An Act to promote collaboration in Horace Mann and innovation schools

This bill modifies Massachusetts education laws to allow Horace Mann and innovation schools to negotiate waivers from standard collective bargaining agreements with local teacher unions. It requires these schools to develop formal agreements with school committees and unions before opening, with a fallback provision allowing schools to operate under their charters if an agreement is not reached within 30 days. Additionally, the legislation mandates that innovation plans be submitted to teachers for a secret ballot vote, requiring a two-thirds majority for approval before implementation. These changes aim to facilitate greater flexibility and collaboration between charter schools and existing labor agreements.