Reports to the 2022 Education Minnesota Representative Convention
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Reports to the 2022 Education Minnesota Representative Convention
Table of contents
President’s report 2
Vice President’s report 3
Secretary-Treasurer’s report 5
Executive Director’s report 7
Education Minnesota Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning report 10
Retired report 12
ESI leadership report 14
Field Services report 19
General Counsel/Legal Department report 26
Finance/IT/Membership reports 32
Human Resources report 34
Professional Practice, Research and Organizing Department report 40
Public Affairs department report 48
page 1President’s report Denise Specht, president Delegates, Welcome the 2022 Education Minnesota Representative Convention! For the first time since 2019 we’re gathering in person. We will do the work of our union and remember the challenges we’ve overcome during the pandemic. It has been two years of chaos, anxiety and stress, but our union has been there for each other. Take a minute to read the reports from all the Education Minnesota departments and you will read stories of commitment, endurance and resilience from the staff who work for you. At the convention itself, you will hear from our classroom colleagues. Our union is raising up the stories of members more than ever before because we’ve never before had school years like 2020-21 and 2021-22. Finally, between the official union work, we will find time to talk, dance and celebrate what I’m calling the Great Resilience as our union springs back and demands changes to an unsustainable status quo in public education. Welcome back to the annual representative convention, Education Minnesota. It’s going to be a great weekend because we will all be there … Together, President Denise Specht Education Minnesota page 2
Vice President’s report
Ryan Fiereck, vice president
Welcome Back/Hello Members,
It is awesome to see everyone in person for our 2022 Education Minnesota Representative Convention. I am excited
to see the work we are going to do. No longer confined to a box with pixels or volume control we get to display our
union pride with our friends next to us.
It has been an interesting year for the role of Vice President of Education Minnesota. The position was held by Bernie
Burnham until her historic election to president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO. It would dismissive if we did not recognize
her accomplishments in the role this year. Hey Bernie, what would you like to share?
From Bernie:
Thank you, Education Minnesota members. I’m proud of the time I spent as Education Minnesota Vice President. I’m able
to take the experiences we have shared with me and apply them to my current role as Minnesota AFL-CIO President.
This year I’m most proud of our work at Education Minnesota around racial equity. Our team, made up of members
and staff, has brought forward important discussions that can help drive our work. Education Minnesota’s addition
of Athelgra WIlliams as Education Minnesota’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has provided support to help
our organization move forward with an equity lens at the table of directors.
I want to personally thank Bernie for leading this organization with grace. Her skills are missed but I am proud to be
a member of the Minnesota AFL-CIO with her as our president.
Since joining the team in February it has been quite a ride. In the role of Vice President, I have had the chance to engage
and support members in many different forms.
Pensions
Our members engaged in member driven movement around pensions. I have had the pleasure of serving as Chair
of our Pension Task Force. We have reviewed the strength and needs of our members statewide pensions. Special
focus was given to our members renewed call for Rule of 90. As with many changes in statewide topics like this, the
work is not quick, but it is important. I am excited to see this work mature and continue to be a statewide conversation
on how we retain members and best prepare them for the next stages in their journeys.
Member Support
Moving into Vice President at this time allowed me the chance to support our members in negotiation actions, member
engagement or their communities. I well with pride seeing the growth of our locals as they take on the challenges
on behalf of our students. The challenges our locals have stepped up to and conquered are no small feat. To see the
support that Education Minnesota and its staff were able to provide to our locals in their time of need is humbling. As
we look toward the future, I am excited to see the awesome possibilities for our locals, leaders, and members.
page 3Other roles: • Executive Committee • Legislator contacts, especially targeting Republican • Personnel Committee outreach • Organizing For Settlement Fund • Officer IO Visits • Pension Task Force • Foundation Board of Trustees • Political Action Committee In closing it is important to say thank you to all of you and our members. In the years that made us distant our local leaders face real issues in real learning spaces. We have done so by presenting our members and communities. Those solutions may have looked different statewide, but everyone did their best to create opportunities for learning that never seen possible. Whether you were in person or remote with your students you always keep your doing your best. Our members put smiles on for our students. The smiles might have been through tears but you made the best out of your learning. page 4
Secretary-Treasurer’s report
Rodney Rowe, secretary-treasurer
Thank you for attending the 2022 Education Minnesota Representative Convention. The work you are about to do as an
elected delegate to this year’s convention is vitally important. Serving as your Secretary-Treasurer and working with the
elected leaders and members of Education Minnesota has been rewarding and I continue to welcome the opportunities
to visit your locals, your classrooms and your workplaces as we face the educational challenges of today as educators.
It is my pleasure to report to you my activities and involvement over the past year.
Virtual trainings and local treasurer/membership calls
Virtual training opportunities were offered to treasurer, secretary and membership chairs throughout the year. I have
worked closely with the Finance and Membership departments to help provide trainings related to local finances,
creating a local budget, reconciling membership rosters, internal audit committees, federal compliance requirements,
membership applications, meeting minutes, and document retention. Since the 2021 Representative Convention,
I have had the opportunity to work with the local membership/treasurer contact in about 200 locals or Intermediate
Organizations throughout the state through the various trainings that have been offered. In the fall of 2021, I started
holding a monthly virtual meeting to present on membership or treasurer topics and answer any questions that the
local treasurer/membership contact might have. I have also provided one-on-one assistance to various locals whenever
a local requests it.
Newsletters, handbooks and communication
An electronic newsletter for treasurers and membership contacts is sent out on a regular basis, September through June,
which provides locals with relevant information to assist them in their work. The Treasurer’s handbook was last updated
in 2019 and is distributed to all incoming new treasurers in the fall or as requested. The handbook for membership chairs
is distributed on a yearly basis since it contains all the updates for the transmittal of dues, how they are calculated and
the amounts that dues have been set at. Updated resources and a copy of the treasurer and membership handbooks
are found in the member portal section on the Education Minnesota website (www.educationminnesota.org).
