👉 UPDATE, 3/5: Today, Saint Paul Federation of Educators (SPFE) announced a tentative agreement with Saint Paul Public Schools. Learn more.
Educators & Community Are organizing Together
Right now, Saint Paul Federation of Educators (SPFE) is leveraging the power of union contract negotiations to push for what not only school employees need, but students and all of us who call Saint Paul home. Our community is organizing with SPFE to make sure the district commits to action for a more livable future for all of us.
The severe weather and air quality dangers may keep coming, but we’re taking collective action so we can be safe and face the climate crisis. Join us in calling on Saint Paul public schools to do the same.
Contact the Saint Paul School Board
Join our open member briefing event on Feb. 28
Show up in solidarity with teachers
What we want
Educators and community members are asking the district to:
💸 Claim desperately needed public investment. Millions of dollars are available now via the Inflation Reduction Act and other state and federal programs for decarbonization and weatherization – but the district has a history of missing out on key funding opportunities.
😷 Achieve healthy community schools free of legacy toxins and climate pollution. In 2023, the Minnesota legislature defined Environmental Justice zones, identifying at least 16 polluting facilities in Saint Paul that are already affecting our neighborhoods. To have healthy, safe schools to work and learn in, we need building upgrades that protect our air quality.
🌩 Make schools into hubs of resilience from extreme weather and other disasters. Schools are public infrastructure we must equip to serve our community in moments of crisis.
💞 Support student wellbeing via mental health resources, overdose prevention, and special education programming.
👩🏫 Invest in stability for students by paying educators and support staff livable wages that respect their work.
St. Paul Parents & Community Members Support Educators & Healthy, Green Schools
Public institutions must lead
While our individual actions can have an impact, facing the dangers of pollution and climate change requires change on a bigger scale. Buildings make up 42 percent of U.S. carbon emissions annually. Minnesota schools can be a model for the leadership we need across the nation.
