District to Negotiate New Teacher Contracts in Coming Weeks: Leader Letter

Editor's Note: The following is a the latest editon of the Leader Letter from Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Bernadeia H. Johnson.

Dear MPS Partners and Friends,

I was thrilled that many of you were able to join me last month when I announced what I believe are the imperatives to reshaping the educational experience at Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). I announced MPS’ labor negotiations priorities, which include increasing instructional time, flexibility in hiring decisions, fiscal responsibility, the building of career ladders to promote teacher leadership and the development of partnership schools that exchange autonomy for accountability. I shared that we must shift together to advance our work and bring about the change that we want to see for our students. Visit the MPS website to learn more about Shift and watch the video featuring MPS students. 

Next week, MPS and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) will begin contract talks to negotiate the 2013-2015 teachers’ contract. MFT represents about 3,300 educators who serve as licensed teachers, nurses, social workers and speech pathologists in MPS and provide direct instruction and services to students in K-12 programs.

The teachers’ contract involves a majority of MPS employees. With contract talks beginning next week, we wanted to provide you with multiple ways to stay in touch with MPS throughout the negotiations process:

· Visit the MPS website Labor Negotiations page
· Subscribe to the negotiations newsletter
· “Follow” MPS on Twitter (@MPS_news)
· “Like” us on the Negotiations Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MPSnegotiations)

In 2012, the Minneapolis Board of Education approved a two-year contract with the MFT that added four instructional days to the district-wide calendar, gave teachers more time for planning, preparation and collaboration, and improved staffing stability in the school district’s most struggling schools. View last year’s newsletter describing the 2011-12 contract.

MPS has 16 individually negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreements and we are committed to working with them to ensure high quality education for all students and to continue our strategies to close the achievement gap and raise academic achievement for all students. To learn more about all of the agreements, view the collective bargaining agreements website.

We look forwarding to staying in touch with you throughout the summer. Thank you for standing with the 34,000 students we serve as we work to make every Minneapolis public school a school of choice for every family.

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