cbsoptanon.onScriptsReady(function(cmp){cmp.ot.targetingAllowed(function(a){if(a) AnvatoPlayer(“p2”).init({“mcp”:”cbs”,”width”:”100%”,”height”:”100%”,”video”:”6209542″,”autoplay”:false,”titleVisible”:false,”accessKey”:”5VD6Eyd6djewbCmNwBFnsJj17YAvGRwl”,”accessControl”:{“preview”:false},”pInstance”:”p2″,”plugins”:{“heartbeat”:{“account”:”cbslocal-global-unified”,”publisherId”:”cbslocal”,”jobId”:”sc_va”,”marketingCloudId”:”823BA0335567497F7F000101@AdobeOrg”,”trackingServer”:”cbsdigitalmedia.hb.omtrdc.net”,”customTrackingServer”:”cbsdigitalmedia.d1.sc.omtrdc.net”,”chapterTracking”:false,”version”:”1.5″,”customMetadata”:{“video”:{“cbs_market”:”minnesota.cbslocal.com”,”cbs_platform”:”desktop”}}},”comscore”:{“clientId”:”3000023″,”c3″:”Minnesota.cbslocal.com”},”dfp”:{“clientSide”:{“adTagUrl”:”http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=2×2&iu=/4128/cbs.minn&ciu_szs&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=xml_vast2&unviewed_position_start=1&url=[referrer_url]&description_url=[description_url]&correlator=[timestamp]”,”keyValues”:{“categories”:”[[CATEGORIES]]”,”program”:”[[PROGRAM_NAME]]”,”siteSection”:”video-default”}}},”moat”:{“clientSide”:{“partnerCode”:”cbslocalanvatovideo181732609431″}}},”token”:”default”,”expectPreroll”:true,”expectPrerollTimeout”:5});});});
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minneapolis public school teachers will officially strike starting Tuesday.
The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and Education Support Professionals announced the strike early Monday evening. The union and school district failed to come to an agreement during the 10-day cooling period following a strike authorization vote late last month.
Following the announcement, officials with Minneapolis Public Schools gave this statement: “While it is disappointing to hear this news, we know our organizations’ mutual priorities are based on our deep commitment to the education of Minneapolis students. MPS will remain at the mediation table non-stop in an effort to reduce the length and impact of this strike.”
About 3,500 Minneapolis teachers and education support professionals will participate in the strike. Their demands include a living wage for the support professionals staff, smaller class sizes and a counselor and social worker at every school. They’re also looking for more educators of color and higher teacher salaries. The average for Minneapolis teachers is $71,000.
Minneapolis Teachers Strike FAQ: What You Need To Know
Leaders of the Minneapolis teachers union see this strike as an existential necessity. Greta Callahan is MFT president.
“Those at the top of this district continue to hoard power,” Callahan said. “If we don’t intervene, we believe the Minneapolis Public Schools will cease to exist.”
She says the union’s top priority is a living wage for support staff.
“Because we make school happen every single day,” Callahan said. “You need to change the way that you’ve been doing things because you are driving families and educators out of this district.”
MFT members hold a press conference after negotiations fell through (credit: CBS)
MPS officials say emergency supervision for pre-K through fifth grade students is “on an extremely limited basis,” and parents and guardians should contact their schools if emergency service is needed, starting this Wednesday. The district also released a list of community resources for child care, meals and other services.
Also starting Wednesday, students can pick up a meal bag from their schools daily, containing a breakfast and a lunch. District officials say school-based clinics and mental health services will still be provided, and online learning activities will also be available for students “to keep minds active during the strike.”
Cliff Willmeng, a father of two students at Andersen United Middle School, said Monday he and his children support the teachers despite the disruption to classes.
“Inconvenience in this case is really a necessary prescription for some real justice,” Willmeng said. “If this is what it has to come to, and it clearly does, we’re willing as parents to chip in whatever we can do.”
Willmeng says the strike will teach his children a lesson about supporting workers and fighting for social justice.
Before the strike was announced, the district said it “remains committed to reaching contract agreement and staying at the table — with or without a strike.” The district also said it faces a nearly $100 million budget shortfall for next year.
There are about 29,000 students in Minneapolis Public Schools. The strike will continue until a contract agreement is reached. This is the first Minneapolis teachers strike in more than 50 years.
St. Paul Public Schools and the St. Paul Federation of Educators were able to reach a tentative deal Monday night, averting a strike.
Source: CBS Minnesota
Be First to Comment