Part-time field program allows for next step in union advocacy
Applications for Education Minnesota’s part-time field staff program are now open.
The program serves as a step for members to increase their union activism by taking on a part-time Education Minnesota staff role.
Program participants learn about how to support locals and members, and they are paid for their work alongside a current field staff who serves as a mentor. They work with local unions and help them with bargaining, member rights issues and more.
“I really enjoy the work of advocating for teachers, bringing people together to create positive change and solving problems,” said Katy Tharaldson, a teacher in Minneapolis who is finishing her second year in the program. “The part-time field staff program was a great opportunity to learn more about this work while still being a teacher.”
“I have always been active locally, and at the intermediate and state level of the union and I felt this was the next step for me,” said Dennis Fischer, who recently went through the program and is now temporarily employed as a field staff.
“The feeling of making a larger difference to improve the lives of educators and students was something I wanted to continue. I then applied for the part-time field staff position,” said Kari Rehrauer, who recently went through the program and is now temporarily employed as a field staff.
“There are so many people working hard on our behalf and it has been really fun to meet them and learn more about the things Education Minnesota does to support education throughout our state,” said Tharaldson.
“What has also become clear is that administration, superintendents, school boards do not necessarily put the needs of educators at a high priority,” said Rehrauer. “This pandemic has shown that they may not even prioritize the safety of their staff. We must use our collective power to be the guardian for educators’ rights or no one else will.”
The field program is the largest portion of Education Minnesota’s work.
The part-time field staff program is an avenue to bring new perspectives to field work. The inclusion of new, different and diverse voices helps to strengthen the field program, as different experiences and perspectives build a stronger field team.
Applications will remain open until mid-November and can be found on our website.
The union encourages all members, and especially members of color, to apply.
