Author: Sarah Cooke

The state budget deal announced Monday left open many decisions about funding public education while signaling to local districts that they should stop the current round of devastating cuts and layoffs. Education Minnesota President Denise Specht noted the deal also fails to sustainably invest in Minnesota schools.

A petition asking Gov. Tim Walz and the state Legislature to make new investments that move the state toward fully funding public schools has garnered more than 20,000 signatures, Education Minnesota announced Friday. 

Education Minnesota reminded educators, students and parents to remain vigilant about the spread of COVID-19 after the Minnesota Department of Health reported Thursday that a seventh school staff member has died of the disease.

Educators and staff at Hiawatha Academies in Minneapolis and Great River School in St. Paul are unionizing and asking their respective boards to recognize those efforts. About 70 percent of staff at both charter schools signed cards of petition saying they want to unionize. Those cards were filed Monday with the National Labor Relations Board.

Education Minnesota is sending its condolences and support to families and educators in southwestern Minnesota after the Minnesota Department of Health confirmed Monday that a school-aged child has died of complications from COVID-19.

Educators support the Robbinsdale Area School District’s response after a student reportedly fired several shots inside a middle school on Monday. No one was hurt and one student was arrested, according to the district.

A sixth school staff member has died of a COVID-19 infection linked to schools and the total number of cases of students and school staff has surpassed 21,000, according to data released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Health. 

After a jury returned guilty verdicts on two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter against former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd, Education Minnesota President Denise Specht released the following statement in response. 

A Brooklyn Center police officer shot and killed Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, on Sunday during a traffic stop, apparently when the officer accidentally fired a semi-automatic pistol instead of a Taser.