Education Minnesota calls staff cuts at charter school 'shocking'

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ST. PAUL, Minn. June 7, 2016 – Education Minnesota President Denise Specht denounced on Tuesday a wave of staff cuts at the Community School of Excellence that would terminate the president of the new union, three of the four remaining members of the negotiating team and eliminate several important programs for students. 

"We’re shocked a school would decimate its curriculum to punish its employees for exercising their right to bargain collectively," Specht said. "It's appalling that a school for an immigrant community would deny its students access to dedicated teachers of English language learners, gifted and talented programs, educational support staff and media specialists. We urge the administrators of the Community School of Excellence to reconsider these foolish and vindictive staff cuts and save their school."

"The more than 86,000 members of Education Minnesota are standing behind the educators of CSE today. We will help them save their school, which they helped build with dedication and caring. But if the school cannot be saved from the destructive decisions of its current leaders, we will be there to assist our colleagues in the next stages of their careers," Specht said. 

Blythe Inners, president of Community School of Excellence bargaining unit, was told Tuesday she would not have a job as a teacher of English language learners at CSE this fall. She was told the school was eliminating the ELL program for elementary-age students.

"The educators of CSE have been working for years to build a school that serves the special needs of its community," Inners said. "More than three quarters of our students are English language learners and we're proud of their progress. We're willing to keep fighting to provide the education our students need to thrive."

About Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota is the voice for professional educators and students. Education Minnesota’s members include teachers and education support professionals in Minnesota’s public school districts, faculty members at Minnesota’s community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.