PAC dues support local election assistance
The Education Minnesota Political Action Committee is funded by $30 donations from members, separate from dues, and goes towards building political power through supporting pro-public education, pro-labor candidates and elected officials at all levels of government. The PAC is one of the union’s most powerful tools to bring educator voices into state and local politics.
Nowhere is this more important than at the local level – particularly in school board races. We elect our bosses when we vote for school board, and who sits on the school board impacts everything from salary, to budget, to length of the school year, benefits, pensions, testing and more.
In recent years, Minnesota has seen an unprecedented influx of anti-public education school board candidates supported by groups like the Minnesota Parents’ Alliance, Moms for Liberty and the Minnesota Child Protection League (an anti-LGBTQ hate group). These candidates run on platforms seeking to limit students’ freedom to learn, whitewash history, prevent certain students from feeling safe and welcome in their classrooms and weaken unions.
These anti-public education groups, funded by billionaires with near-limitless financial resources, have already begun recruiting school board candidates for this cycle. While we do not have their bottomless financial resources, we do have the collective power of our union and public trust in educators. It is up to us to use every tool at our disposal to fight back against these attacks on our public schools and elect school board members who will support students and educators.
Your PAC donations help make that happen.
What does the PAC Board do?
The PAC Board is made up of volunteer members from across the state and includes a member from each of the union election districts.
The PAC Board determines how the endorsement process will work. Currently, the process requires candidates to fill out a questionnaire and meet with educators from their area for an interview. Those educators recommend a candidate for endorsement in state races, which is then approved by the PAC Board.
How are PAC dollars spent?
A significant portion of the budget goes to member organizing and support for local elections, such as school board races and referenda.
PAC funding for school board and referenda includes direct mail sent to voters in the district, stipends for phone bank coordinators and additional funds for food and incidentals incurred by members while doing campaign work.
This year, we have a record number of referenda campaigns for tax levies to support local school districts. Local levies are particularly important because they allow communities full control over how the money is raised or spent, without strings or directives that come with federal and state dollars.
A robust voter outreach program is key to effectively fighting back against anti-public education groups, and when Education Minnesota endorses, candidates win. When locals use PAC funds to make endorsements and carry out a strong voter outreach plan, the candidates we support win more than 75 percent of the time.
Why is voter outreach so important?
Politics impacts so much of our members’ daily lives. When pro-public education, pro-labor elected officials are in power, public-school employees can focus on what they do best—educating—instead of worrying about whether extremist, anti-public education leaders will try to slash their funding and stall contract negotiations.
If local unions get involved in school board elections, we can ensure that our schools are represented by individuals who share our goal of providing the public schools that Minnesota students and educators deserve. Learn more at edmnvotes.org.
What does politics have to do with my classroom?
Who makes the decisions on these important issues?
| Your salary | School board, union |
| School budget | School board |
| Class size/workload | School board, state Legislature, governor |
| Length of school year | School board, state Legislature, governor |
| Health benefits | School board, union |
| Due process | School board, state Legislature, governor |
| Retirement benefits | School board, state Legislature, governor |
| Testing | Federal, state, school board |
| Hiring practices | School board, state Legislature, governor |
| Teaching credentials | Federal, state, governor |
| Standards | State board, state, federal |
| Unemployment compensation | Federal, state, governor |
| Textbooks | State, school board |
| Negotiated contracts in higher education | State Legislature, local union, governor |
| Higher education credentialing | Governor |
| Campus repairs and upgrades | State Legislature |
