Dear MPS Partners and Friends,

Our school district is facing the most challenging fiscal restraints in generations with increasing demands for accountability, enhanced performance, and the moral imperative to close the racial and socio-economic achievement gaps. This new reality calls for significant change and commitment by all individuals, stakeholders, and interest groups in the educational community. Labor contracts are a vital element in that change process.

Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) agreed to approach this round of teacher negotiations differently than last time. We have worked together collaboratively and communicated jointly bringing openness to the negotiations process. Since September, we have engaged in important conversations together in how we can improve student achievement and have made significant progress towards settling this contract.

Beginning Friday, February 17, we will enter a new phase in the negotiations. On Monday morning we learned of MFT’s intent to begin mediation under the direction of the Bureau of Mediation Services (BMS). This will close the meetings to the public. It is MPS’ preference to continue the negotiations process without going to mediation. Once the request for mediation has been filed, however, the school district is required to follow the BMS process. Under mediation, we will continue to negotiate together in good faith to reach a fair and equitable contract and will continue to keep the public informed of our progress.

MPS remains committed to reaching an agreement that would best serve students in supporting our strategies to close the achievement gap and raising academic achievement for all students. We believe all negotiated agreements with our labor organizations must work to support and advance student achievement.  As a key stakeholder, it is important for you to know MPS’ priorities in negotiating the teacher’s contract.

Additional instructional time for students
Adding quality student-teacher instructional time to the school calendar is another critical step in our work to significantly improve the academic outcomes for students. Our goal is to increase flexibility at schools in areas such as staffing, creative scheduling and structuring of the school day, as well as allowing time for teacher professional development, planning and collaboration.

Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) has one of the shortest school days and school years in the state. At the same time, we have more students lagging behind academically than other school districts. For the school district’s 16 high priority schools, we are recommending that students receive nine additional instructional days; all other students at MPS schools would receive four additional instructional days.

A culture and climate of respect
The cornerstone to a successful school district is a commitment to a culture of respect for everyone. We have been working diligently to build trust and work in a more collaborative manner. We have already reached a tentative agreement on a “problem solving protocol” to address on school-site concerns. The protocol calls for issues to be resolved through an informal process that will involve the principal and teacher at the school site.

High Priority Schools
Minneapolis Public Schools High Priority Schools are some of the most demanding and rewarding places for teachers and administrators to work. For our students, teachers and school district to be successful, we must embrace significant reforms and changes to dramatically improve our results.

We are working on solutions that will help create stability, provide the necessary resources, and encourage an environment of creativity and support. These solutions focus on the issues of staffing and teacher responsibilities, however, additional reforms and changes are required in order for these efforts to be successful.

Reasonable and manageable workloads
Students deserve educators, regardless of their role, which are prepared everyday with high quality differentiated instruction and/or support. In order to achieve this goal, the expectations of the educator need to be high, but also reasonable and manageable.

We have already agreed to examine all initiatives in the school district with the goal of reducing those that are no longer effective for students and find ways to help teachers manage the number of students that they work with.

Fiscal responsibility and investing in learning
We are charged with being good stewards of public resources and that is why we are working hard in these negotiations to invest only in things that truly matter.  Additional time for teachers and students is critical. This is why even in these tough financial times we have prioritized our expenditures and proposed revising the salary schedule and providing additional pay to cover the additional time teachers would be working on behalf of students.  We feel this is a long term investment in student success.

As superintendent, I represent all Minneapolis stakeholders in these negotiations—our students, parents, taxpayers and many others. I will continue to keep the school district’s focus on students and our work to improve and enhance our schools.

Sincerely,

Bernadeia H. Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools