Welcome to October!
Well, welcome to almost October. As the first full month of the school year draws to a close, I hope that each of us have settled into a great start, and I am happy to see some of the earliest returns on our negotiating efforts from last year! From compensation for providing your time at open houses to elementary teachers receiving an opportunity to catch up during students’ recess, I have been consistently reminded of what happens when we choose to work together toward a common goal.
As the month goes on, I will be reaching out about another opportunity to work toward a different common goal: November’s elections. As educators, we are one of the largest voting blocs in the state, and that means our profession has a unique opportunity to shape the course of governance in Minnesota. Because of that, I encourage each of us to make a plan to vote on or before Election Day. As public employees, our jobs are inherently political, and the folks that win in November will have a tremendous impact on what our classrooms will look like in the coming years.
Prior to Election Day, get to know what is on your ballot. EdMNVotes.org is a central location for finding endorsed candidates, locating your polling location, and ensuring your voter registration is up to date. Education Minnesota has endorsed a bipartisan slate of candidates across the state that have demonstrated their commitment to the quality public education our students deserve. As the month progresses, we will have opportunities to help out those candidates who have demonstrated their commitment to our profession, and I look forward to working with each of us to ensure Eden Prairie and Minnesota remain steadfast in their commitment to our future.
In solidarity,
Charles Cooper
EPEA NEWS:
The applications for 25-27 Negotiators is now open.
We are looking for members willing to join our negotiations team for our next contract! It is hard to believe it is already time to start thinking about a new contract; however, we all know that failing to prepare means preparing to fail. Our team will be composed of five members, including the EPEA President.
We need people willing to make a difference for our colleagues. If you have at least two years of membership in the EPEA and you are on a continuing contract, then you are eligible to apply to be a negotiator. The position has a stipend, and the requirements are as follows:
Attend the Collective Bargaining and Organizing Conference: Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025
Prepare for and attend all negotiations meetings
Attend all Labor and Management meetings with the District during the life of the contract
Ensure representation at the following Committee Meetings: Insurance, Rep. Congress
Follow the all negotiating team responsibilities of the EPEA Bylaws (pages pages B9- B11)
This is a two-year commitment, which is reflected in the stipend for the position. The application for potential negotiators can be found here. If you have questions about the vacancies, please contact Charles Cooper.
The Seniority List is coming!
October 1 is the day Human Resources delivers the updated seniority list for our current school year (EPEA Contract Art XII, Sec 5, Subd1). When the list is published, be sure to check for your placement! If you believe your placement is incorrect, we have 15 days to submit evidence to Human Resources (Art XII, Sec 5, Subd 2). If the district ever moves to reduce our workforce, layoffs are processed based on seniority, so ensuring your placement and licensure is correct now may help in the future. If you have any questions about continuing contract status, please contact your Site Representative(s) directly.
Member Rights Advocates
We currently have 7 trained Member Rights Advocates (MRA) to serve members when questions regarding behavior, conduct or performance arise with their supervisor(s), or when our contract, state, or federal law have been violated. These are the people you want on your side because of their extensive training related to PELRA, MN State Statutes, and federal law regarding education and employment. Their work is confidential and provides our membership with the highest level of professional support in times when it is most needed.
If you are ever contacted by an administrator or a supervisor requesting a meeting regarding behavior, conduct, or performance, then your first response should be to contact Carla Thomson. You are legally afforded the opportunity for representation in these meetings, and Carla is the voice of experience you want on your side. As our Lead Member Rights Advocate, Carla will walk you through what to expect and how we can be of support.
When emailing Carla, please use the subject line “MRA matter to discuss” with no further details provided. Alternatively, you can text Carla (952 240 6577) to set up a phone call to discuss the situation.
Article XI: Leaves of Absences, Section 1: Sick Leave, Subd1. Earned Sick Days:
All eligible ECFE and PreK-12 teachers shall earn sick leave at the rate of twelve (12) days for each year of service. Such sick leave shall be a personal benefit to ECFE and PreK-12 teachers and/or minor dependents. Annual sick leave shall accrue at the beginning of the school year.
Article XI: Leaves of Absences, Section 1: Sick Leave, Subd. 7
Part-time teachers shall be eligible for sick leave with such accrual of sick leave days being proportionate to their normal work day. Teachers who serve as a long term substitute for at least forty (40) student days are eligible for sick leave proportionate to normal work day and number of days of assignment.
One of the most impactful changes in our newest contract is the manner in which sick leave is accumulated. The eligibility for this leave has expanded to ECFE and Pre-K teachers across the district.
With cold and flu season around the corner, now is a great time to refamiliarize ourselves with how to utilize this benefit. The use of a sick day would be appropriate in any of the following scenarios:
Treatment or preventative care for an employee’s mental or physical illness
Treatment or preventative care for a family member’s mental or physical illness
Absence due to domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking of the employee or a family member;
Closure of an employee’s workplace due to weather or public emergency or closure of a family member’s school or care facility due to weather or public emergency
Risk of infecting others with a communicable disease, when determined by a health authority or health care professional
Which family members are included?
