Latest news with #EducationMinnesota
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minnesota Legislature approves pension changes for teachers
May 20—ROCHESTER — The Minnesota Legislature has passed legislation that will allow Minnesota teachers to retire a little earlier, if they so choose. While it still needs the signature of Gov. Tim Walz, the bill, among other things, includes reform for teacher pensions, lowering the age at which educators can expect to begin their retirement. "This is a big victory for Minnesota teachers," said Denise Specht, president of the statewide teachers union Education Minnesota. "What we're doing with this bill is an opportunity to retire at the age of 60 with 30 years of experience." According to the Teachers Retirement Association, educators become eligible to retire as early as age 55. However, the size of their pension would be reduced by a percentage for every year between the time of their early retirement and the normal retirement age of 65. The TRA, however, stipulated that the reduction to their pension would be smaller if they were at least 62 years old with 30 years of service. With the passage of Monday's legislation, teachers are now able to take advantage of that same benefit two years earlier at the age of 60. Although there's still a reduction in the pension for retiring early, the penalty for doing so has also been reduced from 6% to 5% for those who qualify with their age and years of experience. Teachers and their school districts contribute to teacher pensions. As part of the new legislation, $40 million was also dedicated to the Minnesota Teacher Retirement Association, which is the organization that manages teachers' pension accounts. Teachers across the state have been advocating for pension reform for years. In 2023, the Legislature lowered the normal retirement age from 66 to 65. Teachers hired before July 1, 1989, have a career "Rule of 90," which allowed teachers to retire once their age and their years of teaching experience equaled that number. There has been an effort to amend legislation surrounding teachers' pensions in recent years, since teachers who began teaching after the change to the rule in 1989 are now reaching retirement age. Rochester Education Association President Vince Wagner said that although the new legislation is progressing in the right direction, there are teachers who would like to see even more reform to the system. "By no means are we done talking about pensions," Wagner said. "It's a step forward." Monday's legislation is the end result of teachers advocating for pension reform for years. "This victory could not have happened without the tens of thousands of educators who came together in union to write, call and rally for a retirement benefit that's fair, flexible and sufficient," Specht said in a statement. "This is what educators can accomplish when we work together." In addition to teachers' pensions, the bill also impacts public safety personnel. According to a press release from the Minnesota House of Representatives, personnel represented by the Public Employees Retirement Association police and fire, there will be "a three-year cost-of-living adjustment delay once they retire. A year would be taken off in the bill. They would also get a one-time 3% cost-of-living increase in 2026 and 1% annually thereafter. These changes come with a $17.7 million cost in each fiscal year. "At a cost of $2.3 million per year, every state patrol retiree would get a 1.25% annual cost-of-living increase — up from 1%," the release said.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Where things stand with just over 48 hours left of the Minnesota legislative session
Hundreds of Education Minnesota members gather in the Capitol Rotunda on May 17, 2025, to rally in support of improved pensions, pay and health care. Photo by Andrew VonBank/House Public Information Services. With just over 48 hours prior to the Legislature's mandatory adjournment midnight Monday, lawmakers are still struggling to resolve a few key issues as they aim for a two-year budget to fund everything from roads to schools, parks, health and social services. Several large budget bills have yet to be negotiated between the 67-67 divided House and the Democratic-controlled Senate — health and human services, education, a potential infrastructure package and a tax bill — i.e., the most complex and contentious. The lack of movement on these bills makes a special session all the more likely. Legislative leaders say they anticipate a one-day special session prior to Memorial Day, though it could be longer. Lawmakers have to pass a budget by June 30 or the government will shut down. Among the major sticking points: cutting MinnesotaCare for undocumented immigrant adults. Some rank-and-file, progressive Democrats broke with their leaders and Gov. Tim Walz and protested the budget agreement over the proposal and harshly criticized Democratic leadership for acquiescing to one of the Republicans' top priorities. House DFL Caucus leader Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, appearing Friday on TPT Almanac, said Democrats will need to compromise given the divided government. 'People need to bend. They need to understand they won't get everything they want,' Hortman said. Rep. Cedrick Frazier, DFL-New Hope, who is also co-chair of the progressive People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, told reporters Saturday that the POCI Caucus doesn't plan to shut down the government over cutting MinnesotaCare for undocumented adults. 'We care about all the Minnesotans, and we're not willing to shut the government down, but we're willing to make sure we work very hard to ensure the Minnesotans get what they need,' Frazier said. Other contentious debates include potential changes to the state's new paid leave and earned sick and safe time programs and cuts to taxpayer aid for private schools. Walz has proposed cutting $109 million in aid that helps private schools with transportation, counseling and textbooks. The state has allocated this funding to private schools for decades, but Walz and Democrats are proposing the cuts amid a projected multi-billion dollar budget deficit beginning in 2027. On Thursday, House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, gave reporters the impression that private school aid would not be touched and presented this as a win for Republicans. 