The VEA Strategic Engagement

Using Our Collective KnowledgeFor Long-Term Planning

Addressing the Immediate

04/10/23 2

• Resolving the capacity and effectiveness of the field management system

• Resolving the challenge of declining membership in UniServ Councils

• Developing capacity for leadership training and professional development

• Committing to a process for long-term decision making within a strategic framework

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply. —President Barack Obama in his Inaugural Address

Dec

embe

r 200

8 VE

A Re

trea

tCharged with using our best thinking from VEA

stakeholders to resolve short term problems and propose a long-term process for decision making.

Driving Factors

• Short-and long-term goals of the VEA• Bold but practical use of current best practices• Utilization of individual talents and expertise• Limited governance impact• Work within current financial environment• Make as many people happy as possible based upon VEA’s

goals for success and growth and causing as few disruptions in professional and personal lives as possible

• Flexible and focused• VEA Board preliminary draft of Core Values

04/10/23 4

Change is great…You go first!

Revised Management Structure

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Beblon Parks, DirectorHampton Field ManagerDirector of Leadership

Development

Ken ReinshuttleNOVA Field Manager ,

FEA Ex. Director

JoAnn KarshCentral Field Manager Membership, Research

Betty LambdinSW Field Manager ,

Director Professional Dev.

Bill Johnson, Director Communications

Brenda CloydBusiness and Finance

Rob Jones, DirectorGovernment Relations,Research, Retirement

Legal Dena Rosenkrantz

Milton Brown

Office of Teaching And LearningBetty Lambdin

Office of GovernmentRelations and Public PolicyRobley Jones

Office of Legal Counsel

Dena RosenkrantzMilton Brown

Office of Human and Financial Resources

Brenda Cloyd

Office of Strategic Programs

Ken Reinshuttle

Office of Communications,

Marketing and TechnologyBill Johnson

Office of FieldSupport and

Member OrganizingJoAnn Karsh

Office of FieldSupport, Staff

Development and Minority Engagement

Beblon Parks

Office of The PresidentKitty Boitnott

Office of The Executive Director

Bob Whitehead

Office of Teaching and Learning• Strategic Objectives

– Review objectives contained in the current VEA budget.

– VEA to become the preeminent source for professional development, best practices and theory

– Maintain a rigorous comprehensive leadership training program for members

• Program responsibilities– Development of professional in-

service programs for professional and ESP members via statewide, regional and cadre delivery

– Student VEA program– NBCT advancement– SVEA/NBCT mentoring and

counseling– WLT/MLT– Development of specific strategic

plan

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Office of Government Relations and Public Policy

• Strategic Objectives– Coordinate VEA legislative objectives.– Elect friends of public education at

local, state and national level – Create a culture of political activity

within the VEA.– Advocate for sufficient resources to

provide a great school for every Virginia student.

– Secure economic security for VEA members, active and retired.

– To provide training to VEA members regarding educational and administrative issues and policy.

– Advocate for meaningful education reform initiatives

• Program responsibilities– Coordination of VEA lobbying

effort– Advancement of public policy

with the Board of Education and other governmental entities

– Research to support education advocates on the state and local levels

– Monitor the VRS Board of Trustees

– VEA Retired– Political organizing through

member engagement

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Office of Legal Counsel

Strategic Objectives• To protect the public school employment rights of Association Members• To enhance the employment rights, benefits and conditions of public school

employees through Association representation, membership, and programs.

• To provide advice, counsel and representation to VEA

Program Responsibilities• Advise, counsel, and inform Association Members regarding legal rights and

responsibilities in public school employment, educational license, retirement and related matters

• Represent Association Members before school board, social service, Virginia Board of Education, Virginia Employment Commission, Virginia Retirement System and in other venues in matters relating to public school employment

• Advise, counsel and inform Association Staff and Attorneys representing VEA Members

• Advise, counsel and represent the Virginia Education Association • Administer Unified Legal Service Program/Dushane Fund • Administer Educators Employment Liability Insurance• Administer Attorney Referral Program • Administer Association Professional Liability Insurance• Provide resources to and consult with VEA Programs including Membership,

Teaching and Learning, Staff Development, Communications • Provide resources to and consult with VEA Committees including Legislative and

Resolutions• Review bills submitted in the General Assembly for impact on Members, lobby and

testify at request of Government Relations

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StaffingSenior Attorney: Dena Rosenkrantz

Staff Attorney: Milton BrownAdministrative Assistant: Ann Robinson

Special Assignments•Liaison to Professional Rights and Responsibilities Commission •Committee liaison to Credentials Committee•Serve as or assist General Counsel at Delegate Assembly

Office of Human and Financial Resources

Strategic Objectives• Restructure 2009-10 budget to

reflect Division changes• Centralize and maintain personnel

records• Create VEA Disaster plan• Create Personnel Manual

Program Responsibilities• To assist the Budget Committee in the research and development

of a VEA budget which provides for the implementation of the goals of the VEA and the delivery of the appropriate services to VEA members throughout the state.