Budget and Finance Committee
As the Secretary-Treasurer, I serve as chair of Education Minnesota’s Budget and Finance Committee. The committee
participates in developing Education Minnesota’s annual budget, reviewing the financial statement of activities at
each meeting, discussing and reviewing the annual audit, and overseeing the Education Minnesota Investment Policy.
Monthly, the committee monitors the critical benchmarks on the financial dashboard which could lead to the need
to make adjustments within the current budget.
Dues Review Committee
The Education Minnesota Dues Review Committee was convened this past year to do a thorough review of the dues and
assessments with a focus on the amount of dues that ECFE/ABE educators are assessed when many of them are paid
on a subpar salary schedule. While conducting the review, the committee remained focused on making sure that any
proposals are changes that reflect our guiding principles of fairness, equity, stability and building union strength. From
the committee’s work, three bylaw proposals were submitted to be considered at the year’s Representative Convention.
page 5Committees and boards
In addition to the above work, I serve as a member (either active or ex-officio) to the following:
• Budget and Finance Committee, Chair • Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee
• Constitution and By-Law Committee • Executive Committee
• Council of Local Presidents • Governing Board
• Credentials Committee • Human Rights Committee
• Economic Services Incorporated (ESI) Board, Treasurer • Intermediate Organization Leaders
• Education Minnesota 401(k) Advisory Committee • Investment Committee
• Education Minnesota Employee Pension Advisory • Legislative Action Committee
Committee • Officer Compensation Committee
• Education Minnesota Foundation Board of Trustees, • Organizing for Settlement Committee, Treasurer
Treasurer • Personnel/Employment Committee
• Education Minnesota Insurance Labor Management
• Political Action Committee
Committee
• RC Rules Committee
• Educational Support Professionals Council of Local
• Statement of Principles Committee
President
• Elections Committee
Member services work
• Organizing for Settlement Fund, Assessment Facilitator • Minnesota Book Awards, Attendee
• Beat the Odds, Children’s Defense Fund Dinner • Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Program Board
• ESI Golf Tournament Fundraiser Participant of Directors
• Local Negotiations Rallies and Special Events
State and national activities
• AFT TEACH, Attendee • Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) –
• National Council of State Education Association Officer Liaison
- Conferences/Trainings/Presenter • St Paul Teacher’s Retirement Fund Association
• NEA Leadership Summit, Presenter (SPTRFA) – Officer Liaison
• NEA Representative Convention, Delegate • Summer Seminar, Presenter
• NEA Secretary-Treasurer’s Role Alike Liaison • Teachers’ Retirement Association (TRA) –
Officer Liaison
• NEA Secretary-Treasurer’s Trainings, Presenter
• United Educators Credit Union Scholarship Selection
Committee
page 6Executive Director’s report
Carrie Lucking, executive director
I’ve been the Executive Director of Education Minnesota for 5 months, but I have been in and around our union for 20
years. I am so proud to be a part of this union. As a member for 10 years, local activist, member of the governing board,
and general thorn-in-the-side of many; I learned that we are more powerful when we work together. After working
on behalf of all of you in multiple roles at Education Minnesota, I see the opportunity to serve as executive director as
a one-in-a-lifetime chance to work alongside the officers, governing board, local leaders, staff and members to make
a positive difference in the lives of educators and students.
As I told the interview committee when I sought this role, public education is the most critical thing we do in our society.
It is at a breaking point. But we also have a unique opportunity to demand better for ourselves and our students as we
recover from the pandemic. What does better look like? It can be hard to imagine when reality is stiflingly overwhelming.
But our members have told us that better looks like racially just schools where every single student, no exceptions, can
succeed. Better is prep time that is preserved, not squandered or taken. Better is classrooms that allow for individual
attention; schools that can meet the overwhelming mental health needs of students and staff; ESP jobs that pay living
wages; and more. In short, fully funded, fully resourced schools—better education. Call me an idealist, but I believed
that this was possible when I started teaching. I still believe it today. I believe it’s possible because we have strong
locals that are supported by talented staff.
I serve as the chief-of-staff for your union. In that role, I work with the talented, diligent, thoughtful, passionate Education
Minnesota staff. They are your—and our organization’s—greatest resource. No other organization or union can at the
same time help you build a local campaign, advocate for stable annual funding at the Legislature, work to get pro-union
school board candidates elected, support your bargaining team in winning important contract provisions, help you
pass a referendum and ensure that a colleague gets a mental health leave before they quit their job. We have experts
who defend your license. We have lawyers who fight for your right to express yourself and the right of all workers
to organize. We have finance staff who help you keep your books and file your 990s. We have field staff who if they don’t
know something (they usually do), they will find it. We simultaneously keep up several social media accounts for you
to share an excellent lesson idea or when you need a great meme to give you a laugh. Your staff is here to make you
successful in all of the glamorous and unglamorous work that you do - for all the big and small feats that you take on.
As a staff, our work is to carry out the mission and vision of our members. The Governing Board set three core priorities
for the 2021-22 school year. These goals encompass much of the work we do across the organization. Since January 2022,
departments have been working collaboratively to align their work with these organizational priorities. The priorities are:
• Priority 1: Racial equity. Co-create equitable schools and antiracist unions that welcome all, no matter their color,
orientation, economic status, religion, abilities or ZIP code.
• Priority 2: Full funding. Establish a full and permanent funding system for our schools to have the resources they
need to deliver the education our students deserve from early childhood to post-secondary.
• Priority 3: Strong locals. Grow the voice of educators at the local and state level to be powerful, trusted advocates
for public education.
What we have accomplished together living through a pandemic cannot be overstated. Actions—big and seemingly
small—of unity, solidarity and strength have bolstered our colleagues and preserved our profession through incredible
challenges. As you all adapted—through interruptions, changes in learning models, a critical shortage of grown-ups
in buildings, and much more—we adapted too.
