POSITION TITLE: Ed Issues Specialist DEPARTMENT: Policy & Programs IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Policy & Programs Director EMPLOYEE GROUP:  TEMPO bargaining unit LOCATION: St. Paul Headquarters PROBATIONARY PERIOD: One (1) year HOURS PER WEEK: Full Time FLSA/GRADE LEVEL: Exempt POSITION SUMMARY: Under the direction of the Policy and Program Director, the Education Issues Specialist provides expertise, direction and assistance to members and staff in support of the education issues agenda for Education Minnesota. This includes research and coordination with the national affiliates, state ..read more

Home Minneapolis educator Tracy Byrd is 2024 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Share on For more information, contact: DOUG DOOHER651-245-6141 (cell) CHRIS WILLIAMS 651-292-4816 (work)  651-247-5539 (cell) ST. PAUL, Minnesota. May 5, 2024 – Tracy Byrd, a ninth-grade English language arts teacher at Washburn High School in the Minneapolis school district, is the 2024 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. 2024 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Tracy Byrd Byrd is the 60th recipient of the prestigious award, and the third from the Minneapolis district to be named Minnesota Teacher of the Year. An indep ..read more

POSITION TITLE: Part-time Field Staff DEPARTMENT: Field Services IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Manager of Field Services EMPLOYEE GROUP:  TEMPO LOCATION: Statewide HOURS/STATUS: Part-time/Non-exempt – Position starts September 1 AVAILABLE POSITIONS: Five (5) PROGRAM SUMMARY: The Education Minnesota Part-time Field Staff Program is designed to provide training and experience opportunities to members who desire to move into staff work as a career. Part-time staff shall continue in their current employment while in this program. The work assignment consists of about 300 hours of Education Minnesota ..read more

Home 11 selected as finalists for 2024 Minnesota Teacher of the Year Share on For more information, contact: DOUG DOOHER651-245-6141 (cell) CHRIS WILLIAMS 651-292-4816 (work)  651-247-5539 (cell) ST. PAUL, Minnesota. April 8, 2024 – The 2024 Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be chosen from a group of 11 teachers who have been named finalists in the program. An independent selection panel of 17 leaders in the areas of education, business, government and nonprofits selected the finalists from a group of 27 semifinalists. There were 159 candidates for this program year.  2024 Min ..read more

Home Member honor roll Share on Congratulations to the Education Minnesota members who have been honored for their work in the last year. 2023 Rural Educators of Excellence Every year, the Minnesota Rural Education Association honors educators from across the state with their Educators of Excellence Awards. Honored in 2023 were: South Central Carin Hagemeyer, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa South Kristin Doeden, Worthington North Central Angie Hurtig, Bertha-Hewitt North Melissa Oberg, Cook County 2023 Council on Economic Education Educators of the Year ..read more

Home Raise your voice! Share on Education Minnesota members from around the state have been engaging in political action in their locals and intermediate organizations and at the Capitol. Locals have been having meetings with legislators in their districts and Education Minnesota also hosted its 2024 Political Conference in February which included members telling stories to reinforce our legislative asks to Gov. Tim Walz and House Speaker Rep. Melissa Hortman. Read more about the conference and how to get involved in the work on pages 14-15 ..read more

Home Public employees in Minnesota now enjoy new protection for “concerted activities” Share on This Legal Briefs column, written by Education Minnesota attorneys, is one of an occasional series on legal developments that affect educators. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), a central piece of New Deal legislation. Prior to passage in the early 20th century and the Great Depression years, harsh economic and social conditions and the de facto illegal status of unions led to labor militancy and innovative organization across t ..read more

Home ESPs tout benefits of unemployment insurance; GOP legislators are skeptical Share on Minnesota’s new law giving education support professionals access to unemployment benefits in the summer provided an economic safety net that kept more of them in the profession this school year. ESP members and parents testified about the benefits of the new program at a March 13 legislative hearing, where state officials released data showing it also cost a lot less than districts said it would. Just under 18,000 ESPs received UI benefi ..read more

Home Local unions try new member engagement tactics during tough bargaining rounds Share on More Education Minnesota locals across the state have been taking action around demanding 2023-25 contracts that respect and honor their work than in any other bargaining round in recent history. With the historic investments from the Legislature and the educator shortage affecting nine out of 10 Minnesota schools, local unions have been bargaining more boldly and trying new tactics around organizing and communicating within their locals and worksites to engage members. Leaders from Anoka Hennep ..read more

Home Educators of color gather for change at EMAC Summit Share on One hundred educators of color came together in mid-February at the Heritage Center in Brooklyn Park to learn about the past, present and future of educators and students of color. Educators discussed the change needed to provide an equitable public education system for all students. The second annual Education Minnesota Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee Summit included conversations on dismantling white supremacy in education, supporting education support professionals, decolonizing mental health, centering st ..read more