Higher pay for Minneapolis teachers is a moral imperative

The ongoing battle for fair compensation for Minneapolis Public Schools educators is ultimately about values. 

As parents and caregivers, we firmly believe that higher educator pay in our city is paramount. It is an investment in our public schools, children and communities. We need to provide educators with the fair pay they rightfully deserve and stabilize our schools. 

Against a backdrop of expired contracts, fiscal challenges, and alarming attrition rates, it is imperative to reassess our priorities as a city and acknowledge the invaluable role that educators play in our children’s well-being and development.

A major dimension of this issue is the glaring wage gap between MPS teachers and their counterparts in neighboring districts. Take, for instance, St. Paul Public Schools, where teachers enjoy an average salary advantage of $10,000 over MPS educators. Education support professionals in our schools work with many of our most vulnerable students, but half of them are forced to work multiple jobs to pay the bills. Such discrepancies and insecurities undermine educator morale and erode the capacity to attract and retain talented educators equipped to meet the unique needs of Minneapolis’ diverse student population. 

Indeed, this lack of compensation has fueled an exodus of educators from the Minneapolis district, where annual attrition rates stand at a staggering 20% — nearly twice as high as other Minnesota districts. The hemorrhaging of experienced educators threatens the stability and quality of education for our students. And this in a district that has already experienced a major, top-down disruption in the form of 2021’s Comprehensive District Design.

The one thing we could count on as parents when MPS was shuffling our kids to other schools was our teachers. But now, teachers can make more by moving five miles in any direction, so that stability is no longer something we can count on. This, no doubt, has contributed to what appears to be a enrollment crisis of the district’s own making.

We’re also skeptical of the district’s claims of financial scarcity given its track record: Despite perpetual claims of operating deficits, in four out of the last five years, MPS projected budget deficits only to conclude those years with surpluses. 

A critical examination of MPS budget allocations reveals another concerning trend. While  average spending on outside contracts hovers around 11% in districts in our region, MPS devotes a disproportionate 16% of its budget to external entities (e.g., hiring outside tutors and therapists instead of expanding opportunities for existing education support professionals and hiring more counselors and social workers). And while budget allocations for external contracts and administration have increased in recent years, funds for instruction have actually decreased. This raises the question: Why are we diverting crucial resources away from our teachers and education support professionals? This is an even more critical question when our state government just allocated an additional $32 million for MPS in 2024 and $42 million in 2025.

The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers  submitted salary proposals to district negotiators on November 30; after waiting 12 weeks for a response, district officials responded with an offer that amounts to less than one-third of educators’ ask. Meanwhile, the district countered the proposed raise for ESPs with an offer nearly 85% lower than their ask. We know this because, as parents invested in the future of public education in our city, we have attended these open bargaining sessions. 

As negotiations between educators and district representatives continue and MPS refuses to invest in our educators, let us stand in solidarity with our educators and advocate for the fair compensation they deserve. 

Together, we can build a brighter future for generations to come — one where education is valued, educators are respected, and every child has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.

Fair pay for educators is not a luxury; it is a moral imperative. It is the recognition of their tireless dedication, unwavering passion, and profound impact on the lives of our children. As such, it is also an investment in the future of our children and the vitality of our communities. By prioritizing teacher salaries, we signal our unwavering commitment to nurturing a thriving, inclusive learning environment where educators are justly compensated and every child has the opportunity to succeed.