This new model of teacher unions is organized around issues of quality teaching and professional development, as well as economic fairness. The authors propose strategies for expanding the influence of unions by involving them in the setting of educational standards, evaluating teacher performance, and promoting career security.
The authors have established United Mind Workers web pages that contain portions of the book, research reports, and work in progress as well as links to other labor and teacher reform web pages and links to the authors' electronic mail boxes. For the web pages, go to: www.cgu.edu. Click on FACULTY, then Kerchner.
About the Author
CHARLES TAYLOR KERCHNER is a professor of education at the Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, California and a noted authority on teacher unionism and post-industrial education.
JULIA E. KOPPICH served until recently on the faculty of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley and as director of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). She is now managing partner of a new educational consulting firm in Berkeley, California and also serves as associate professor of education at the Claremont Graduate School.
JOSEPH G. WEERES is professor of education at the Claremont Graduate School and specializes in the impact of technology on educational policy. Kerchner and Weeres live in Claremont, California and Koppich in Berkeley, California.