We are proud of the work we do with and for you. Below is a non-exhaustive list of some of the accomplishments
we’ve made in the past year, but I invite you to read the department reports to get a sense of the rich value of your
union membership.
page 7• Racial and social justice:
• Continued and expanded the groundbreaking work of our Racial Equity Advocates.
• Expanded equity-focused professional development offerings.
• Reviewed existing trainings in multiple departments with an equity lens.
• Advocated for equity-based changes to Minnesota’s seniority statute, teacher of color support, and proven strategies
to reduce the opportunity gap at the Legislature (some of which we won!).
• Expanded our forums for educators of color and supported local educator of color groups.
• Examined our current equity work and made strategic recommendations for future work on the Racial Justice
Planning Committee.
• Hired a Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
• Supported multiple locals in defeating candidates running on anti-equity platforms.
• Worked in coalition with Kids Count on Us to advocate for universal access to child care.
• Full funding:
• Supported unprecedented member activism during the 2021 legislative session that included thousands of member
phone calls and emails, hundreds of participants in virtual lobby days, 60+ local events or actions in support of school
funding and 20,000 petition signatures.
• Shut down the voicemail inboxes of multiple lawmakers with floods of phone calls supporting school funding at the
end of the regular legislative session.
• Supported multiple locals in advanced bargaining and bargaining for the common good initiatives to win significant
wage increases and/or bonuses, especially for ESP members.
• Supported the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and Education Support Professionals during their 3-week strike
that won history-making victories in both the teacher and ESP contract.
• Organized pressure campaigns, community events and rallies to support raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations
as a part of the We Make MN coalition.
• Strong locals:
• Supported locals in advocating around COVID safety and leave issues.
• Organized six new locals, including two large charter schools, bringing the power of unionism to more education
workers.
• Worked with several locals on rallies, school board demonstrations and community events as a part of contract
bargaining campaigns.
• Defended members’ rights at the building, district and PELSB levels.
• Helped locals negotiate contract provisions and MOUs to deal with the staffing crisis plaguing our schools.
• Defended the value of and need for prep time at the local and state levels.
• Provided over 20,000 high-quality professional development opportunities just on our online platform (MEA Online)
alone and provided member benefits sessions to hundreds of members.
• Embraced and helped locals build power as they were going through tragedies—school shootings, suicides, racial
tensions, anti-LGBTQ movements, attacks at school board meetings, and more.
• Supported early career educator retention with two groundbreaking programs, the Early Career Teaching Seminar,
a graduate-credit earning course provided to union members and Educators Leading the Profession, a mentorship
platform.
page 8As I write this, I realize that despite incredible adversity, we have made major gains together. Are we perfect? Absolutely
not. Are the conditions in our buildings and worksites acceptable? Unequivocally no. Do we have far more to do
to bend the arc of justice? Absolutely. But far too often, and especially when we are under assault, we forget to take
time to recognize how far we have come. This has been an incredibly hard year for our members. As a result, it is an
incredibly hard year for our staff and union. But we held one another up. We came through. We are more powerful as
a result of our victories and our failures.
I cannot wait to work more for and with all of you.
page 9Education Minnesota Foundation for Excellence
in Teaching and Learning report
Dayonna Knutson, director
Education Minnesota Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Staff
• Melissa Del Rosario, collaboration lab coordinator • Leah Vaughn, foundation assistant
Education Minnesota Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Board of Trustees:
• Tucker Quetone, Rochester, Congressional District 1, • Dawn Paro-Strother, Duluth, Congressional District 8
Foundation board president • Myriam Castro-Franco, Richfield, At-large
• OPEN, Congressional District 2 • Kent Quamme, MSCF, At-large
• Valarie McWilliams Jones, Osseo, Congressional • Becky Hespen, Osseo, ESP/At-large
District 3 • Sue Westegaard, Retired
• Lisa Nelson, Mounds View, Congressional District 4
• Denise Specht, Centennial (on leave), Education
• Kamille Wells, Minneapolis, Congressional District 5 Minnesota president
• Michelle Urevig-Grilz, Minneapolis, Congressional • Ryan Fiereck, St. Francis (on leave), Education
District 6 Minnesota vice president
• Peter Ray, Southwest West Central Service, • Rodney Rowe, Worthington (on leave), Education
Congressional District 7 Minnesota secretary-treasurer
Mission:
Education Minnesota Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning: Promoting vision, best practices, and
achievement.
Beliefs:
• We advocate continuous improvement in education and the practice of teaching.
• We believe quality educators are the key ingredient in quality public education.
• We believe in access to quality educational opportunities for all Minnesotans.
• We believe research-based applications provide the basis for improved teaching
• and learning.
• We believe Education Minnesota members committing their own financial resources to the Foundation promote
and provide for creative innovations in teaching and learning.
The Education Minnesota Foundation board continues to strive to meet the needs of educators by supporting innovative
projects, professional development and programs uniting educators with non-profit organizations to make systemic
change. The increased number of applications for grants during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic are
proof of the dedication educators have for the profession and the students in Minnesota.
The Foundation provides opportunities for members to be creative and implement new ideas in the classroom and the
school environment. Twenty-five Classroom-focused and Second Year Classroom-focused Grants were awarded in 2021-
22. These projects improve teaching and learning by expanding the scope and reach of a grantee’s classroom projects
The Foundation supports members’ individual efforts to improve their professional practice. Fifty-three Professional
Development Grants were awarded to education support professionals (ESPs), classroom teachers and higher education
faculty. These funds allow Education Minnesota members at all levels to engage in professional development. The
page 10National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) Scholarship was awarded to 10 members. The Foundation awarded two
IMPACT grants and one Second Year IMPACT grant that promotes the research, development and adoption of policies
and practices that become the basis for systemic change.
