the unique challenges that exist at different grade levels and at different work locations. For example, when an indicator of growth is to “identify and explain which culture(s) are dominant and privileged in their environments,” reps with more years experience and who work at the high school level often have more of a voice than other reps, so it is my goal “to plan, implement, and/or adapt practices to address inequities.” In other words, it is my goal to address the ways in which we communicate as a union so that every member, regardless of where they work or how long they have been a building rep, has an equal opportunity to find the information and answer that they need without feeling intimidated or inadequate.

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

My goal is to create a cultural shift. The primary object is to develop a way to bolster communication in general so that it is more efficient and consistent. In turn, I want to create a system that will also allow all reps, regardless of their work location or how long they have been in a leadership position, to participate without feeling any sort of inadequacy or self-doubt.

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

The current system of communication relies almost solely on email, text, or face-to-face, but the problem with these systems is that they are usually one-to-one, or a more limited audience. A more open forum, such as a Reddit-style message board, will address the problem of duplicate questions and inconsistent answers, and it may answer questions that reps may not have even known that they had.

COMPETENCIES AND CAPSTONE CHALLENGE

On which two Overarching Competencies will you focus in addressing your Capstone Challenge?  Why are they relevant? 

Interpersonal Effectiveness and Technological Facility. Interpersonal effectiveness is all about developing and maintaining positive relationships, which is a key component of effective communication. Since most of our local’s communication incorporates technology, Interpersonal Effectiveness and Technological Facility seem to go hand in hand.

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

N/A

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

Association Leadership: Leading with Skill. The challenge that I identified relates specifically to communication within the association itself, specifically with leadership, namely building reps and the board of directors.

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

I have worked closely with my fellow Board of Directors. My TLI project was an agenda item during the September 2024 meeting, and the board threw its support behind my idea as well as my needs assessment survey that I then conducted with the building reps.

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 biggest hurdle will be time. I will need to analyze the information from the needs assessment, find a feasible alternative to email, tweak it to our local’s needs, and then determine if this will actually address the Capstone Challenge.