Richfield teacher Monica Byron elected president of Education Minnesota
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CHRIS WILLIAMS
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ST. PAUL, Minnesota. April 26, 2025 – Richfield teacher Monica Byron will be the next president of Education Minnesota, Minnesota’s largest labor union, following an election Saturday at the union’s annual convention.Â
Byron, currently the union’s vice president, will replace Denise Specht, who did not run for reelection. Bryon ran unopposed. Byron and the rest of the union’s new leadership team will take office July 1.
Delegates to the convention also elected Marty Fridgen of South Washington County as vice president and Ryan Fiereck of St. Francis as secretary-treasurer. Â
After taking a break, Specht plans to find new ways to support public education, organized labor and working people in Minnesota. Rodney Rowe, the current secretary-treasurer of the union, also did not run for re-election. Rowe plans to retire.
Byron has served as Education Minnesota’s vice president since 2022. She has also taught for 24 years in Richfield Public Schools, most recently serving as an elementary math coach.
“I’m deeply honored to be elected president of Education Minnesota,” Byron said. “This union has always been about people—about educators showing up for each other, for our students and for our communities. I step into this role with gratitude, determination and a deep belief in the power of our members.”
Byron said her classroom and union experience will shape her presidency. “As a former classroom teacher, home school liaison ESP, and most recently as vice president, I know what our members are facing, and I also know the power we hold when we are united. I’m stepping into this role ready to continue the legacy of bold leadership while working to expand space for every voice to be heard.”
Before she was elected vice president, Byron served for five years as an Education Minnesota governing board member and held many local union positions as a member of Education Richfield, including membership chair, treasurer and government relations chair. Byron is also a founding member of Education Minnesota’s Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee and the first Black person to serve as Education Minnesota’s president.
Byron said she plans to lead the union in a grounded and forward-thinking way. “We are facing real challenges—attacks on our profession, underfunding of our schools, and uncertainty about our future. But I believe in us. I believe we can organize with purpose, lead with clarity, and win what our students and educators deserve,” she said.
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.
