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In recent years, rigorous studies have shown that effective public schools are built on strong collaborative relationships between administrators and teachers. The two largest national teachers' unions--the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association--have embarked on major initiatives to promote greater collaboration, supported in some cases by large foundations. Therefore, this Winter 2013-2014 issue of "American Educator" is dedicated to addressing such concerns, exploring in depth why collaboration between teachers' unions and administrators has the potential to significantly improve student achievement and strengthen the nation's school systems. It synthesizes research findings; highlights districts and schools that have intensively pursued collaboration; and provides strategies to guide teachers, administrators, and public officials interested in cooperation. It also explains "why" collaboration is critical to raising student performance, drawing from research in other institutional settings as well.

For the 12 years that Michael Bloomberg was mayor of New York City, the Big Apple was home to the nation's largest experiment in implementing the business model of education reform. The numbers of public school closings and new charter schools soared, while the high school student assignment system was overhauled to be driven by choice. By the time Bloomberg left office, relations between the school district administration and the district's teachers had fallen to a record low--but the hoped-for improvements in student achievement had not materialized. In this article, Greg Anrig compares the adversarial approach to school improvement typified by New York City under Bloomberg--which pits teachers and their unions against "reformist" district administrations--with a collaborative approach that a number of districts have adopted. He describes how administrators in urban districts like Cincinnati, Ohio; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Hillsborough County, Florida, have reached out to teachers and teacher unions to develop collaborative school improvement efforts that have produced impressive results.