• To provide an accounting system for VEA and VEA-PAC • To administer the banking and investment activities of the VEA• To monitor all activities that relate to the VEA Charter, Constitution

and Bylaws of the Association• To provide assistance to local affiliates on issues related to

governing documents and financial matters• To monitor and provide assistance on employment issues of all staff• To maintain centralized personnel records• To administer the hiring procedure for all levels of VEA employment• To plan and implement the delivery of an annual VEA Delegate

Assembly and coordination of VEA's participation in the NEA Representative Assembly

• To plan and implement the officer and at-large elections of the VEA• Coordinate logistics of VEA conferences, workshops and meetings

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Office of Strategic Programs

Strategic Objectives• Establish new budget structure to

reflect this office• Obtain collective bargaining for

public school employees• Establish due process rights for all

public school employees• Attain national average salary for

public school teachers• Attain living wage for Education

Support Professionals

Program Responsibilities• Coordinate activities in accordance

with the approved VEA collective bargaining plan

• Conduct the VEA Compensation Conference

• Coordinate alternative compensation packages

• Coordinate statewide ESP living wage campaigns

• Fairfax Executive Director • Develop specific strategic plan

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Office of Communications, Marketing and Technology

Strategic Objectives• To advise VEA on development and delivery of

messages that position VEA as a dynamic force for improving public education and the professional lives of those who serve public education.

• To support VEA’s goals of improving membership, competitive professional compensation for members, and reinforcing organizational infrastructure.

• To identify, recommend, maintain and use modern technology to meet the communications needs of VEA and its members.

• To maximize membership value through development and promotion of economic programs in conjunction with NEA Member Benefits.

Program Responsibilities• Branding and Marketing• Newsletters, Journal• Web design and content• Media Relations, Press Releases• Membership materials• NEA Member Benefits with VEA

enhancements• Technology support• Development of specific strategic

plan

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Office of Field Support andMember Organizing

Strategic Objectives• Review objectives contained in the

current VEA budget. • % market share for professional staff

and % market share of education support professional employees within 5 years

• Achieve % strategic plan development in local associations within 3 years

Program Responsibilities• Coordination of self-directed team

activities and strategic plan for two VEA regions

• Program design for self-directed region teams to implement local strategic planning around power organizing

• I&A system data and training• Local and region based research• Research support for Program Offices• Development of specific strategic

plan

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Office of Field Support, Staff Development and Minority Engagement

Strategic Objectives• Provide rigorous staff orientation and

mentoring program• Team building as the culture of the

VEA in staff and governance• Advancement of minority inclusion

and influence in the VEA• Comprehensive staff training to

include ongoing diversity, skill-based and technical training

Program Responsibilities• Staff orientation and mentoring

program• HQ and professional staff meetings as

per the current structure• Team building training of HQ staff

and region self-directed teams• Coordination of self-directed team

activities and strategic plan for two VEA regions

• Staff training records• Governance to staff leadership

transition plans, orientation and training coordination

• Development of specific strategic plan

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Office of the President

Strategic Objectives• As determined by VEA governing

documents and VEA Board

Program Responsibilities• Scheduling governance meetings and

logistics• New officer orientation and transition• Development of specific strategic

plan

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Staffing

• President: Kitty Boitnott– Administrative Assistant – Sandra

Melvin

Special Assignments• As determined by the President

HQ Office Manager

Strategic Objectives• Maintenance of HQ• System for production staff• Oversight of HQ assignments

Program Responsibilities• Executive Assistant to Executive

Director• Reception desk • Production area• Building and Grounds• Development of specific strategic

plan • VEA elections

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StaffingOffice Manager– Patsy Coppins

• William Brooks• William Jones II• Antoine Whitley

Special Assignments• Liaison to VEA Elections Committee

Field Support and Structure • Maintain the current four VEA region structure. Minor boundary changes

may be warranted to equalize staff and service pressures while maintaining current UniServ Council boundaries if possible.

