Resources for Engaging with Teacher Unions and Education Associations
The resources below are tools to use when engaging with teacher unions or educational associations. Learn more about communication strategies for constructive interactions.
ASHA Comparison Data and Advocacy Resources
- ASHA Schools Survey — The Schools Survey is conducted every 2 years to gather information about professional issues affecting school-based SLPs and includes multiple survey reports.
- ASHA School Advocacy Resources — Learn how school-based SLPs have successfully advocated for improved working conditions in their district.
- Ensure Your District Provides Mandated Speech-Language Special Education Evaluation and Services [PDF] — Developed for SLPs to share with administrators, this resource includes a comparison of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, (NBPTS) and the American Speech- Language Hearing Association (ASHA) Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC).
- Salary and Wage Data for Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists — See salary and wage reports across the years by profession and work setting.
- Salary Supplement for Educational Audiologists and School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists — ASHA supports state and local initiatives that provide a salary supplement, stipend, bonus, or other type of salary upgrade to recruit, support, and retain educational audiologists and school-based SLPs.
- State Caseload and Salary Data Map — This interactive map provides information on the median caseload sizes reported by ASHA-certified, school-based SLPs in response to the most recent ASHA Schools Survey.
- Success Story: Advocating With a School Union — See how an SLP worked with her unions to achieve a reduced caseload size in her district.
Bargaining Agreement Language for SLPs
- NEA: Examples of Contractual Language for Speech-Language Pathologists [PDF]
- Collective Bargaining Agreement Between the Washington Teachers' Union Local #6 of the American Federation of Teachers and the District of Columbia Schools. [PDF] (section 24.3 and 36.2.4).
- Collective Bargaining Agreement - Hanover Teachers Association (2021–2024) [PDF] (pp. 21,43,46).
- San Diego Unified District Bargaining Agreeement (2022–2025) [PDF]. (pp.104,145,164-166,186,190,197).
- Sumner-Bonney Lake School District Collective Bargaining Agreement (2022–2025) [PDF]. (section 42.8, Appendix B-2, C, F-1).
Caseload and Workload: Tools and Support
- ASHA Caseload and Workload — See ASHA’s position statement and resources.
- ASHA Workload Calculator — This portfolio of tools helps you visualize and analyze your workload.
- NEA Backgrounder: Special Education Workload Analysis Model (NEA) [PDF]
Organizations and Related Resources
Publications
Special Collection: Engaging With Teacher Unions and Education Associations
This ASHAWire Special Collection features articles from ASHA journals, SIG Perspectives, and the ASHA Leader magazine and blog—plus links to resources for learning more.
Webinars and Presentations
ASHA and AFT: Demystifying the Union — This webinar addresses interest-based bargaining (IBB) through real-world examples and actionable steps to apply IBB in your context. Learn more about collaborative decision making and collective bargaining.
ASHA and NEA Virtual Town Hall: Partnering With Teacher Unions To Improve Working Conditions for Schools — This event covers information and strategies to support school-based SLPs by distinguishing the roles of an association and those of a union, enumerating the benefits of joining a union, and suggesting ways to support those who are in “right-to-work” states that may lack stronger unions.
The Importance of Education Union Membership for Related Service Providers [PDF] — This presentation highlights the difference between a professional association and an education union. Learn strategies and benefits of working collaboratively within an education union at the local, state and national levels.
Unionizing for Audiologists and SLPs: Why, How, and What It Means - ASHA Stream — This presentation covers the role of unions and their relevance to audiologists and SLPs, how bargaining units function and steps to get involved.
