Interviews by Kimberly Crane
What does labor management collaborative (LMC) work mean to you as a principal?
Rebecca Metzger, principal of Henry C. Beck Middle School in Cherry Hill
The LMC has brought together a lot of folks in our building who are willing to collaborate and come to consensus. We are now able to look at issues through many different lenses.
We put aside our individual concerns when we meet to ensure we’re making the best decisions for the entire building, school community and all of our students. Having a diverse cross-section of people on our committee fosters some really rich, deep conversations and, in turn, very powerful decision-making.
At the start, I was unsure of what to expect. Now we have this highly committed decision-making group that works really well together to solve problems and make our school even better. I’m very proud of the work our LMC committee has done.
Ahmad Hamdeh principal of Clifton High School in Clifton
A professor once told me that a principal sometimes has the loneliest job in the building. I quickly realized how right he was. You don’t need to take everything on yourself though. There are people that want to work with you that have great ideas.
We created a collaborative vision for our school through our LMC. Our main focus is how we help kids. We look at everything through that lens. We’ve been able to move some challenging things into practice because we got everyone involved.
Our cellphone policy was developed through the LMC. Teachers came up with the policy that they’re going to be implementing in the best interest of students and even worked on the write-up sent to parents.
The LMC means teamwork, cohesion and positive results for our school community.
Laura Zagorski, principal of Elementary School Seventeen in Clifton
I am very proud of our school’s culture of trust, mutual respect and shared decision-making that is supported through our LMC. We work hard to provide dedicated time and space to developing clear goals and ways to find positive outcomes.
To me the LMC means belonging and being heard, supported and respected.
When you walk through our doors there is a genuine sense of family. School is our home away from home. It’s important that everyone here feels valued.
My advice on starting an LMC would be to trust the process. Certain roles come with certain responsibilities so sometimes it’s hard to let go of control. The process is ever-evolving. You have to be willing to make changes and open up to build trust.
Peter Rattien, principal of Indian Fields Elementary School in South Brunswick
Having an LMC means we work smarter together. We are better able use everyone’s expertise during times when it just makes sense to collaborate.
The LMC puts us in a thoughtful place. We can be strategic about who we’re bringing to the table and why. That has been very important for us.
The learning change that happens in elementary students is incredible. They go from not knowing the alphabet to reading novels. It’s the widest learning span in our district, so decisions made here have to involve cohorts of people from many different areas.
Our staff also seem more comfortable going to their union to ask questions. They know that we’re working together to create as positive school environment as possible. Those good relationships translate to the kids—and the kids are why we are all here.
Kimberly Crane is an NJEA Communications Consultant and former president of the Highland Park Education Association. She can be reached at kcrane@njea.org.
For more information on the New Jersey Labor Management Collaborative email Mike Ritzius, NJEA liaison to the New Jersey LMC at Mike@lmcpartnerships.org.