FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick Burke, 940-206-4746, patrick@spft.org
Details of Saint Paul Federation of Teachers Tentative Agreements
Educators won additional supports for English Learners, students in Special Education, and laid the groundwork for a partnership to increase funding for public schools
SAINT PAUL, MINN., (February 15, 2017) – Early in the morning of February 12, 2018, the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers’ (SPFT) bargaining team representing School and Community Service Professionals (SCSPs), Educational Assistants (EAs), and Teachers finalized tentative agreements with Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS).
The district and the union agreed to partner on ways to seek additional revenue for public schools. This agreement includes seeking partnerships with large corporations and medical and higher education nonprofits to secure additional support, jointly lobbying for increased state and federal funding, collaborating on a recruitment and enrollment campaign, and exploring the possibility of a referendum.
The tentative agreements also include plans to hire additional staff to work with students in Saint Paul, including:
- 30 additional teachers to work with English Learners,
- 23 additional support staff to work with special education students, of which at least 13 of these positions will be filled with Educational Assistants, and
- additional EAs and SCSPs to assist with English Learner student assessment at the Student Placement Center
Additionally, the district agreed to maintain low class sizes in Saint Paul by instituting class size caps, instead of the current class size averages. Hard caps will ensure that there are no overcrowded classes in Saint Paul Public Schools.
Other agreements reached include continued support for the expansion of the Restorative Practices, compensation for teachers in the Hmong Dual Immersion Program who designed the first Hmong immersion curriculum in the United States, and a guarantee of at least 20 minutes a day of recess for students in elementary school.
“We are proud of the gains that we were able to make through negotiations this year,” said Nick Faber, President of SPFT. “We were able to increase vital supports for our students while also laying the groundwork for a partnership to increase funding for our public schools.”
SPFT members will vote on the tentative agreements on Thursday, February 22, 2018. The school board will ratify the agreements in March.
For a comprehensive summary of the agreements, click here.
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