'We also know that we have made great strides in protecting the funding for non-public education. We are protecting our schools,' Demuth said. 'We are protecting our students so they can learn in the best way forward.' But cuts to private school aid are still in play, as far as a key DFL senator is concerned. Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, said that funding for private school aid wasn't part of the global budget agreement, and protecting public education is a priority for Senate Democrats. 'I understand the uniqueness and the value of non-public schools, but as the chair of the Education Finance Committee in the state of Minnesota, my priority is to fund public schools at the best rate and in the best way possible,' Kunesh said in an interview with the Reformer. A source with the House Republican caucus told the Reformer that there's 'no scenario where we will agree to' any cuts. Kunesh, who also serves as an assistant majority leader, said that the cuts to private schools are part of her education budget, and she anticipates this issue to be a sticking point in budget negotiations between members of the House and Senate — also known as a conference committee. 'We just have to remind those members also that we have that obligation to public schools first,' Kunesh said. In between the Senate and House floor sessions, Rep. Dave Baker, R-Wilmar, and Sen. Judy Seeberger, DFL-Afton, held a small press gaggle near the Capitol rotunda to tell reporters that significant changes to the state's paid leave and earned sick and safe time programs are still on the table, despite their absence from the legislative leaders' budget agreement. Legislative leaders agreed to reduce the paid leave payroll tax cap that the Department of Employment and Economic Development could implement each year from 1.2% to 1.1%. But since paid leave will launch in January with a 0.88% payroll tax split between employers and workers, the reduction does nothing to change the program as currently constituted. Baker said Demuth has given him her blessing to keep trying to implement paid leave changes in conference committee, though he didn't say what he would specifically look to change. Throughout the session, Baker has attempted to exempt small employers from the paid leave requirement. 'We're just trying to get (paid leave) right-sized a little bit,' Baker told reporters.
CBS News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Education uncertainty for new leader of the Minnesota teachers union
For the first time in 12 years, the 84,000-member Minnesota teachers union, Education Minnesota, will have a new president. Monica Byron will be MEA's first president of color at a time when the president of the United States, Donald Trump, is warning of funding cuts unless all DEI programs are banned. Byron says Minnesota teachers will fight to keep DEI-focused programs. "Right now, we have support at the local level and the state level to continue to make sure that when it comes to inclusion and it comes to those types of programs that we will have support," says Byron. She also takes the helm as schools across the country have come under fire for low test scores in the aftermath of the pandemic. The latest test scores show just under 50% of Minnesota students are proficient in reading, just over 45% are proficient in math. Only 31% of Black students are proficient in reading and 21% in math. While critics, especially Republicans, say the current education system is failing students and families. Byron and MEA feel the low test scores result from a critical statewide teacher shortage, and more students are choosing to opt out of tests. "What we are seeing there are fewer students taking the test and that actually impact the proficiency score," said Byron. Byron says those new test scores also don't reflect the impact of the $110M READ Act, which calls for schools statewide to go back to teaching reading through phonics. Byron says teachers are still being trained. "I think the best practices help all students, so I am hopeful that it will help reach all of our students and especially our children of color," said Byron.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Q&A with new president of Education Minnesota, the state's largest union
Monica Byron, president of Education Minnesota, poses for a portrait outside of the Education Minnesota headquarters Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer) Education Minnesota, the state's largest union representing more than 86,000 members, elected its first Black president on Saturday. Monica Byron ran unopposed to replace Denise Specht, who led the union since 2013. Byron started her career as a homeschool liaison for the Richfield Public Schools in 1995 before earning her teaching license. She taught elementary school in Richfield for 24 years, most recently as a math coach. In 2022, she left her teaching job when she was elected vice president of Education Minnesota. Bryon takes over one of the state's most influential unions at a critical juncture for public schools. More than 8 in 10 schools report having a shortage of teachers, and the union wants to increase pay to fill the ranks. But a looming budget deficit is tying the hands of state lawmakers who might otherwise support robust increases in school funding. At the federal level, the Trump administration has threatened to eliminate the Department of Education while also attacking unions. This conversation was edited for length and clarity. I ran for president because I believe in the power of our union and to protect and strengthen things that matter most, like professional pay, secure pensions, affordable health care and respect for all of our educators. I am really proud and honored to be the first Black president of Education Minnesota. I believe that I'm able to bring a unique and fresh perspective and voice to not only Education Minnesota but to the labor movement. I'll be able to advocate not only for educators, but for our students and our community. And I'll be able to ensure that all educators, but especially our educators of color, will have a voice. Education Minnesota has been publicly defending against the attacks on