West St. Paul Federation of Teachers Local 1148

Science Museum exhibit tackles racial differences

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Dream" speech asked that society judge others not by the color of their skin but the content of their character. The Science Museum of Minnesota is tackling that issue from a scientific standpoint with an exhibit called "RACE: Are we so different?"

Degrees, Not Debt

Learn your student debt forgiveness options — including the latest on President Biden’s debt relief announcement of up to $20,000 — in our latest Degrees, Not Debt webinar.

What does politics have to do with my classroom?

Public education shouldn’t be at the mercy of politics. But the reality is, elected officials are constantly weighing policies on testing, standards and funding that affect our schools, children and educators every day.

5 Ways Strong Educator Unions Help Public Schools

WSPFT Fall Fest

Join us for WSPFT Fall Fest on September 24, 2022 from 11-2. Thompson Park Picnic Shelter, 360 Butler Ave E, West St. Paul. To volunteer contact Brian McCarthy at presidentwsp@gmail.com

Legislature leaves with unfinished business for schools, more

The Minnesota Legislature adjourned May 23 with no deal to spend the state’s $9.25 billion surplus. As of press time, there was no plan for a special session to pass any of the proposals, including $1 billion for education. https://educationminnesota.org/news/minnesota-educator/legislature-leaves-with-unfinished-business-for-schools-more/

Free online class provides support for cooperating teachers

Education Minnesota members will soon have access to a free online training which they will need in order to have teacher candidates in their classroom. https://educationminnesota.org/news/minnesota-educator/free-online-class-provides-support-for-cooperating-teachers/

Minnesota House, Senate budgets: How they stack up

Minnesota’s $9.25 billion surplus gives the Legislature an unprecedented opportunity to settle up with public schools that have been shortchanged for years and give students and educators the resources they need. The House DFL’s education budget this year would be real movement toward fully funding our schools. Senate Republicans offer no help to public schools at a time students and educators need more support, forcing districts to make harmful budget cuts and lay off staff.

Here’s How Many Hours a Week Teachers Work

It’s not uncommon for teachers to clock in extra hours each day to ensure they meet students’ academic and social-emotional needs. But everything from answering emails to grading papers adds up: A typical teacher works about 54 hours a week—with just under half of that time devoted to directly teaching students, a new survey finds. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/heres-how-many-hours-a-week-teachers-work/2022/04

“I have no words to describe what it is like to be a teacher right now.”

That is what I tweeted at the end of a day earlier this month, sitting on the couch while COVID-19 cases surged everywhere. As a writer and a teacher, I had no words to describe what was happening. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-stress-hypervigilance-and-decision-fatigue-teaching-during-omicron/2022/01