• Reduce field management staff from 4 to 2, focus role clarification from supervisory based to coaching, counseling and resource allocation

• Establish each region as a self-directed team• Creation of a UniServ Coordinator from existing staff for each region. • UniServ Coordinator to develop, with team, a Region Service Delivery Plan

(RSDP) along with governance input. • Commit to a 80%/20% as local support and member advocacy/ VEA

specific specializations with RSDP defining goals and activities within the region.

• Assigned UniServ staff to each region on a 1400:1 regional average

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Current Field StructureBetty Lambdin

SW Field Manager , Director Professional Dev.

SW Virginia # 21 UniServMarlowe

1675 Members

Cumberland Mt. # 12 UniServ

Roberts, McClanahan1785 Membership

New River # 31 UniServ

Leitch2011 Members

VEA District # 41 UniServ

Wood1332 Members

VEA Commonwealth # 51 UniServ

Emery1371 Members

Valley District # 61 UniServOlivares

1684 Members

Piedmont # 131 UniServ

Daniel1260 Members

Skyline # 211 UniServ

Deck1750 Members

Beblon Parks, DirectorHampton Field ManagerDirector of Leadership

Development

Chesapeake # 231 UniServ

Smith1722 Members

Colonial District # 193 UniServ

Medas, Jeffries, Marsh3400 Members

Tidewater # 221 UniServPittman

1660 Members

Ken ReinshuttleNOVA Field Manager ,

FEA Ex. Director

12 UniServ1 Organization Spec.

FEA support professionals4 Offices

16,377 Members815 square miles

Beblon Parks, DirectorHampton Field Manager

Leadership

8 UniServ1 support professional

5 Offices9,991 Members

3,765 square miles

JoAnn KarshCentral Field Manager Membership, Research

13 UniServ2 Organization Spec.

4 support professionals8 Offices

16,771 Members20,771 square miles

Betty LambdinSW Field Manager ,

Director Professional Dev.

9 UniServ1 support professional

8 Offices12,868 Members

17,474 square miles

Virginia Beach # 242 UniServ

Brown, Dorn2073 Members

Norfolk, Accomack, Northampton # 201 UniServ

George1118 Members

NOVA # 72 UniServ

Staib, Clark3024 Members

Mountain View # 25Spotsylvania

1 UniServGlover

1451 Members

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25 field offices, Richmond HQ, 42 UniServ Staff in field, 1 ESP Organizer

Numbers correspond to VEA local associations

04/10/23 18

04/10/23 19

Revised Field Organization Structure

Office of FieldSupport and

Member OrganizingJoAnn Karsh

Office of FieldSupport, Staff

Development and Minority Engagement

Beblon Parks

UniServ CoordinatorRegion TBD

UniServ CoordinatorRegion TBD

UniServ CoordinatorRegion TBD

UniServ CoordinatorRegion TBD

Region Team

Region Team

Region Team

Region Team

UniServ Council Team(recommended)

UniServ Council Team(recommended)

UniServ Council Team(recommended)

UniServ Council Team(recommended)

RSDP development as a consultant partnership

Impact on UniServ Directors• 80% of assignment devoted to local advocacy as per current assignments.

Core Assignment• No change in local association assignments unless determined by RSDP.• 20% of assignment devoted to VEA specific statewide program initiatives

(similar to current lobby cadre system). Specialization• No job duties outside the current scope of UniServ job description.• Specialist assignments determined by region self-directed team on a

voluntary basis or assigned. All specializations must be covered.• Reassign ESP staff liaison with ESP Committee

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“What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility—a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.”—President Barack Obama in his Inaugural Address

Specializations1. Teaching and Learning (Office of Teaching and Learning) max 2/region2. Membership organizing (Office of Field Support/Organizing) max 3/region3. Staff development and team building, Minority and Diversity (Office of Field

Support/Staff Development and Minority Engagement) max 2/region4. Government relations and public policy (Office of Government Relations and

Public Policy) max 3/region5. Communications and marketing (Office of Communications, Marketing and

Technology) max 2/region6. Technology (Office of Communications, marketing and Technology) max 1/region7. Strategic Programs (Office of Strategic Programs) max 2/region8. UniServ Coordinator (Offices of Field Support) max 1/region

Opt out on specialist selection in favor of 60/40 potential. RSDP can accommodate individuals selecting not more than two specializations in favor of having a 100% individual in core activities.

In the event a region does not contain a sufficient number of UniServ Directors the specializations 5 and 6 can be combined at 10% each.

Specializations can be rotated on an annual basis.Cadres such as VEAT will be conducted with volunteers as per current practice.

