President Tom Dooher
Education Minnesota Representative Convention
March 15, 2008
Delegates, fellow unionists and fellow guardians of public education in Minnesota.
I’d like to thank Vice President Paul Mueller for his work and dedication to our union since we both took office last summer.
Thank you, Paul.
I’d also like to thank Secretary-Treasurer Denise Specht. Denise has been doing an outstanding job and has been invaluable in meeting the many challenges of leading this great union.
Thank you, Denise.
Education Minnesota will celebrate its 10th anniversary this September.
Creating this union was a revolutionary move.
It took bold and visionary leadership from both the former Minnesota Education Association and the Minnesota Federation of Teachers.
Together they set into motion the promise of one union – one voice for state educators -- AND for the good of education in our great state.
But it is important to remember that before the two unions merged, 13 locals set the example by merging FIRST! The first of the 13 was Dakota County United Educators.
The creation of Education Minnesota was a historic accomplishment, AND it set a national standard for others to follow.
So here we are in 2008. The NEW century. How are we doing?
Our union is in an extraordinary time of change. And in a time of extraordinary promise.
And I am happy to report that the state of our union and the state of our profession as educators are both strong.
And that we now have both the opportunity -- and the RESPONSIBILITY -- to make them even stronger.
But there are challenges to meet and obstacles to overcome. And some of them are significant.
Consider that Minnesota’s nationally envied system of school financing once known as the Minnesota Miracle is in shambles.
Consider that salaries for Minnesota educators continue to slip in national rankings.
Consider that health care for our members is in a crisis that grows deeper and affects more locals with every contract.
Consider that educator pensions are under constant pressure to be reduced
And that’s the short list.
So, what are we going to do about these challenges?
Using our collective strength, we must meet these challenges head-on. And we need to be relentless.
But as John F. Kennedy once said, “Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”
Let me talk more about this.
When you elected me at last year, I promised new leadership and I promised change.
I promised that Education Minnesota would become more member-focused and member-driven.
That you would drive the direction we go and the decisions we make.
That I would listen to your needs and your ideas and that together, we would build our union’s agenda on those needs and ideas.
I promised that my focus would be to help YOU be successful.
I promised that we would take a new approach at the Legislature.
That I and other union leadership would be a visible presence at the Capitol.
I promised to engage the support of the public and others to achieve our goals.
I promised to strengthen the bond with those who already support us.
And to build a bridge to those we still need to reach.
But as I also said at last year’s convention, this cannot be done by one person standing alone.
It will take the commitment of all of us in this room and all of our members in our locals to make this happen.
That, my friends, is how we are going to meet these challenges.
We are going to do it together – we are going to stand together side-by-side.
And we are going to become an unstoppable force to ensure a world-class education for our students both of today -- and of tomorrow.
And that is the larger promise: to be an effective and tireless advocate for our students and to ensure that they have what they need to succeed.
Because, after all, isn’t it all about our students?
Isn’t that why we became educators?
Isn’t that why we stay in the profession?
Isn’t that how we make a difference?
For our students?
In their lives?
And in helping shape their ability to make their own difference in the world when their time comes?
They are our focus as professionals and as a union.
And in the end, what is good for our students is also good for us and good for our union. The two are inseparable.
Now, in the light of our challenges, think about our relationship with the public.
It is clear that with public support -- with the public ON OUR SIDE -- we become stronger as a union.
So, here is what we know about the public from our recent survey conducted by our polling firm.
We are starting in a position of STRENGTH!
We know that the public thinks highly of us as educators.
They also give high marks to our public schools.
The majority favored increasing public school funding even if it means increasing taxes.
And that they believe the primary use for increased funding should be to reduce class sizes.
Finally, we learned the public believes that school funding should come primarily from the state – NOT from local referendums.
They – like us –believe that the quality of a student’s education should NOT be determined by their zip code!
And it might surprise you to know that many believe Minnesota’s educator-union plays a positive role in improving the state’s public schools.
But here is where we used to lose people:
Our name!
People did not know that Education Minnesota IS the state’s educators union!
People thought that we are the Department of Education, or some sort of education support group.
That is why it is SO IMPORTANT – AND ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL that we are CLEAR about WHO WE ARE!
And that is why we changed our public communications and our Schools First advertising to:
- Make it clear to the public that Education Minnesota is the educators union. YES, we ARE A UNION!
- The public needs to know WHO WE ARE IF WE WANT THEIR SUPPORT!
- Make it clear to the public that the union is on their side and that our union works to help students succeed, and
- We need to make sure that the public understands that Education Minnesota represents not only K-12 teachers, but also higher education faculty and educational support staff.
We are delivering a positive message. And it is working!
Let’s take a minute to look at these ads.
First, here is the ad from last fall welcoming Minnesotans to a new school year.
By the way, these ads ran on virtually every newscast throughout the state in the fall – WE WERE HARD TO MISS! AND THE PUBLIC NOTICED!
