February 28, 2025

Jan 288 min read

Updated: Mar 11

Hello and happy Friday, EPEA!

March is here, and that means we are turning the corner. Longer days, warmer temperatures, and maybe a blizzard or two are in front of us, with Spring Break closing out the month. Our negotiations team is roughly halfway through their site visits, and I am thankful to all those who have participated so far. We have spoke with so many caring, dedicated members across the district. It has been invigorating to see how each of us shows up for our colleagues. If we have not made it to your site yet, check the calendar at the end for future visits.

We are also in the thick of hiring season, which can be stressful for our teams and colleagues. Probationary observations should be nearly complete, with only a handful of days until the March 7 notice deadline. That means the weight of observations now shifts to our tenured members, with a deadline of May 8 to complete all observations.

Public education has been in the news more than many of us would like in the last month, and most of it has not been good news. The Trump administration has routinely put our schools on the frontlines by issuing orders attempting to restrict curricular choices and funding for critical programs. These decisions may feel inevitable, but they are deeply unpopular in our community. On March 4, we will take part in a national day of action to stand united in support for our students. Be sure to wear your EPEA gear (or anything red) to show our students, colleagues, and communities that we stand united for their future. I look forward to standing with each of you as we fight to fulfill the promise of public education for our students.

In solidarity,

Charles Cooper

EdMN Teacher of the Year SemiFinalists Announced

The Minnesota Teacher of the Year field has been narrowed to 31 candidates. Our EPEA members compose nearly one-fifth of semi-finalists this year! This is reflective of the amazing work that happens in our classroom, and it is further evidence that our members are what make our district special. Congratulations to the following members, and thank you for your efforts to provide our students with worldclass opportunities every day!

Michelle Rada

Linda Wallenberg

Marcella Roos

Araceli Pastrana

Michael Okwabi

Laura Eid

March 4 Day of Action

As the Trump administration continues its assault on public education, we need to remind our community and elected officials that funding our schools does not equate government waste or fraud. On March 4, I ask that we take the following actions to show our support for our students and colleagues:

Wear your EPEA Gear, or red, on Tuesday March 4.

Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper (our EPEA has addressed EP Local News).
Write a letter to your representatives. Action to eliminate the Department of Education must go through the Congress. Let your US House Representative and/or your US Senators know your story and the stories of our students matter.

EPEA Election Results

The following are the results for the EPEA executive council elections.

President: Charles Cooper* (97.73%)Jamie Alsleben (0.76%)

Marcus Moten (0.76%)

Peter Thiel (0.76%)

Vice President: Kristen Mantel (97.69%)

Jeff Thelen (0.77%)

Marcus Moten (0.77%)

Joanne Peterson (0.77%)

Treasurer: Jessica Brent (97.71%)

Jill Baller (0.77%)

Elizabeth Griffin (0.76%)

Betsy Bartz (0.76%)

EdMN Delegates:

Brent Bovitz (11.97%)

Charles Cooper (13.01%)

Jessica Premo (11.76%)

Kristen Mantel (11.13%)

Joanne Peterson Mbagwu (10.51%)

Jamie Alsleben (10.30%)

Alisha Pagan (10.09%)

Lisa Stuehringer (10.41%)

Lauren Liberacki (10.51%)

Alternative Delegates:

Nate Gabel

Holly Anderson

Anne Severson

Link to previous EPEA Newsletters

Link to EPEA Staff and Leaders

Paid Time Off: Workplace Injury

We never anticipate getting hurt at work, but if it happens, you should be prepared to act. First, be sure to file an injury report with the woker’s compensation insurance agency. Your site administration should be able to assist you in accessing the filing process, if needed. The time period for recovery is always unique, but our contract provides some relief. Your accumulated sick leave is the primary resource to provide for absence due to work-related injuries. With the Workplace Injury MOU, you will have the first three sick days reimbursed, assuming the worker’s compensation claim is approved. Additional days of leave will be covered by sick time, personal leave, disaster leave, or unpaid leave, as identified in our contract (Article XI).

Link to EPEA Contract

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 * NEA Mental Health Program
*. AFT Trauma counseling program

MDE Issues Guidance on Student Civil Rights

We know the safe and supportive environments we foster are crucial for our students’ academic success. Our schools and our communities continue to face ambiguity brought on by recent federal executive actions. In light of this, the Minnesota Department of Education has shared more information about longstanding Minnesota laws that require our educational institutions to ensure students can attend school free from discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or other identities. These include:

The Minnesota Human Rights Act, which protects students’ rights to be free from discrimination, requiring schools to protect students against bullying, harassment, discrimination and assault.
The Minnesota Safe and Supportive Schools Act (Minnesota Statutes,section 121A.031), which provides educators, parents and youth with the tools and resources they need to prevent bullying and harassment.
Minnesota’s Model Bullying Prohibition Policy, which outlines schools’ and districts’ obligations and provides guidance for preventing and prohibiting bullying in schools in accordance with the Safe and Supportive Schools Act.