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Role of UniServ Coordinator

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• Coordinator of self-directed Region UniServ Team• Development and oversight of Region Strategic Service Delivery Plan• Coordination of UniServ activity schedules• Oversight of field offices, resources, budgets• Liaison with UniServ Council Chairs

1400:1 Impact with UniServ Staff

• NOVA: Currently 12 UniServ and 1 Organizational Specialist (ESP). The 1400:1 ratio will not result in a change in staff.

• Central: Currently 13 UniServ. Both the 1200:1 and 1400:1 ratios will result in the reduction of one staff member pending August 31, 2009 membership numbers.

• Hampton Roads: Currently 8 UniServ. The 1200:1 ratio will reduce staff by 2 UniServ Directors. The 1400:1 regional average will reduce one UniServ Director pending August 31, 2009 membership numbers.

• Southwest: Currently 9 UniServ Directors. The 1400:1 ratio will not result in a change in staff.

Lessons From The NEA “Matrix” Experience

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Program Program Program Program Program Program Program Program Program ProgramLocalAdvocacyLocalAdvocacyLocalAdvocacyLocalAdvocacyLocalAdvocacyLocalAdvocacyLocalAdvocacy

Training

Legal Issue Mem

bership

Budget Crisis

HELP

Lobbying

Region Service Delivery Plan (RSDP)

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• Construction of region strategic objectives and action plan with emphasis on visibility and accessibility with quality control assessment. Set of norms, behaviors and competencies to establish reputation for value, enjoyable culture, and nimble infrastructure.

• List of region offices, office procedures, hours and emergency contact information such as a call or help center

• Team meeting frequency (per month) with purpose, coordination and procedures outlined

• Clarification of roles and duties with governance leaders including any full-and part-time released presidents along with standardized office procedures.

• Office consolidation option with work from home for those servicing locals greater than XX miles from the closest office

• System to track and report UniServ Director specialization activities• Complaint procedure: Office of Field Support, HR, Exec.• Anticipated resource needs for consideration by VEA Budget Committee• Staffing, Specialization and Core Assignments and back-up coverage• Hiring: Offices of Field Support, Team of UniServ and UniServ Council Chairs, HR

Proposed Changes to UniServ Program Administrative Guidelines

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• Change ratio of UniServ field Directors from 1200 members to each UniServ Unit to 1400 average members to each UniServ region UniServ Director

• Recommendations to consolidate offices and Councils for financial security and efficiency of service

• Include RSDP• Restructure UniServ interview panel from specific UniServ Council to regional team of

UniServ Directors and UniServ Council Chairs with Office of Field Support• Review provisions for cell phone, laptop, and work from home criteria• Explore the potential of creating a region team of Council Chairs to consult with the staff

self -directed team with RSDP development and feedback• Clarify UniServ Director roles• Recommend office procedures and policies• VEA District appropriation guidelines (currently $700/$300) with potential incentive for

shared offices

Advantages Of Regional Structure

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• Regional average of members to staff eliminates isolated staff reductions such as Virginia Beach, Colonial and Dominion

• Structure enables VEA to adequately address the current capacity problems regarding professional development, comprehensive leadership training, collective bargaining, obtaining average national salary and ESP living wage

• RSDP potentially equalizes work load, sensitive to traffic patterns, geographic size, work sites and member/non-member density

• Greater flexibility and response time with self-directed teams• Increased specialization of services and delivery to local leaders and members• Greater focus on regional strategic goals• Clarification of staff and governance roles and job responsibilities• Focus of management from supervisory to coaching counseling and resource allocation• Team focus and function for collegial support and collaboration• Return to the “cadre” potential for program delivery

Potential Barriers

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• Self-directed teams may lack sufficient training and team experience• Prior to transition each team will receive training on teambuilding, decision making and conflict

resolution from Office of Field Support

• Resistance to having more than one UniServ Director in a UniServ Council or local.• A team of UniServ Directors creates greater flexibility, faster response time and provides for

specialization of activities beyond our current capacity.

• Physical presence in local office may be diminished• Refocused to greater physical presence in local work sites

• Potential for increased travel expenses• Greater use of web and teleconferencing

• UniServ Council focus potentially diminished• Utilization of greater diversity on staff and lower volatility with membership numbers and staff attrition

• Resistance to change• The environment is changing and VEA must change to remain relevant and viable

Long-Term Strategic Planning

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• Creation of a non-binding advisory group to the VEA Board to oversee progress with the VEA Strategic Plan• Initial development of Mission, Vision, Core Values• Recommendation of Strategic goals, action plan and timelines• Consideration of representatives from all stakeholders groups within

the VEA• Identification of key strategic issues• Coordination with the NEA State Comprehensive Grant

2007 Tecker Consultants, LLC