Melissa Del Rosario, the Collaboration Lab Coordinator, works with Minnesota’s educators, leadership and community
partners to build positive relationships that help create systems and structures that support collaboration, deepen
understanding of stakeholders, and provide honest feedback that can lead to better outcomes on a specific project.
By building towards the sustainability of these systems and structures, this work helps to ensure collaboration takes
place regardless of the personalities of stakeholders and that we reach positive outcomes on a shared goal, project
or objective.
Based on feedback from several months of 1:1 meetings, small and large group discussions and staff planning sessions,
the Collaboration Lab will now focus primarily on both increasing the diversity of applicants and lowering the barriers
for IMPACT grant applications to support these greater systemic changes in our public schools. Members can access
this support through three different pathways with Collaboration Lab staff:
1. Members can request consultation prior to completing grant applications,
2. Following an IMPACT grant denial, members may receive consultation and/or coaching to assist with future
applications, and/or
3. Exit interviews will now be required upon completion of an IMPACT grant to assist with the sustainability and
future of the work.
The next phase of the Collaboration Lab realignment will focus on developing a public relations strategy to ensure
these new systems of support are well advertised to the membership.
For more information about the grants and scholarships offered by the Education Minnesota Foundation or the
Collaboration Lab, please visit www.edmnfoundation.org. You may also contact Dayonna Knutson, Foundation Director,
at dayonna.knutson@edmn.org or 651-292-4834. For questions about the collaborative work in buildings or districts,
contact Melissa Del Rosario, Collaboration Lab Coordinator, at melissa.delrosario@edmn.org.
page 11Retired report President: Julie Jagusch Education Minnesota Retired tracks three different membership numbers: • Retired – members who have joined through a paid membership or through continuous membership. • Continuous membership – members who joined through continuous membership. • Continuous initial year – members who joined through continuous membership and 2021 was the initial year of retired membership. As of Aug. 31, 2021, Education Minnesota Retired had 8,624 members, 1,860 of those who joined through continuous membership and 604 of those who were in their initial year. Through the Education Minnesota Retired website, Facebook page, monthly Retired Insider e-newsletter, and ACTION newsletter, we effectively communicate with our members. Our website is updated frequently with an events calendar, newsletter postings, conference and meeting registration forms and more. In an effort to communicate more efficiently, Education Minnesota Retired is continuously working to enhance its database of email addresses. There has been limited activity since the last Retired Annual Meeting due to the continuation of the Coronavirus. We had to cancel our Fall Conference and our Fall Breakfast in 2021. We were able to hold a joint conference with the Wisconsin Education Association Council – Retired in November. This conference was held in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. We heard from NEA - Retired President Sarah Borgman, NEA Executive Committee member Ronald (Duff) Martin, and former NEA Executive Director John Stocks. The next joint conference is scheduled for November 2022 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In September 2022, we hope to hold a Fall Conference at Ruttger’s. However, we wait to see which of our activities we can resume, and when we can resume them. We continue to look for additional ways to better connect with our members. Retired members continue to be active in the political arena and contribute to the Education Minnesota PAC and NEA Fund for Children and Public Education. Several members of the Education Minnesota Governing Board regularly observe the virtual meetings of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement and work with the Public Employees Pension Coalition. Members will again be asked this fall to assist in elections. It is important that we continue to elect individuals who are supportive of our issues, such as a stable pension fund, health care and public education. We support Education Minnesota’s campaign for full funding of public education. The NEA-Retired Annual Meeting was held virtually last summer, from June 23-24. Nine Education Minnesota Retired delegates attended this meeting online and the virtual NEA Representative Assembly in July 2021. Delegates will be attending the NEA Retired Annual Meeting and the NEA Representative Assembly this coming June and July in Chicago. These meetings will be hybrid, with some delegates attending in person and some attending virtually. In addition, Education Minnesota member Roberta Margo is a member of the NEA-Retired Executive Committee, member Judy Rohde represents NEA-Retired on the NEA Board of Directors, and member Walt Munsterman serves on the AFT Retired Program and Policy Council. I want to thank the leadership of Education Minnesota, President Denise Specht, former Vice President Bernie Burnham, Interim Vice President Ryan Fiereck, and Secretary-Treasurer Rodney Rowe for their support of our organization. Vice President Burnham served as our liaison to the active organization and attended most of our events. The work of all members who have volunteered their time, including Retired Governing Board members, committee chairs and committee members, is very much appreciated. Additional thanks to all of our members who attended our virtual meetings and functions this past year. Without members, there would be no Education Minnesota Retired. page 12
The assistance from Education Minnesota staff -- Shelley MacDonald, Christine Thornborrow, Stephanie Berg and
Deborah Skog -- is very valuable to the operation of Education Minnesota Retired. Their support helps our organization
move forward.
