For more information, contact:
Chris Williams
651-292-4816 (work)
651-247-5539 (cell)
Megan Boldt
651-292-4818 (work)
651-245-9163 (cell)
ST. PAUL, Minn., April 17, 2015 –The presidents of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association and Gov. Mark Dayton are scheduled to speak at the Education Minnesota Representative Convention Friday night and Saturday at the Minneapolis Hilton.
NEA President Lily Eskelsen García and AFT President Randi Weingarten will share their thoughts on the pressing issues in American education, including this week’s action in the U.S. Senate on the rewrite of the federal education law commonly known as No Child Left Behind, collaborating with community groups and strategies to reduce the opportunity gap. Each will give individual speeches Friday evening, starting about 7:30 p.m., followed by a town hall-style discussion with the approximately 600 convention delegates.
Gov. Mark Dayton is scheduled to discuss his education agenda at 2:45 p.m. Saturday.
The representative convention is the annual business meeting of Education Minnesota. Delegates from throughout Minnesota hear updates on state and federal education issues, vote on changes to the union’s constitution and bylaws and recognize members for extraordinary contributions to public education in the past year.
The representative convention is open to the media. However, it is primarily a business meeting presided over by the union’s elected officers. As a result, Education Minnesota President Denise Specht and other Education Minnesota officials will not be available for interviews while the convention is in session.
What: Education Minnesota Representative Convention
When: 7-9 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. Saturday until business concludes.
Where: Minneapolis Hilton, 1001 S Marquette Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Members of the media who plan to attend should contact Megan Boldt of the Education Minnesota public affairs department. She can provide passes for access to the convention floor.
About Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota represents 70,000 professionals working together for excellence in education for all students. Education Minnesota’s members include teachers and education support professionals in Minnesota’s public school districts, faculty members at Minnesota’s community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.