THE MPS COMMUNICATOR
Issue #4, December 11, 2007

Welcome to the fourth edition of The MPS Communicator, a newsletter
providing information about the talks between Minneapolis Public
Schools (MPS) and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT)
regarding the 2007 - 2009 teachers' contract.

This issue addresses the shared sacrifices being made by all
district personnel as we work together to achieve common goals: 1)
to ensure that our students receive a first-rate education; and 2)
to establish financial stability at MPS and become a preferred
educational district chosen by parents for their children.

In the past five years, all MPS employees have made significant
sacrifices to help the district deal with diminishing revenues and
declining enrollment. Everyone from teachers, engineers,
administrators, trade workers, educational assistants, principals
and food service workers has made concessions. Every union
organization, as well as our ELT contract employees, has accepted
less-than-ideal salary and benefits packages.

Here are some of the sacrifices MPS district personnel have made:
• Since 2003, MPS has reduced its overall budget by more than $120
million.

• During the 2002 or 2003 contract cycle, depending on which year
the respective contracts were negotiated, every MPS collective
bargaining organization accepted a first-year, zero percent pay
increase. Second-year increases in those contracts varied from 1 to
2 percent.

• During the most recent contract negotiations, no bargaining group
received more than a 2 percent increase for the first or second year
of their contract.

• Additionally, groups like AFSCME and the Education Support
Professionals (ESP) union have each accepted restructuring that
allows the district more flexibility in staffing. AFSCME has agreed
to a modified interview-and-select system, and the ESP's union has
agreed to the same interview-and-select system the district is
proposing to the teachers' union.

• All Executive Leadership Team (ELT) positions are interview-and-
select contracts with a limited term and do not include any step
increases. The ELT appointee pay increases have paralleled those of
the bargaining groups and, effective Jan. 1, 2008, all ELT employees
will be making health insurance payments. ELT employees had no
across-the-board pay increase for either the 2002-2003 or 2003-2004
contracts and those increases have not exceeded 2.5% since then,
including a 1% increase for 2007-2008 contracts.

MPS employees are working hard, within the current overall
framework, to address the district's shortcomings. At the same time,
the MPS Board of Education has worked on a broad strategic plan that
will steer MPS to a new course, one that will both drive our
district toward accelerated academic achievement and help stabilize
the district's budget. Upon formal adoption, the district's
administration is prepared to implement a plan that will help put us
back on the map as an educational leader.

All of us, especially teachers, understand that the bottom line is
creating the best possible education for our students. That's our
ultimate, shared goal.

On behalf of the District, thank you for your interest in this
process and the future of Minneapolis Public Schools. Feedback and
topic suggestions for future issues may be directed to The MPS
Communicator in care of communicator@mpls.k12.mn.us.

Pam Costain
Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education Chair

Dr. Bill Green
Superintendent, Minneapolis Public Schools