Retired Governing Board
Effective April 23, 2022
• President: Julie Jagusch • Retired District 5 Director: Myrna Doran
• Vice President: Wes Tessman • Retired District 5 Director: Pixie Pixler
• Treasurer: Bob Millette • Retired District 6a Director: Bob Nystrom
• Secretary: Sharon Kjellberg • Retired District 6b Director: Susan Witt
• Past President: Larry Koenck • Retired District 7a Director: Roger Josephson
• Retired District 1a Director: Cathy Stringfield • Retired District 7b Director: Jayne Schwalbach
• Retired District 1b Director: Diane Larson • Retired District 8a Director: Roberta Margo
• Retired District 2a Director: Wes Hanna • Retired District 8b Director: Jan Cummings
• Retired District 2b Director: Vacant • At Large: Jeanne Brown-Kruesel
• Retired District 3 Director: Dan Larson • At Large: Walter Munsterman
• Retired District 3 Director: Elaine Rothman • At Large – ESP: John Lipke
• Retired District 4 Director: Joan Beaver • At Large – Higher Ed: Vacant
• Retired District 4 Director: Judy Rohde
Committee chairs
• Bylaws: Walter Munsterman • Membership: Judy Rohde
• Communications: Myrna Doran/Lori Nord • Nominations and Elections: Jayne Schwalbach
• Finance: Bob Millette • Program: Lois Wendt
• Legislative Action: Joan Beaver • Statements of Principal: Wes Tessman
Education Minnesota Retired staff
• Shelley MacDonald • Deborah Skog
• Christine Thornborrow • Stephanie Berg
page 13ESI leadership report Peter Eckhoff, ESI board chair Shelley MacDonald, ESI executive director The 2020-21 fiscal year was another extraordinary year for members and ESI business partners. Although there was a return to classrooms, the pandemic still continued to challenge educators. Cue member benefits and our ability to help members save time, money and provide peace of mind when their professional lives are so complicated. ESI and its partners continued to work with and through local leaders, field staff and directly with members to provide much- needed resources to meet their needs. Inquiries and planning for an earlier retirement, as well as questions about mental health resources, were top of mind for educators. Mission ESI remains committed to empower members to maximize their hard-earned dollars, plan for their future and protect themselves and loved ones by providing member-only programs and services. Using the bargaining power of more than 80,000 members, ESI negotiates discounts and special benefit options on programs for members, thereby strengthening their connection to the union. The member-led ESI advisory committee regularly reviews programs and provides valuable insight and feedback to ensure programs are relevant and meet the needs of all members. ESI also helps members find value in benefits provided by the national unions, AFT and NEA. Support, commitment and partnership with Education Minnesota Although ESI is self-supporting, the revenue generated from members participating in benefit programs goes right back to members and the organization in the form of programming, education and contributions. ESI makes significant contributions to Education Minnesota to enhance events and the overall member experience. • Identity theft recovery plan for active members, compliments of ESI ($63,000) • Advertising support: ads in the Educator, local and IO calendars/desk calendars ($23,000) • Educational seminars for members all across the state • ESI rents office space in several EdMN field offices so EFS Advisors can conveniently meet with members in the locals they service ($77,000) • ESI makes an annual contribution to the Education Minnesota Foundation from funds raised at the annual charitable golf tournament ($42,000 - $849,000 since the tournament’s inception in 1993) Financial strength In fiscal 2020-21, participation in member benefits generated $1,289,536 in revenue, offset by $804,281 in expenses and $143,243 in income taxes. ESI remains well-poised to continue to support Education Minnesota and individual members through contributions, service and consumer education. page 14
Financial overview
FY 2020-21 FY 2019-20 FY 2018-19
Total Revenue 1,289,536 1,063,353 1,187,000
Total Expenses 804,281 768,403 814,000
Taxes 143,243 85,249 170,000
Net Income 342,012 209,701 266,000
Member-driven, member-approved programs
The ESI advisory committee is comprised of members from each Education Minnesota election district and all
membership categories. The committee reviews programs and makes recommendations for sponsorship. In order
to determine whether a program is worthy of sponsorship, the committee uses such selection criteria as price, value,
integrity of the company providing the product or service, the company’s commitment to members and the organization
and more. At the January 2021 meeting, ESI advisory committee members reviewed four existing programs: Tradition
Mortgage, the PerksConnect online discount program, and the Travelers and Liberty Mutual auto and home insurance
programs. All of the programs were recommended for continuous sponsorship. The committee also met in April 2021
to discuss the role of the committee in bringing benefits direct to members via the member benefit ambassador program.
page 15Ambassadors provide local level engagement The member benefit ambassador program was launched in 2019 when ESI teamed up with NEA Member Benefits to become the first state to pilot the ambassador program. Member ambassadors see the added value of member benefits as a way to engage members. Initially, there were four ambassadors promoting member benefits in their locals, including Barnesville, Dakota County United Educators, New London Spicer and Osakis. Recently, the ambassador program has expanded to include ESI advisory committee members since they represent all parts of the state and all membership categories. Ambassadors provide opportunities for members to learn about ESI, NEA and AFT benefit programs. Through 10-minute member benefits meetings and convenient electronic enrollment for complimentary benefits such as the identity theft recovery plan, ambassadors play a critical role in shining a spotlight on the added value these programs provide to members. In addition to ready-to-go links, flyers and short benefit highlights prepared by ESI and NEAMB, ambassadors have been quite creative. ESI creates opportunities for ambassadors to share their creative messaging with one another and also provides a suggested calendar of topics so it’s as easy as possible for the ambassador to share with their colleagues. With the return to more in-person meetings and events, opportunities to engage will increase. Retirement readiness Forty-five EFS Advisors located across Minnesota stand ready to help members plan for retirement. Advisors encourage early career educators to begin contributing to 403(b) accounts and help them understand the importance of budgeting and saving with through tax-deferred accounts. Members closer to retirement are generally interested in learning page 16
about their pension options, how to coordinate with supplemental savings/investment plans and what to expect from
social security. EFS Advisors can also assist members with life insurance, legacy planning, college savings planning
and more. Members have opened over 39,000 accounts with EFS Advisors since the program sponsorship in 1989.
Almost 950 accounts were opened in the 2020-21 school year.
Another way members learn about planning for retirement is through ESI’s financial and retirement planning seminars.
While normally held at Education Minnesota field offices, these seminars have gone virtual for the last two years.
Redeveloping our seminars to work well in a virtual setting was a much-needed change and continues to be well
received by educators. Member feedback shows they appreciate the condensed and convenient one-hour virtual format.
When we return to in-person seminars, we will continue to offer some virtual sessions to reach more members when
and where it’s convenient for them. So far in the 2021-22 fiscal year, we have already provided 38 virtual seminars.
Work in progress
Meeting members’ needs
In 2021, ESI set out to develop a new communication strategy based on data obtained from member surveys and
focus groups. The overall goals are to ensure we are doing our very best to meet the needs of all members, and not
only have confidence in the programs we offer, but also the way in which we communicate their value to members.