While the first ads were running, we talked with groups of members to get their input for the second series of ads.
They recommended that we enlist the public’s support for small class sizes, up-to-date materials and a qualified teacher in every classroom.
We took this input and created a new ad that started running in January. You will see it if you watch tonight’s news.
And it will run for another couple of weeks – again on local newscasts throughout the state. Let’s take a look.
The positive message in these ads -- and the clarity of WHO WE ARE -- has helped make our case for what we need.
So --- how many of you watched the state hockey tournament that ended last week?
Well if you did ------ you probably saw this ad.
Finally -- this week we started a partnership with television stations throughout the state. We have four stations on board, and are working on others.
Minnesotans will nominate monthly their favorite educator – whether it be a teacher, higher education faculty member, a counselor, an education assistant, a custodian, a bus driver, a cafeteria worker, anyone they wish – for what we are calling the “Excellent Educator Award.”
Here is an example of what you will see. This one is from channel 11 in the Fargo-Moorhead market:
I can tell you that from outside of our union the response to these ads has been overwhelmingly positive.
People are starting to GET who we are and why we exist.
The ads and media appearances have given our union instant recognition when I meet with outside groups – and they all HELP THE CAUSE!
And today -- we will start producing our new ad – right here at River Centre. AND THE PLAN IS TO HAVE ALL OF YOU IN IT!!!
The ad will have all of us thanking Minnesotans for a great school year. And wish them a great summer.
So I hope you will all consider staying here for one hour after the close of our business today to be part of our last ad of the school year.
And we will continue to be CLEAR in this ad and in our other communications with the public that WE ARE THE EDUCATOR’S UNION!
THAT WE STAND FOR QUALITY!
AND THAT WE ARE ON THE PUBLIC’S SIDE!
The more the public knows WHO WE ARE – the more they will be ON OUR SIDE when we ask for their support
And here is also where all of you play an important role EVERY DAY back home. Connections with the public are far more important at the local level than at the state level.
You make these connections naturally every day through your work with students -- with parents -- and with your service to your communities.
What we are doing at the state level, is hopefully helping YOU at home.
That leads me to my promise of increased leadership presence at the Legislature.
As I said last March, if we are ever to truly lead the state’s education agenda, legislators need to see our elected leaders at the Capitol.
I also believe that we need to prioritize our energy and determination toward achieving our main goals each legislative session.
That doesn’t mean that we won’t be working on additional legislative goals.
It just means that we will focus our efforts more sharply on our priority goals
As you all know, we have three main priorities identified for this session:
- Statewide health insurance for all school employees,
- An inflationary increase to the funding formula, and
- Re-establishing the Rule-of-90 pension benefit for teachers who started work after 1989.
Priority one: statewide health insurance.
As I said earlier, the health insurance crisis for our members grows deeper and affects more locals with every contract.
If it has not hit your local yet, the question is not whether it will, only when it will.
So we have a choice.
We can wait until every local falls off the cliff and has either unaffordable healthcare coverage -- or NO healthcare coverage.
Or we can act together. As a union. And put a stop to the spiral we are in. AND DO IT NOW!
As the late Paul Wellstone once observed, “We all do better when we all do better.”
Or as Franklin Roosevelt once said, “There are many ways of going forward. But only one way of standing still.”
This, my friends, is NOT the time for standing still. It IS the time to act together.
We CANNOT allow another local or another member to fall off that cliff.
We need to ACT for all of us collectively. WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE ALL DO BETTER!
We know from the last session that we have legislative support.
With your help, we are working now on broadening and EXPANDING that support.
You are making the difference! The contacts being made by local presidents, grassroots advocates, health-care advocates and local members are building this momentum of support!
This is evidenced by a recent unanimous vote of support from the Senate commerce committee.
I testified for our bill as did other members.
Three days ago we successfully made our case before another Senate committee.
And yesterday, the entire Governing Board made a trip to the Capitol to help make the case.
It is the promise of all of us working together that will get this done!
Last year, the governor was the stumbling block. His veto was demoralizing. It temporarily slowed our momentum.
But it did NOT kill our will. And it did nothing to change our resolve to carry on and WIN this fight!
We have carefully studied the governor’s veto message, and have made changes to the bill that address his objections.
And as you may know, I have initiated personal meetings with the governor about this.
We are trying to work together and have a productive relationship.
He has told me privately that he wants to help us.
I want to believe him. And on behalf of all of you, I will hold him to his word.
His support is critical. Your contacts with him and your legislators are essential in helping build this support.
As you know from recent communications from me, the governor needs to hear from you that his willingness to meet with me is noticed and appreciated.
And that we really need him to sign the statewide health bill when it arrives on his desk!
So let’s talk for a minute about the state’s budget crisis.