Attorney General Ellison issues guidance to educators in response to immigration enforcement changes

Attorney General Keith Ellison released a letter to educators on Feb. 13, clarifying school district obligations in response to the rescission of the Sensitive Locations Policy by the Department of Homeland Security. Although we are not aware of immigration enforcement activity occurring on Minnesota schools or campuses, the rescission has prompted considerable concern among families, educators, and communities.

Ellison’s guidance contains a number of key components:

Students are entitled to a free public education regardless of immigration status, and schools should not have policies or practices that deny or discourage attendance based on immigration status.
Federal and state data privacy laws (FERPA and MGDPA, respectively) prohibit disclosing private student data without parental consent, and schools should review and update these policies to ensure parental and student rights are protected.
Schools are not required to assist federal immigration officials in enforcement activities, or to comply with administrative warrants issued only by ICE.
Requests by ICE to interview students should be directed to a designated district employee who should consult with legal counsel.

District leadership has visited each site to communicate the local plan. IF you have question about your site’s plan, please contact Charles Cooper immediately.

Register for the 2025 TRA Board of Directors Candidate Forum

Education Minnesota is hosting an online forum with candidates running for the TRA Board of Directors, taking place Wednesday, March 5, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. There are seven candidates running for two open positions on the TRA Board. This forum is open to the six of those candidates who are Education Minnesota members. Voting will be open mid-March through April 25.

Information about the candidates will be available on the EdMN website and social media channels ahead of the forum and attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions to the candidates when registering.

Interested members can RSVP here. (Please note: You will need to log into the Education Minnesota website to register for this screening session.) After registering, participants will receive a Zoom link via email closer to the day of the forum.

Teacher Apprenticeship Design Team: Stipends Available

A team of experts in teaching, practice-based teacher preparation and culturally relevant pedagogy are needed to build a licensure-specific teacher apprenticeship program on behalf of Education Minnesota’s Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC).

The initial Design Team will support an Elementary Education Apprenticeship Program. The team will meet twice per month (two-hour meetings) from March-June, with approximately 25 hours of individual or small group work per month. The work includes finalizing a rigorous on-the-job elementary education apprenticeship program, creating the rubrics and templates for this program, developing a training for Journey Teachers, and designing an orientation for apprentices.

Individuals will receive a $5,000 stipend for the four months of work.

Please complete this short application by Feb. 28 to be considered for the Teacher Apprenticeship Design Team

February 24 Board Meeting

The February business meeting for the Eden Prairie School Board was a marathon that dedicated the bulk of its agenda to the hard work our members are doing every day in our schools. The largest portion of the evening’s agenda, clocking in at roughly three hours, provided a report on progress made toward ends policy 1.2 (students reading on-level by the end of 3rd grade) and 1.3 (each student achieves individual growth and proficiency annually). Members from across the district did an amazing job highlighting our daily efforts that drive our students’ successes while speaking truth to the challenges facing our classrooms. From staffing ratios to disciplinary concerns and protecting our professional time for tailoring and personalizing curriculum, our members' honest portrayal of our schools’ daily experiences visually moved several board members. Repeatedly through the course of the meeting, district officials spoke of the importance of attracting, training, and retaining high-quality school staff, which is a noticeable tone shift from previous years. Thank you to Kadee Ruhland, Natalie Philibin, BIll Prem, Kari Moore, Natalie Richard, and Phoebe Frantz for taking time beyond our classrooms to make sure the school board understands our work.

The Superintendent’s Consent Agenda introduced an unusually lively discussion. Director Ward Rannow voiced concern for agenda items 10A (approval of the 25-26 calendar), 10B (preliminary approval of the 26-27 calendar), and 10F.1 (Title IX grievance procedure). Director Ward Rannow’s concerns regarding the calendar are a continuation from the January board meeting, in which community members presented concerns regarding this year’s graduation date as a conflict with Eid Al-Adha. Several board members, including Director Ross, voiced support for the district’s right to set the calendar within managerial rights rather than a board policy. Both measures passed with a vote of 6-1 with Director Ward Rannow as the only dissenter. Director Ward Rannow’s concerns regarding Title IX grievances drove a lengthy, critical discussion regarding district policy and district practice. The lack of alignment between policy and practice was noted as a worthwhile concern, but the board agreed to adopt the language as reviewed by the MSBA, district legal counsel, and additional outside counsel with a 5-2 vote showing Director Strehl joining Director Ward Rannow as negative votes.

During the board work portion of the agenda, several committee reports were delivered. Director Bradsher, the board designee for the MSHSHL, shared guidance that the MSHSL is operating in the same manner as previous to President Trump’s executive order on gender identity and sports. Bradsher shared that the MSHSL’s position, as reinforced by Attorney General Ellison, is that the executive order does not carry any legal weight.

The board also announced a new agenda calendar. The following changes were authorized prior to adjourning:

Remove the closed session on school safety and security from the 2/24 agenda
Remove the closed session on negotiation strategy from the 3/24 agenda
Add CLC planning conversation to the 3/10 Board Workshop agenda
Add closed session on school safety and security to the 3/24 Board Meeting
Add closed session on negotiation strategy to the 5/27 Board Meeting