Greetings,

MFT ORGANIZER
3rd Edition

School Stability

Teachers are committed to building strong, stable schools throughout the district. We recognize that stability is essential to developing relationships with students and families, and improving student achievement.  The high number of teacher transfers in recent years predominantly results from school closures, realignment, fresh starts, declining enrollment, and inadequate state funding.

Continuous, large-scale, and involuntary movement of staff throughout the district can be disruptive.   However, empowering and enabling teachers to transfer is necessary for both professional growth and reinvigorating a school climate. Our system must minimize the involuntary transfer of teachers, but at the same time recognize experience and professional choice.

At the district level, we need to move the bidding and placement process forward so that teachers leave school in the spring knowing where they will be in the fall.   We need to identify and implement effective alternatives to fresh starting schools.  We also need to give teachers real control over their professional licenses to end the chaos resulting from realignment.

In addition, the teachers in each building need to have:

Strong, shared leadership

Resources that match the needs of students

Clear and effective behavior plans

Supportive and professional relationships with administration

Recent downsizing of our district must not lead to short-term reactionary decisions.  Creating strong stable schools throughout the district that are appealing to students families and teachers, will be the most effective way to bring students back to, and keep current students in, Minneapolis Public Schools.

In Solidarity,

Rob Panning-Miller