Minnesota schools continue with two-day MEA break, despite shortened conference

Oct 16, 20190

Richard Tsong-Taatarii – Star Tribune count

Teachers at the 2002 conference, held over two days at the St. Paul RiverCentre. Last year, Education Minnesota, the teachers union that puts on the conference, scaled the event back to a Thursday-only gathering, and limited it to union members and student affiliates.

Minnesota schools' long tradition of canceling two days of classes for an annual teachers conference will continue this week - even though the conference has been permanently shortened to a one-day event.

Until last year, the Minnesota Educator Academy, or MEA, was held on a Thursday and Friday in mid-October. That changed, when Education Minnesota, the teachers union that puts on the conference, scaled the event back to a Thursday-only gathering, and limited it to union members and student affiliates. Union leaders said at the time that the shift was in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that exempted nonunion public employees from having to pay for collective bargaining.

http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-schools-continue-with-two-day-mea-break-despite-shortened-conference/563178212/