With that in mind, a request went out to Education Minnesota members—looking for member volunteers to be part
of a series of focus groups. There were many interested members and the (virtual) seats filled up quickly. Volunteers
represented teachers, ESPs and members of color, as well as urban, ex-urban and rural Minnesota.
The data coming out of the focus groups has shed some light on communication preferences, including the method
and frequency with which members want to hear from us. Additionally, there was a clear consensus among focus
group participants that peer-to-peer recommendations and testimonials are more valuable than any other source.
This confirms that our work with the member benefit ambassador program is moving us in the right direction.
Colleague-to-colleague engagement
In the coming year, we will continue to expand the member benefit ambassador program in hopes of creating excitement
around member benefits. There are so many examples of members saving money, saving time and wishing they would
have known about ESI programs sooner. What better way to know a program provides value than by hearing about
it from a colleague/friend? That is what we have heard from members recently in focus groups. With that in mind, we
are going to use the recommendations from actual members to foster colleague-to-colleague testimonials.
Through regular communications and sharing of best practices, ambassadors will be empowered to share with their
colleagues how member benefits can help members in their personal and professional and lives and further strengthen
their connection to the union. We will pay close attention to what is working, what the member benefit ambassadors
are finding in their locals in terms of needs that aren’t being met and assist members when and where they need help.
Using a racial equity lens
ESI will use a racial equity lens when approaching all of our work. From our staff who work directly with
members, to those representing our advisory committee, to the companies who offer programs to members -
it is important that we seek to understand our own frames of reference, the potential bias in these frames
and their impact on expectations for and relationships with members we are working with. Additionally, ESI will work
with all sponsored program providers to ensure their program offerings are designed to meet the needs of all members.
We will examine barriers that may exist when it comes to participation in member benefit programs and work to provide
solutions. Some initial steps of the plan include:
• Cultural competency training for ESI staff and business partners.
• Focus groups – subsequent work to identify barriers with programs and seek out additional programs to meet needs.
page 17• Committee representation – work toward diversity among member representation. • Review current programs and identify potential barriers. Created in 1973, ESI is the member benefit arm of Education Minnesota, created to offer products and services to enhance members’ economic status by providing programs of exceptional value. As a for profit subsidiary of Education Minnesota, ESI is self-supporting and all ESI revenues inure to the benefit of the membership and the organization. ESI staff • Stephanie Berg, office and events specialist • Shelley MacDonald, executive director • Deb Skog, office and events specialist • Christine Thornborrow, marketing director page 18
Field Services report
Rob Gardner, director
The Field Services Department works directly with local leaders and members to empower them through advocacy and
organizing. We connect members, leaders and locals with statewide Education Minnesota programs and resources.
Field Services supports locals in membership recruitment and retention efforts, including assisting locals with developing
and implementing member recruitment activities and member engagement plans. Field staff and field office professional
staff assist locals with membership processing and rosters as well as help support local membership contacts.
We deliver training to leaders and members on a wide variety of topics, with a focus on building local union strength. Field
staff and organizers lead trainings on member rights advocacy, contract negotiations, organizing skills and tactics, and
leadership development. Staff also deliver trainings on special topics and areas related to educator relicensure credits.
We work with bargaining teams and local settlement teams to help negotiate collective bargaining agreements. We
help locals defend their collective bargaining agreements through member rights advocacy and organizing. We advise
and represent members to uphold their rights.
We support locals in their issue organizing and member engagement efforts. We organize new locals. We advise local
leaders on education issues and help with professional development. We coordinate Education Minnesota campaign
and lobby efforts with locals and Intermediate Organizations.
As of this report, we represent:
• 471 locals of licensed pre-K-12 members in public and private schools, education districts and state residential
schools. Within the 471 locals we have:
• Six charter school locals.
• Four private school locals.
• 111 education support professional locals.
• 39 local chapters, covering 47 campuses, in our Minnesota State College Faculty state affiliate.
• One faculty union at UM-Duluth and UM-Crookston.
Since last year’s Representative Convention, Education Minnesota has added the following new locals:
• Brainerd Confidential Employees ESP.
• Great River School Union (charter school).
• Hiawatha Academies Workers Union (charter school).
• Ortonville ESP.
• Springfield ESP.
• West Central Education District.
We also had one local—Grand Rapids Secretaries Local #4849—decertify in September 2021.
Over the past year, Field Services has undergone significant changes in the department, both in terms of structure
and staff.
In Fall 2021, as the result of studies of our field and organizing programs, Education Minnesota decided to move three
organizing specialists from the Policy and Professional Practice department to Field Services. At the same time, the
Education Minnesota Governing Board authorized the hiring of three additional organizing specialists. This reorganization
will better support locals in their organizing efforts, as well as streamline and coordinate the work of field staff and
field organizing specialists.
page 19Field staff and organizing specialists are starting their collaborative teamwork with 49 locals across the state, with
a goal to help the locals develop additional capacity to engage members on issues of local importance. These are
longer-term projects aimed at creating sustainable structures, develop leaders, and build power within our locals..
In addition to this longer-term capacity-building work, field staff and organizing specialists—often along with
communications staff—work to support locals on more immediate, short-term projects. For example, if a local
is experiencing challenges in bargaining, a staff team may be assembled to assist the local in identifying immediate
needs and working to address the challenges.
The department has also seen a number of changes with staff due to several retirements and transfers over the past
year. An asterisk (*) below indicates the staff member is new either to the specific assignment or new to Education
Minnesota staff since last year’s Representative Convention.
