Ten-Point Platform of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, Distributed at the 14 November 2017 Meeting of the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education

At the beginning of the 14 November 2017 meeting of the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Board of Education, attendees found in every seat a flyer detailing the key points for currently ongoing teacher contract negotiations as identified by the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT), Local 59.  During the period of Public Comment, MFT President Michelle Weiss went through the platform and advocated for the positions taken by the teachers union.

Below I give the platform exactly as it reads on the flyer.  The platform is full of many harmful ideas and a few good ones, all of which I will discuss in a looming article.

In the meantime, read and ponder the negotiating platform proffered by the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, as follows:  

MFT59 10 Point Platform

 

Common Sense Bargaining for the Common Good

 

Beyond Academics:  Educating the Whole Child

 

All students deserve books in the library;  instruments in the band room;  supplies in the art room;  equipment in the gym;  vision, hearing, and dental screenings every year.  Students deserve nurses, social workers, counselors, psychologists, and library media specialists in their schools---  all day, every day.

 

Smaller Class Sizes

All students deserve to have individual relationships with their teachers, as strong relationships create strong classrooms.  Small class sizes allow time for teachers to plan quality lessons, talk to families, talk to each student every day, and give students the attention they need to learn and grow.

Students are More Than a Test Score

All students deserve a broad, rich curriculum including academics, arts, music, language, and trade, emphasizing engagement and authentic learning, instead of preparation for high-stakes tests.  Students deserve teachers and administrators focused on development of quality curriculum in an educational environment that acknowledges and respects backgrounds, perspectives, and learning styles of our diverse communities.

 

Support, Don’t Punish:  Restorative Practices

All students deserve compassion, empathy, and a safe place to learn.  Students deserve educators well-trained in restorative practices.  Schools must move toward practices that build relationships and resolve conflict.  MPS must work to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline.

Clean and Healthy Buildings

All students deserve fully staffed schools that ensure a clean, healthy, and safe environment with soap in the bathroom, safe drinking water, sanitary classrooms, and working air conditioning in every school.

 

Full-Service Community Schools

All students and their families deserve community-based services.  Increasing the number of full-service community schools throughout the city would provide school-based community access to critical services such as healthcare, childcare, dental clinics, adult education courses, and enrichment and recreational opportunities for children from preschool to high school.

Quality Education for All:  Inclusion and Equity

All students deserve high quality education regardless of their special education needs, primary language, race, ethnicity, religion, documentation status, family income, family composition, sexual orientation, gender identity, or zip code.  Students deserve educators committed to disrupting racism and other systems of oppression in our classrooms and schools.  Our schools need to be welcoming to all our students and their families.

Invest in Public Schools

All students deserve a school district committed to fully funded public schools governed by a democratically elected school board accountable to the public.  Students deserve schools that will not close at a moment’s notice, schools that educate all children regardless of their needs, and schools that are staffed by highly qualified, licensed educators.

$15 an Hour for All MPS Employees

All students deserve a school district committed to investing in all employees by paying a living wage.  MPS employees include bus drivers, educators, food servers, secretaries, and engineers who are also mentors to students;  they are also our neighbors and parents to our students.

Recess

All students deserve at least 30 minutes of play and movement on a daily basis.  Recess promotes social and emotional learning such as working together as a team, making friends, and deciding which game to play next.