diversity, equity, inclusion and the other attacks from Washington, D.C. We are going to ensure that we have freedom to read. We're going to make sure our history isn't whitewashed. We're just going to make sure that our students and our educators are able to teach and do all the things that they need to do. Right now, I think it's just been the chaos and the executive orders coming. We have great partners though, from our national allies and our other labor allies. I think it's just the unknown and the threats to the unions as a whole. But we are positioned well to be able to respond. For me, the question is what resources and what other things our educators need. I believe that we need to ensure that all educators are equipped with those resources. They have the time to be able to teach and that we ensure that when it comes to class sizes, those teachers are able to reach each of those students. Education Minnesota has worked closely with Gov. Walz. President Speck is in charge when it comes to working with Gov. Walz. So as vice president, I've been able to watch and follow her lead. So I don't have a grade at this time. Right now, our top priorities have been around professional pay, which includes a starting pay for our entry educators and $25 per hour for our ESPs. We have a pension bill, which would ensure that we have a career rule for our teachers. And we also have a bill around health insurance, so that our educators have quality health insurance. It would start a health insurance pool for our educators across the state. And we also are looking to protect the inflationary rule on education that we won last year.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Longtime Minnesota Historical Society Press editor wins Kay Sexton Award
Ann Regan, former editor-in-chief at the Minnesota Historical Society Press, is the winner of the 2025 Kay Sexton Award for her significant contributions to and leadership in Minnesota's literary community. The award is presented annually to an individual or organization in recognition of longstanding dedication and outstanding work in fostering books, reading and literary activity in Minnesota and is part of the 2025 Minnesota Book Awards, presented this year by sponsor Education Minnesota. Regan's award was announced Tuesday by Friends of the St. Paul Public Library. Regan grew up in Billings, Mont., and graduated from the University of Montana with a double major in history and Russian. While working as a summer volunteer for the Montana Historical Society, she was mentored by Vivian Paladin, editor of the society's quarterly journal. That work led her to a temporary position as a research assistant at the Minnesota Historical Society Press, where she remained for 45 years in various positions, retiring as the editor-in-chief in 2024. During her time with MNHS Press, Regan acquired approximately 350 books and was directly involved with the editing of close to 300 of those. She says Evelyn Fairbanks' 'Days of Rondo' was the book that 'made (her) an editor' and taught her about the collaborative relationship that was possible between author and editor. The authors she has worked with praised her intellectual engagement, literary integrity, flexibility and willingness to learn from them about areas outside her expertise. Native American writer Diane Wilson (author of 'Spirit Car') says, 'Ann and I worked through challenging cultural questions in ways that left us both with a deeper understanding of the other's perspective.' Regan has been an advocate for Minnesota's diverse voices by standing behind anthologies that highlight historically underrepresented communities and working to improve the relationship between MNHS Press and Native writers. Says Anton Treuer, 'Her leadership in this effort transformed our understanding of Minnesota and Native American History.' One of the most well-known of these anthologies is 'A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota,' edited by Sun Yung Shin and published in 2016, just before the police killing of Philando Castile. It instantly became a discussion piece in book clubs and library groups around the state. The book has continued to 'spark essential conversations,' according to Nina Archabal, director emerita, Minnesota Historical Society, in the years since its publication. In addition to her work alongside Minnesota's authors, Regan has shared her expertise with the literary community in Minnesota, not only through editing projects but through writing and public service. Her prose has been published in journals and anthologies as well as in the book 'Irish in Minnesota.' She has served on boards and committees for the Minnesota Book Publishers' Roundtable, the Western History Association, the Council of the Northern Great Plains History Conference, Friends of the St. Paul Public Library and other organizations. She has regularly given presentations about editing and publishing at Augsburg University, the University of Minnesota and St. Catherine University, and has taught classes at the Loft Literary Center. The Kay Sexton Award panel praised the way Regan has worked with writers and her willingness to take a chance on an idea and help an author or editor it into a book. The panel said Regan has exemplified 'sheer dedication and devotion to literature… she is everything this award stands for.' Regan lives on St. Paul's West Side with her husband, Minnesota Book Award-winning historian Bruce White. She will be honored at the 37th annual Minnesota Book Awards ceremony on April 22 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 345 Washington St., St. Paul. Awards will also be presented to winners in 10 book categories. The preface begins at 6 p.m., followed by the Awards Ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $27 and can be purchased at The event will also be livestreamed. Registration for the free livestream is also Books | Column: In 'Cinema Her Way,' female directors talk about struggle, survival and the industry Books | Literary calendar for week of March 23 Books | Readers and writers: You say you want (to read about) a revolution? Books | Lori Barghini and Julia Cobbs to host first public event together since leaving MyTalk 107.1 Books | Book Review: 'Lincoln's Peace' offers lessons for these times from the Civil War