Child of an employee (including foster children, adult children, legal wards, legal guardianship, an individual for whom the employee stands or stood in loco parentis)
Spouse or registered domestic partner
Sibling, stepsibling, or foster sibling
Biological, foster, or adoptive parent, stepparent, or a person who stood in loco parentis when the employee was a minor
Grandchild, foster grandchild, or step-grandchild
Grandparent or step-grandparent
Child of a sibling of the employee
A sibling of the parents of the employee
A child-in-law or sibling-in-law
Any of the family members listed above (1-9) of an employee’s spouse or registered domestic partner
Any other individual related by blood or whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship and
Up to one individual annually designated by the employee
That covers a lot of scenarios for a lot of people. Additionally, the Minnesota Legislature recently passed legislation allowing an employee to “self-certify” their illness for up to 7 days (including weekends). If a doctor’s note is requested after that time, the required note only needs to verify that the employee was seen by the health care provider, and that provider stipulated any job-related restrictions or timing to return to work.
Long story short, sick time is one of your benefits, and you should be able to use it as you see fit. If you believe your administration unfairly prevents you from accessing this benefit, please contact Charles Cooper or Carla Thompson.
GUIDANCE from YOUR MEMBER RIGHTS ADVOCATE:
Emails are public information!
When using school emails (whether sending from a school account or receiving within a school account), you should assume the contents of the message are publicly available. Additionally, there is no such thing as deleting an email! Removing messages from your inbox may help keep you organized, but the contents of those messages live on within the EPS server for at least three years. When you are writing an email, you should act as though its contents will be read by the recipient, your supervisor, your neighbor, and your Grandmother.
All personal email content, all sensitive/specific EPEA content, or any content one is not willing to have read by the district should be sent via a personal email account.
The EPEA utilizes a private email for all sensitive topics. The address is epea4you@gmail.com.
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
Highlights from the September 23 School Board Meeting
The most recent School Board meeting featured important financial information for the 24-25 School Year.
The district characterized the initial financial report for the year as “good news”.
The General Fund is carrying forward a balance of $4,000,000, which is roughly $55,000 higher than anticipated.
The district requires a fund balance to be maintained at 8%, and the fund balance this year is currently holding at $21,100,000, or 15.3%.
Building and construction budgets remain on track, and the district’s insurance fund is ahead by roughly $1,000,000 (thanks for washing your hands, everybody!).
Preliminary enrollment is on pace for a 10-year high in our schools with 8,949 students currently enrolled. This is a result of advertising for traditional and online schools.
A big part of the district’s focus on enrollment centered on Kindergarten. The new outreach attempts last year have attracted more families for our earliest grades.
Shout out to our amazing Kindergarten teachers for making room in their days to welcome our newest families and their students!!
The board preliminarily approved a max levy for this year. Eden Prairie residents will still be in the lowest bracket for tax increases.
An average home in Eden Prairie is valued at $545,000. Their property tax will increase by $95 this year, or $7.92 monthly due to our school’s operating costs.
Increased enrollments and increased property values will allow for a $677,000 increase for the “Tech” Levy approved by voters.
The board also acknowledged the work of our teachers and district staff in achieving reasonable progress on four of the six Ends Policies evaluated on an annual basis. Policies 1.1 (students graduating ready to progress in the world), 1.4 (exceeding state standards for graduation requirements), 1.5 (21st century skills), and 1.6 (citizenship) were all reported as making “reasonable progress” towards district goals by Superintendent Swanson. Superintendent Swanson reported inadequate progress on goals 1.2 (reading at grade level) and 1.3 (growth and proficiency in ELA, Math, and Science).
The board has provided tentative dates for members to join students for lunch at Eden Prairie High School in November and an additional lunch at Central Middle School in December.
All board meetings are recorded and available to the general public through the school district’s website.
MEA is more than just a break for our students!
This year’s keynote speaker for the MEA Conference is Micia Mosely! As the founder and director of The Black Teacher Project, a program of The National Equity Project, Ms. Mosely is committed to developing a Black teaching force to transform schools into communities of liberated learning. Ms. Moseley began her career as a Social Studies teacher prior to earning her Ph.D. in Education from UC Berkeley. She is a published researcher whose work focuses on race and professional development.
Registration for the MEA Conference, which will be held at the St. Paul RiverCentre, is open until October 11. The conference is a great opportunity to meet educators from across the state and get the credits you need for relicensure at the same time. Classes fill up quickly, so sign up today!
Rep Congress Meetings (Open to all members): 4:30-6:00, CMS Community Room
September 30 December 16 March 24
October 28 January 21 April 28
November 18 February 24 May 28
Check EdMNVotes.org to make sure you know education-friendly candidates before voting this Fall!
Apply to be a negotiator for the 25-27 contract! Interviews will be held on 10/23 with the EPEA Executive Board.
Your EPEA staff is always here to support you. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your building site representative.
“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.”— Mark Van Doren
In Solidarity,
Charles Cooper, EPEA President
Mike Woizeschke, EPEA Vice President
Brent Bovitz, EPEA Treasurer
Jessica Premo, EPEA Secretary
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