Home Press Release Educators to name funding priorities, call for more on pensions

Minnesota educators to name funding priorities, call for more on pensions

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For more information, contact:
CHRIS WILLIAMS
651-292-4816 (work) 
651-247-5539 (cell)

SAINT PAUL, Minnesota. March 22, 2023 – Minnesota educators will present their priorities for the Legislature’s upcoming education budgets and call for a higher figure for pension reform at a virtual news conference at 10 a.m. Thursday. 

Gov. Tim Walz and leaders in the House and Senate decided on Tuesday that the education committees in the Legislature will have approximately $2.2 billion to spend on E-12 education. The committees will decide over the next few weeks how to spend it. 

The governor and legislative leaders also set a budget of $600 million for reforming the state’s public pension system, which is far too low to allow educators to retire at an appropriate age and encourage the next generation of Minnesota to choose the profession. 

Education Minnesota President Denise Specht will be joined by educators from the suburbs and Greater Minnesota to discuss some of the most important funding challenges in the E-12 education budgets — including fixing the teacher shortage, increasing access to mental health supports, recruiting and retaining education support professionals and pension reform. 

Logistics 

  • WHO:  Education Minnesota President Denise Specht and educators from suburban and Greater Minnesota 
  • WHEN: 10 – 10:30 a.m., Thursday, March 23 H
  • WHERE: The news conference will be streamed via ZOOM to Education Minnesota’s Facebook page. 

About Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota is the voice for professional educators and 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.