UFT President Michael Mulgrew likes to tell union delegates that it’s either money or class size, not both… But neither?
Archives For class size
Teachers in St. Paul, MN are preparing for a strike authorization vote on February 24th.
The union is holding informational meetings in the lead up to the vote. If the strike is authorized, the union is required to give 10 days notice before calling a strike.
The strength and unity of the membership was evident on January 30th when “walk-ins” were organized at 55 of 62 sites with over 2500 of the city’s 3200 members participating along with parents, on one of the snowiest mornings of the year.
The St. Paul Federation of Teachers has done extensive outreach to parents and other community members for months, holding open meetings, and even open negotiation sessions, to discuss contract demands and involve teachers, parents and community members in shaping their demands. As in Chicago, the union has put forth its own blueprint for “The Schools St. Paul’s Children Deserve.” As a result, the SPFT has gained immense support. Parents recently helped to start a Facebook page called “I Stand with SPFT” that quickly grew to 900 members. On February 18th, hundreds of teachers and community members rallied at a school board meeting and many parents provided testimony in support of the teachers’ demands. 
The Saint Paul Federation of Teachers is fighting for reduced class size, increased staffing (more nurses, librarians, social workers and counselors), access to pre-k for ALL students, and less standardized testing to allow for more genuine teaching.
MORE calls on all UFT members to stand in solidarity with the St.Paul teachers and students by following their struggle and taking action.
For more information, visit the St. Paul Federation of Teacher’s website at: http://www.spft.org/
You can also follow the St. Paul Federation of Teachers on Facebook, join the “I Stand with SPFT” page and post messages of solidarity to show your support.
In addition, you can call the Superintendent and school board members of St. Paul and urge them to come to an agreement with the St. Paul Federation of Teachers to lower class sizes, increase staffing and provide universal access to Pre-K.
Valeria Silva – Superintendent [email protected] 651-767-8152
Mary Doran – Chair [email protected] 651-387-2361
Keith Hardy - [email protected] 651-200-5032
John Brodrick - [email protected] 651-645-7500
Anne Carroll - [email protected] 651-690-9156
Jean O’Connell - [email protected] 651-295-1623
Louise Seeba - [email protected] 651-335-4263
Chue Vue - [email protected] 651-291-8569
Finally, you can sign a petition in support of the St. Paul teachers here: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/st-paul-public-schools?source=s.fwd&r_by=4379504