Leadership team
• Rob Gardner, director of field services
• Sarah Derdoski*, manager of field and organizing
• Dan Rivera, manager of field services
• Sara Schumacher*, executive assistant
Field offices
Anoka Detroit Lakes
• Jennifer Adriaens, Field office assistant • Libby Erickson*, Field staff
• Anna Dougherty, Field staff • Rhonda Hopkins, Field office assistant
• David Hoaglund, Field staff • Michelle Jensen, Field staff
• David Kundin, Field staff • Blake Plankers, Field staff
• Becky Marshman*, Field office assistant Duluth
Apple Valley • Kathleen Adee, Field staff
• Teresa Gregory, Field office assistant • Evan Sandstede, Field staff
• Cheryl Rosheim, Field staff • Melinda Thibault*, Field office assistant
• Aaron VanMoorlehem, Field staff Hibbing
Bemidji • Joe Cerar*, Field staff
• Andrea Johnson, Field office assistant • Sarah Hron, Field office assistant
• Vanessa Pulkrabek, Field staff • Evan Sandstede, Field staff
• Kevin Young, Field staff Mankato
Brooklyn Park • Scott Allen, Field staff
• Dorothy Abellard*, Field office assistant • Jan Anderson, Field staff
• Beth Anderson, Field staff • Donna Leff, Field office assistant
• Duane Anderson, Field staff • Brian Triplett*, Field staff
• Jillian Anderson, Field office assistant
New Brighton
• Paul Seeba*, Field staff • Barb Palma, Field office assistant
• Jeremy Swensen, Field staff
page 20Rochester • Windom
• Bret Behnke*, Field staff • Alicia Entinger, Field office assistant
• Kathy Erie, Field office assistant • Brian Michelson*, Field staff
• Linda Pfeilsticker*, Field staff • James Schmidt, Field staff
• Karen Martinez*, Field office assistant Woodbury
• Curt Rock, Field staff • Alyssa Mueller, Field staff
Southwest Metro • Wendy Nelson, Field office assistant
• Luke Fernholz, Field staff • Kevin Nielsen, Field staff
• Marie Fernholz, Field staff • Tony Vega, Field staff
• Dennis Fischer, Field staff • Steve Winge, Field staff
• Christeen Gotsch, Field office assistant MSCF (Minnesota State College Faculty)
• Eric Herrmann, Field staff • Molly Adams*, Executive assistant
• Deb Johnson, Field staff • Renate Behrendt, Field office assistant
• Bonita Jones, Field staff • Kari Ann Cruz, Field staff
• Taylor Marinkovich, Field office assistant • Charles Dykstra, Field staff
• Katy Tharaldson*, Field staff • Matt Ryg, Field staff
St. Cloud
• Rose Lendt*, Field staff
• Emily Mateo, Field staff
• Jodi Meyer, Field staff
• Sandy Miller, Field staff
• Alexis Nelson-Sivertson* Field staff
• Kari Rehrauer*, Field staff
• Monica Sturm, Field office assistant
• Clara Waddell, Field office assistant
• Deb Zinda Hanson, Field office assistant
Field Organizing Team
• Amy Derwinski, Organizing specialist • Bridget Moore, Organizing specialist
• Jesse Dykhuis*, Organizing specialist • Ilissa Morrow*, Organizing specialist
• Sam Jasenosky, Organizing office assistant • Caitlin Reid*, Organizing specialist
• Kris Klein*, Organizing specialist
page 21Part-Time Field Staff Program The Education Minnesota Part-Time Field Staff program is designed to provide training and hands-on field staff work experience under the guidance of current field staff mentors. Part-time field staff employees continue to work full time as teachers or ESPs while working up to 300 hours per year for Education Minnesota. Each part-time field staff commits to a two-year appointment. Currently, part-time staff include: • Erin Azer, Woodbury office • Russ Hinrichs, Detroit Lakes office • Richard Bettini, Apple Valley office • Kari Peterson, St. Cloud office • Bret Dahlseid, Detroit Lakes office • Scott Robinson, Mankato office • Janie Gholston, Southwest Metro office • Sumair Sheikh, Duluth office • La Shawn Hankton, Anoka office • Kelly Sokolowski, Woodbury office Intermediate Organizations Intermediate organizations (IOs) are regional networks of locals—both ESP and teacher—working together on issues of common interest. Education Minnesota has 20 IOs across the state. Each IO has a unique voice, reflective of the geography, size, and history of its locals. The IOs are: • Cannon Valley UniServ • Great River Area Council • Metro West • Central Area Council • Great Southwest United • Mid-Minnesota United • Central Lakes United • Hiawatha Valley Teachers United • Minnesota Valley UniServ • Education Minnesota Central • Iron Range Service Unit • Northland United • Education • Kramer Brown • Northwest Metro Area Council Minnesota Western North • Lake Superior Service Unit • South Suburban United • Education • Metro Area Council • South Central Minnesota UniServ Minnesota Western South IOs promote strong, effective locals. They foster solidarity among locals, and they provide support systems that allow members to develop at the local, regional and state levels. The IO philosophy is driven by the belief that locals will achieve their objectives most effectively by acting in unison with other locals. Each IO has an assigned field staff and field office assistant who work to support the IOs’ leaders and activities. This year, as the pandemic continued, IOs expanded how they schedule meetings and events. Many IOs have adopted a blend of in-person, hybrid and virtual meetings to meet member needs, and IOs have promoted union skill-building and professional development both through in-person drive-ins and seminars as well as through MEA Online. One positive learning from the pandemic is the need to adapt and diversify how we offer members entry-points to union work, and IOs are on the leading edge of this evolution. Higher Ed: Minnesota State College Faculty (MSCF) MSCF and Membership Minnesota State College Faculty (MSCF) is the exclusive representative for the college faculty at the two-year public colleges in Minnesota State. MSCF includes faculty who are instructors for technical programs, liberal arts/general education, farm and small business management programs, librarians, and counselors. MSCF has approximately 4,400 faculty members in the bargaining unit at this time. Contract language requires that 70 percent of faculty statewide have full-time permanent continuing appointments, while 30 percent are in temporary appointments. As of March, the MSCF overall membership rate is 63.9 percent, and is down from 66 percent the previous year. Campaign, Political and Governmental Relations page 22
MSCF conducted a virtual lobby week during the 2022 legislative session. The virtual kick off began with a town hall-style
event on MSCF legislative priorities and messaging, how to best use meeting time with legislators, and how to lobby
effectively. The kick off town hall was followed by several days of members holding meetings with their area legislators.
