President Tom Dooher
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| President Dooher |
Thomas A. Dooher is the president of Education Minnesota. Education Minnesota represents 70,000 teacher, education support professionals and higher education faculty members, and it is the first merged state affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.
Prior to his election as state president, Dooher served as president of the Robbinsdale Federation of Teachers for 10 years.
In July 2008, Dooher was elected as a vice president and member of the AFT Executive Council. He also serves as a member of the NEA’s Member Benefits Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of the Great Lakes Center.
Dooher has a deep-seated belief in the power of labor unions to improve people’s lives and a long family history of union leadership.
He has received numerous community awards including the Leading with Faith Award presented to
outstanding Catholic business leaders in September 2006 by the Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul
and recognition as a Foundation Hero by the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation.
Vision
He believes the educator’s union is here to advocate for and meet the needs of our students. Dooher
recognizes that what is good for students is also good for Education Minnesota members. To that end, he wants to see the union lead the state’s education agenda and make the case for what’s necessary to keep Minnesota’s schools great.
Priorities
Dooher wants Education Minnesota to become the trusted source for decisions about education in
Minnesota. As president, Dooher will guide Education Minnesota to take the lead on:
- Restoring Minnesota’s threatened reputation as a national leader in education.
- Developing academic standards that work for students and educators.
- Ensuring school funding that is equitable, sustainable, predictable and sufficient.
- Securing professional salaries so Minnesota students will continue to be taught by the best educators in the country.
- Finding affordable and accessible health insurance options for educators.
Professional teaching experience
- Physical education teacher, Sandburg Middle School, Robbinsdale Area Schools
- Head coach, girls track and field and boys and girls soccer, Robbinsdale Armstrong High School
- Physical education design team, Robbinsdale Area Schools
- Section VII Coach of the Year
Education
- Bachelor of arts degree, College of St. Thomas (now University of St. Thomas) with K-12 physical education and 7-12 coaching licensures (1985)
- Public human resources certificate, University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management (1999)
- Master’s degree in education, Hamline University (2000)
Family
Dooher and his wife, Denise, a Robbinsdale Armstrong High School graduate and music teacher in the Robbinsdale district, reside in Brooklyn Park. Denise is also actively involved in the local union and serves as elementary vice president of the Robbinsdale Federation of Teachers.