November 6 has been marked on many calendars for a long time. It is Election Day, and we’ve rarely seen a midterm election that holds such importance as we do this year. Whether it’s national, state, or local races, they all seem to hold greater sway than they have in some time.
As a teacher, there is one that holds more importance than any other this year, that of the race for the governor of Minnesota. And this race should be very important to anybody in Minnesota who has any relation to a public school and students right now and in the years to come (which is just about everybody).
Simply put, if the Republican party gains control of the Governor’s mansion to go along with the legislature, they will quite likely radically change the outlook of education in this state. They have been making attempts the past few years to take away the power of unions through legislation that has failed to escape the governor’s veto pen. And I’m not just talking about teachers’ unions, but all unions.
The proposed laws have tried to remove collective bargaining power from unions, taking away the right to fight for a fair contract, a safe work environment, proper insurance, and many other items which benefit and enhance the working person who has chosen to belong to a union.
Now I know what some of you will say. Those darn teachers, always wanting more. The fact of the matter is that if these union rights go away, the number of people entering the field of teaching will decrease. Teaching is a difficult profession, but the benefits that go with being able to negotiate in good faith for a fair contract help balance out those trials.
If fewer teachers are out there, an already shrinking workforce could face treacherous terrain. Areas such as special education don’t have nearly enough quality candidates for positions. One area contracts deal with is language that helps special education teachers with the amount of work they are obligated to do, above and beyond an average teacher. Areas like math and science, where there are fewer people all the time, will face an even greater challenge to fill those spots.
In my experience as a union negotiator at NRHEG, we have worked WITH our school board and administration to form our contracts. If both sides bargain in good faith and look out for, ultimately, the best interests of the students, it is a powerful tool in education. Nobody ever gets everything they want, but that’s how negotiation works. Always looking out for the students is the key, and every educator, whether a teacher, para-professional, administrator, or other school personnel should always think of that while negotiating.
But the Republican leadership has worked to take away those rights. The collaboration that bargaining allows has created working conditions that keep teachers wanting to come back. These could go backward in a cost-cutting move if there are changes in our state law. Plus, if you’re outside the high-income areas of places like the suburbs, where wealthier people pay more in property taxes, thus giving more to the schools, you’ll face a recruiting dilemma. Many of those districts already have larger dollar amounts on their contracts. These potential changes would only exacerbate the problem.
Put it this way: NRHEG’s tax base is nowhere close to Edina or Anoka or even Owatonna. Those schools can afford to pay out more since their tax base is greater. Take away the bargaining rights and NRHEG could face an even greater disadvantage in finding great teachers. Small town locations will become stop-off locations for teachers; not many will stay when they can make substantially more elsewhere. That hurts our kids when you can’t retain quality staff.
At least with contracts as they are, those teaching unions in smaller districts can offset less money with some working conditions that make it attractive to stay. And this is another reason the voters need to make sure Tim Walz wins in his bid for governor.
I spoke to a college friend who teaches in Wisconsin, a state that changed the way some hope Minnesota will. I asked her about working conditions since Act 10 passed in 2011; her response is that it has devastated the teaching field. She teaches in a smaller district with high levels of poverty, similar to some of our rural districts, and pay raises, when they happen, have been barely noticeable.
As a result of that, teacher turnover has been tremendous. Good teachers retire early and young teachers jump around, searching for a chance to make more money. It’s sad when that happens; most teachers enter the profession to help kids, but under those laws, they are driven to worry about their bottom line instead of the lives they influence.
Teachers in Wisconsin can also be told they have to help with after-school activities without compensation. They don’t have a choice. So now their workday becomes that much longer, in addition to the work they likely do at home anyway to prepare for the next day in the classroom.
This is what Republicans want to bring to Minnesota. They want teachers who have no voice in their districts and few rights to ensure a good working environment. They want to lower the costs of educating our youth, our most precious resource. As a result, our current, sturdy education structure would start to waver, impacting thousands of children.
I can’t imagine this is something we want for our children and grandchildren. We want educators who are recognized for the work they do and are given a voice in a collaborative effort to give all our children a bright future. Please vote for Tim Walz for governor on November 6.
Word of the Week: This week’s word is exacerbate, which means to aggravate or irritate, as in, “The teenager only managed to exacerbate his parents by arguing about his curfew.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!