personnel, written material, ideas,and visitations. Both the Hammond and Minneapolis school districts are involved as well in the partnership that will review each others program including standards, contact language, assessment procedures, etc.

Principal means of communication with members:

The Voice of the TeacherA professionally printed monthly newsletter(Attachments 3, 4) The HTF is in the process of the developing a website that should be operational by August 1. Simple flyers when necessary.

Membership Engagement

Beginning in the fall of 1999, HTF is planning a "mentoring program" designed to orient relatively new teachers to the union. Building Representatives will mentor newer teachers in the buildings.

The President conducts regular site visits, visiting each school in the district up to 4 time per years. Visits are both formal - at staff meetings and informal in lunchrooms and faculty rooms.

Significant recent budget developments (cutbacks, infusions) if any:

The State ofIndiana fiscal year for schools is on a January-December Calendar. Each year, the District approaches the end of the year in a deficit of $2-3 million out of an approximate $66 million budget. The District and the Union have created a unique collaboration to resolve this annual problem. There is a joint Cost Containment Committee and a Joint Cash Flow committee that keeps close track of the progress of the budget, and annually determines when the district must hold off payment of its bills to avoid the deficit. In some years, the bills are held in December, in others November, and once, as early as October, then paying the bills in the new fiscal year. The parties have used this approach rather than making reductions in programs for students.

In order to understand this district, what is it necessary to know/understand?

The District is an urban district with all of the problems that urban America has, though it is small enough to be able to almost personally manage the problems. The financial base has been the steel industry, and when the steel industry went into recession in the 70's, major changes took place, including a reduction in the enrollment. This also forced northwest Indiana to become more economically diverse.

Labor-management relationship:

Hammond just received the Saturn Award from the Saturn Automobile Company as a district that demonstrates a high level of sophistication in labor management relations - demonstrating a commitment over time to collaborative labor relations. Hammond is one of the few, if not the only, district in the country with a true "living" agreement. The current agreement, for example, is a twelve-year agreement - from 1990 to 2001. The parties amend the agreement when necessary, on no particular schedule, and when the accumulated changes warrant, a supplement is printed and distributed to the employees.

Key crises: None

Measured outcomes - test scores, college acceptance rates (1997-98 & 1998-99)

Unavailable

Current Superintendency:

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