You have all heard by now that there will be cuts throughout the state budget. You have probably also heard that K-12 education will be “spared” from the cuts.
It is good that school funding will not be further reduced, but we cannot settle for funding that continues to be inherently inadequate.
I spoke earlier about local referendums. Referendums were once the exception. They are quickly becoming the rule.
This is WRONG.
This is IRRESPONSIBLE on the part of the state.
And legislators and the governor MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE! And WE are the ones to lead this!
And if they allow this funding crisis to occur without taking action to solve it, then they need to know that we expect them to sharpen their focus and attention even more closely on the priority of taking care of our schools.
Even former Republican Gov. Arne Carlson agrees with this.
On WCCO radio Thursday morning he voiced his concern, that as a state, we are starting to slip in virtually all of our rankings including K-12 and higher education.
He words were that we need to refocus our priorities.
He said that the governor and Legislature must plan for inevitable downturns in the economy – and that the problems we have today are from poor, irresponsible planning.
The fact is that we are doing our jobs. We have all done our part to make the case that school funding is not adequate.
Now we have to insist that they do their jobs by adequately funding the basics of a Minnesota education equitably throughout the state!
And the Rule of 90?
Certainly it is a recruitment and retention issue for our members. But a two-tier retirement system for our members is something that SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED!
We aim to make this right. ALL of our members MUST have this important option available to them after their years of service.
Finally, let me make a few observations about our profession.
You know -- educating kids is not a business
It is a profession; it is a vocation; it is a commitment.
It is the highest public calling.
This is true for those of us who teach or assist in the classroom or play any part in helping students learn, at all levels, from early childhood to higher education.
It is true for those of us who bring students safely to and from school every day.
It is true for those of us who provide them with nutritious meals.
It is true for those of us who keep our schools clean.
All of us are educators and all of us make our own contribution to providing an education for Minnesota students at all levels that is second to none – that is second to none -- second to no other state and to no other nation.
That’s what YOU have done and that is what you continue to do.
And that is what the rest of our 70,000 members have done who are not with us today.
You help students discover and reach their potential.
You invest the time and energy necessary to make a difference.
You welcome all students, regardless of ability, regardless of background, regardless of social status -- whether they are rich or poor.
None of that matters. What does matter is that we have what we need to provide a world-class education to all of Minnesota’s kids.
No matter who they are, no matter where they come from and no matter what obstacles we must overcome.
And that’s why we are all UNION MEMBERS!
In the end, our union and its members are the guardians and protectors of public education in Minnesota.
And unions are all about UNITY. Not just unity among our members. But unity with the communities we serve.
The sort of unity and support that our members around the state show in times of local trouble.
The terrible bus tragedy in Cottonwood touched the hearts of members throughout the state.
WE CAME TOGETHER AS A UNION to show our support and our compassion – and to share the community’s pain.
Last fall’s flooding in southeastern Minnesota brought out the generosity of members who had never been to those communities.
Again, WE CAME TOGETHER AS A UNION to provide help and consolation to these communities.
AND WE CAME TOGETHER AS A UNION when students and teachers were attacked in Red Lake.
AND WE CAME TOGETHER AS A UNION when there were strikes in Red Wing -- in International Falls and in Crosby-Ironton.
It is the unity we see so many times when we need to come together to support one another.
And the unity we see when we need to come together to fight for common goals.
Especially for the needs of our kids.
THAT’S THE PROMISE OF OUR GREAT UNION!
As I close my remarks today, I would like to ask your help.
I am asking you to do three things when you leave today to help the cause.
They are simple things that will make a collective difference.
If you take these simple steps, you will demonstrate our collective power as a union WHEN WE ACT TOGETHER!
First: Write or call the governor.
Tell him that you appreciate that he is meeting with me about statewide health insurance.
Also tell him that this legislation is important to our members and that WE NEED HIM TO SIGN IT!
You can do this yet today at our legislative action table outside this room.
Second: Write or call your local senators and state representatives.
Tell them we need their support -- AND THEIR VOTE -- for an inflationary school funding increase and for passing the Rule of 90.
Again, you can do this before you leave today.
Third: I am asking EVERY Education Minnesota local to buy an ad in your community’s newspaper in May.
In that ad, thank your community for its support. And thank your community for a great school year.
If all of our locals do this, you will exponentially multiply the positive power of our communications and connections with the public.
To help you do this ad, the Schools First Campaign will help subsidize the cost.
We have staff at the table outside this room who can explain how the subsidy works, and help you produce the ad if you’d like.
So, please, help show the unity and positive power of Education Minnesota by joining each other in these simple acts.
Your seemingly small effort with be multiplied by the collective strength and energy we will generate with one another.
As I have said, our union is not about one person standing alone.
It is about all of us standing together for our students and for our union.
That’s what I am asking you to do today.
Finally, I want you to know what an honor and a privilege is to serve you as your president.
Thank you for the opportunity to work with you.