Minnesota Educator: August-September 2021
Nominations open for the 2021-22 ESP of the Year
Nominations are open until Sept. 26 for the next Education Minnesota Education Support Professional of the Year. The program honors exemplary professional and union work by an Education Minnesota member…
MEA conference will be hybrid this year
Members can attend this year’s MEA conference either in-person on Thursday, Oct. 21, at the Saint Paul RiverCentre or log on to watch select sessions virtually. The 2021 MEA conference…
Professional development opportunities
Professional development National social studies conference in Minneapolis  The National Council for the Social Studies will hold its 101st annual conference in Minneapolis, Nov. 19-21. The conference will include 400-plus…
Supreme Court upholds student’s off-campus speech rights
When 14-year-old Brandi Levy was not selected for the 2017 Mahanoy Area High School varsity cheerleading team, she vented her frustration on every modern teen’s venue of choice: social media…
Two new charter schools unionize with Education Minnesota
Two new charter schools unionize with Education Minnesota The teachers and staff at Hiawatha Academies, a Minneapolis charter school network, and Great River School, a St. Paul charter school, both…
Bloomington paras take contract fight public
The Bloomington Federation of Paraprofessionals’ contract has been unsettled for more than two years. And after working during a pandemic, many of whom were on site providing essential child care from the…
A loan forgiveness success story
Michelle Lieder, an elementary school physical education teacher in South Washington County, recently got a surprise in her bank account as student loan payments she had made for the last…
Student borrower bill of rights becomes law
Education Minnesota and its allies have been working on legislation that would protect and support those who take on education debt for years, and this year that effort turned into…
Education budget, federal dollars, create equitable investments in Minnesota schools
Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota Legislature approved an education budget that includes the largest single increase in the per-pupil formula in 15 years, a meaningful step toward fully funding…
Educators, local unions push back against attacks on honesty in education
Karen Rubado, a teacher and local union president in Pequot Lakes, knows exactly when a shift happened in her district. The then-superintendent filmed a video for an event highlighting rural…
Munsterman wins NEA Distinguished Service Award
Retired teacher and union leader Walt Munsterman was honored with the National Education Association’s 2021 Distinguished Service Award, the union’s highest honor. “As I go back throughout the years, the…
Let’s join together for the future of public education
How would you know if you’re in an important historical moment? It’s the sort of contemplative question you find around campfires and porches on summer nights. After a few of…
Educators share equity work in locals, districts
Education Minnesota members who are focusing on racial equity and social justice work in their locals and districts shared their stories at a virtual live event on June 9, streamed…
Educators: MCAs will take valuable time away from student learning
The decision to proceed with the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments this spring will take away valuable instructional time when educators need to focus on their students’ academic and emotional needs, said…