Governance and Leadership
MSCF leaders have been meeting virtually since the beginning of the pandemic. This includes two Delegate Assemblies
(DAs). The DA is the highest level of governance within MSCF and involves approximately 200 delegates from chapters
across the state. In addition, as of the writing of this report, the election for MSCF president and MSCF secretary was
in process.
Member Rights, Organizing and Negotiations
MSCF has been pushing back on the new course delivery modality of “hyflex.” The MnState system created this course
delivery mode during the pandemic without bargaining the terms and conditions with MSCF. This has been identified
as a priority for the organization and they have filed a class action grievance, in addition to bargaining proposals
defining the work and compensation.
MSCF has seen an erosion of faculty counselors on two-year college campuses over the past decade. In many situations,
counselors who have either retired or been laid off have been replaced by psychologists, social workers, and other
mental health providers. While MSCF acknowledges that these professionals can be important in meeting the needs
of students, MSCF asserts that counselors play the essential role at the campus level. As a second priority to the
aforementioned “hyflex” assignments, MSCF has forwarded this matter to the Education Minnesota legal department
for arbitration.
MSCF is negotiating its next contract and has met with the employer’s bargaining team on multiple occasions over
the past year. In this round of negotiations, MSCF enlisted NEA resources in support of its efforts at the bargaining
table. An audit of MnState fiscal data compiled by the NEA-Higher Ed division revealed that the MnState system has
enhanced its financial resources by over 20 percent since 2018. Additionally, an NEA costing spreadsheet, coupled with
close scrutiny of the fiscal data provided by MnState at the bargaining table, has shown that the employer routinely
overestimates the costs associated with MSCF bargaining proposals.
To effectively engage members in the bargaining process, MSCF has developed Bargaining Action Teams (BATs) on
campuses across the state. One result of this process has been much more widespread and decentralized engagement
with contract negotiations. MSCF members generated 360+ letters from faculty to the Minnesota State bargaining team
to demonstrate the priority and urgency of faculty contract proposals. Organizing to support bargaining is ongoing.
University Education Association
The University Education Association (UEA) represents faculty at the University of Minnesota Duluth and Crookston
campuses.
Membership
Membership is holding steady at 58 percent. The local hosts several meetings with potential members to share with
them the value of joining the UEA. Membership applications continue to come in throughout the year.
Negotiations
UEA settled a two-year contract in August 2021. They fought a good fight and had some victories that they intend
to build upon in 2023. The local continues to advocate for term faculty employment stability and a professional salary.
Member Rights
UEA emphasizes member rights and grievance processing as part of their recruitment efforts. Several issues reach
the executive committee each year and they are fully discussed and processed.
page 23Organizing UEA continues to focus on recruitment and retention of members. In June 2021, the Organizing and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committees participated in a full day of training facilitated by several Education Minnesota staff. Each committee left with a plan for the 2021-22 academic year. Social Justice The DEI Committee has a spring union labor film series scheduled with an emphasis on how unions have lifted the wages and working conditions for all workers. They are focused on amplifying underrepresented members in the local. Education Minnesota Aspiring Educators The Education Minnesota Aspiring Educators (EMAE) program consists of 4,667 individuals currently enrolled in a teacher preparation program at a Minnesota college or university. While the program traditionally boasts closer to 6,000 members, declining enrollment in teacher prep programs nationwide has most certainly impacted the program in Minnesota as well. Aspiring educators typically join the program as a matter of course, as one of the benefits of membership is no-cost liability insurance—which is a student teaching and practicum requirement for most colleges and universities. However, as is the case with all union memberships, there are many other benefits that program staff work to engage aspiring educators in. The program’s structure mirrors that of a traditional union, with an elected statewide council and chapter (campus- based) presidents. The council typically holds five official business meetings each year, and two additional informal social gatherings. The council also hosts two conferences each year—one in the fall and one in the spring. The spring conference will be April 8-9 in the Twin Cities area. The conference will include a heavy focus on gathering information from members about how the EMAE program can better respond to and serve their needs as aspiring educators—information program staff will use to inform strategic planning for the program for the coming year. EMAE members build their leadership skills and participate in several leadership opportunities, including the Education Minnesota Representative Convention, NEA Aspiring Educator Conference, NEA Representative Assembly, and the Teacher of the Year committee. The EMAE staff team is working to continue its engagement with chapters and advisors by providing training on campuses. The entire EMAE program is excited for the opportunity to connect face-to-face when we can safely return to some semblance of normal. Organizing For Settlement Fund As defined in Education Minnesota’s Constitution and Bylaws, locals may access funding through the Organizing for Settlement Fund to support locals’ efforts to negotiate strong collective bargaining agreements. To access funds, locals must first request an assessment meeting by submitting an email to the Education Minnesota president. Following the assessment meeting, the local submits a written assessment and organizing plan to the Organizing for Settlement Fund Committee for consideration. As locals settle their contracts, they submit receipts and documentation to Education Minnesota within 60 days of ratification in order to have 80 percent of eligible expenses converted to a grant, subject to Organizing for Settlement Committee and Governing Board approval. There are currently 105 locals in various phases of the Organizing for Settlement Fund process (from initial assessment meeting request to funds outstanding for settled contracts). There are 89 active loans that total $2,084,461.06. While all locals with loans from the 2019-21 cycle have settled contracts, several loans are still active; the various pandemic school closings and learning model transitions have slowed the submission of some documentation needed to transition loans into final grants. page 24
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