Happy Valentine’s Day (and to those who do not recognize the day, happiest of Fridays), EPEA!
The past month has been busy. We have seen seismic shifts in federal behavior and we are beginning to get a sense of what is happening in St. Paul. To say it has been an impactful set of days since our last update would be an understatement. Through these times, it is important to remember our union is here for each of us. We are better protected than our peers in surrounding states because of the action we have taken for decades to advance the needs of our students, our classrooms, and our profession. This month, there are opportunities to ensure we do our part to keep our union strong, protect our students, and help our colleagues.
Contract Negotiations Update
Our negotiations team will be visiting each site across the district in the coming weeks to gather your input. The power of our union resides in each of us choosing to take part, and our negotiations team wants to tap into that power. During these listening sessions, you will have the opportunity to voice your ideas for what the district must do to maintain the world class educational opportunities we afford our students on a daily basis. If you have not already, mark your calendar for the following dates:
Union Elections
Our EPEA Executive Board Election is scheduled to open on February 19 at 7:00AM and close on February 24 at 5:00PM. When the election opens, you will receive an alert in your personal email with instructions to open your ballot. If you have any questions about the election, ballot access, or problems accessing your ballot contact Mike Woizeschke.
We will also vote for our Education Minnesota Governing Board representative on February 24. This election is overseen by Education Minnesota, and it will be completed using paper ballots, independent from our local elections. Polling will be open on 2/24 for thirty minutes prior to the school day and 30 minutes after the school day in the following rooms
Our EPEA office (ASC room 222) will serve as an alternative polling location available for all members from 8:00AM to 4:00PM. If you have any questions about the election, ballot access, or problems accessing your ballot contact Charles Cooper.
Hiring Rounds
It is the middle of February, and that means the district is starting to prepare for next year. Staffing is the most important decision the district makes every year, and it is important to know what the process looks like, as a member of our union. Some important highlights:
February 28: All non-tenured (probationary) teachers should have their final observation completed by this date.
March 7: All probationary staff the district decides to release must be notified by their administrator/supervisor by the end of the day.
March 10-14: The first round of hiring is open. This round is for internal transfers within the same building (ex: a 1st Grade teacher moving to 5th Grade or a FACs teacher moving to the English Department). These vacancies are available based on retirements, leaves, and probationary releases made by the district.
March 17-21: The second round of hiring is open. This round is for those on a continuing contract desiring to change sites within the district (ex: leaving CMS for an opening at EPHS or moving from Cedar Ridge to an opening at Prairie View for 1st Grade). All transfer requests must be filed with the building principal by 3/21.
March 28: All decisions on Round 2 openings will be announced by the end of the day.
April 7: The final round of openings will be posted. This is the only round that is open for applicants that are not already under contract for the 2025-26 school year. Any released probationary teacher may apply for remaining openings within the district.
Guidance from Your Member Rights Advocate
If you are in need of support at an administration meeting, believe there is a contract violation, or have a performance/conduct-related support request, please connect with Carla Thompson
(Lead MRA) cthompson@edenpr.org or 952-240-6577
Member Benefits:
Built In Benefits With Membership
ESI PerksConnect - discounts to area activities and restaurants
NEA Discount Marketplace - discount tickets and travel programs
Action and Advocacy
President Trump’s executive orders have caused a wave of uncertainty to break over our schools. There is no part of our school community that will be unaffected if these orders take full effect. Federal dollars are being diverted from our schools. The security of our students within our schools is being challenged. We play a role in shaping our government’s response.
Go to edmn.me/pushback and demand Minnesota’s congressional delegation take action and protect public education.
Share your story: How are Trump's Executive Orders affecting you or your students?
NEA resource hub to counter the attacks on public education and the Department of Education.
AFT action item to stop Elon Musk from stealing our data.
NEA action item to tell Congress to push back against executive overreach.
How do the executive orders impact your classroom?
The number of legal challenges to President Trump’s executive orders nearly exceeds the number of orders themselves. This is a fluid situation, and some of the most legally clear questions can be answered below.
Is President Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship currently in place? No.
Can the federal government punish school districts that deny ICE agents access to schools without a judicial warrant? No.
What is the status of the administration’s funding freeze and the lawsuits challenging it?Multiple Temporary restraining orders have been granted, and the original memo has been rescinded.
Can the Executive Order on vouchers force Minnesota to allow them? No.
Can educators in Minnesota be criminally prosecuted for using students’ personal pronouns or names? No.
What will happen to schools that allow transgender students to participate in sports? Unclear, litigation pending… The Minnesota Human Rights Act has precedent for protecting transgender students’ right to participate in school athletics and use such facilities
Is the administration still planning to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, and can it really do that? President Trump and members of his administration have expressed a desire to eliminate the entire U.S. Department of Education, but that order has not yet been issued. Bills to eliminate the Department of Education have been introduced recently by Trump allies in Congress, but many of the key programs and functions the Department of Education performs enjoy broad bipartisan support.
Capitol Update
In St. Paul, the Minnesota House has reached a power-sharing agreement that will hold for the next two years. That means the work for a budget that values our classrooms can truly begin. In the last three weeks, it has become clear the Republican party has little interest in strengthening our public schools. In the Senate, Republicans held hearings on private school funding in addition to introducing legislation to bring vouchers to Minnesota. Any money the state provides for private and charter schools is money taken from our classrooms and our pockets. Tell state leaders to address the staffing crisis in our schools by investing in educators!
AFT Sues to Block Musk’s Access to DoE
On February 11, the American Federation of Teachers sued to block Elon Musk’s access to personal information at the United States Department of Education. The USDoE stores the personal data of more than 45 million Americans related to education. If you have ever filled out the FAFSA personally, for a spouse, or a child, then your data privacy has been breached, and the AFT is taking a stand on our behalf.
Scholarships for Union Families
The Minnesota AFL-CIO offers several scholarship opportunities for graduating seniors. The Martin Duffy Scholarship, Labor Leadership Grant, Union-Plus Scholarship, and Nellie Stone-Johnson Scholarship are currently accepting applications. Eligibility and requirements for these awards can be found here.
February 18 - EPEA Executive Board MeetingFebruary 18 - Rally to Fund our Future (MN Capitol)
February 19 - ELECTION: EPEA Executive Board and EdMN Rep Assembly Delegates
February 20 - QComp Steering Committee
February 24 - ELECTION: EdMN Governing Board District WELECTION: EPEA Executive Board and EdMN Rep Assembly Delegates CLOSESEPEA Rep Congress (CMS Community Room)
February 24 - Eden Prairie School Board Business MeetingMarch 24 - EP School Board Business Meeting (Negotiations Strategy Meeting)
"The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough is love." -Hentry Miller
In Solidarity,
Charles Cooper, EPEA President
Mike Woizeschke, EPEA Vice President
Brent Bovitz, EPEA Treasurer
Jessica Premo, EPEA Secretary
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