Minneapolis educators fight back against school closures

Minneapolis, MN – Students, families and educators of Minneapolis Public Schools have been busy over the past month organizing the community to reject the Minneapolis Public School (MPS) district’s “Transformation Plan.”

The district’s plan, announced on September 15, would close around 15 of the district’s best schools starting in the 2027-2028 school year. In response, the educators represented by Minneapolis Federation of Educators, Local 59 (MFE 59) have been holding rallies and feedback sessions, and using every public forum they can, to raise their concerns with the plan and educate the community around the impacts the plan would have.

School workers like Dino Schipper state, “Each and every one of these schools are a unique community full of people who love them. I just started working at FAIR High School for the Arts, and already I’ve come to love the community there. It’s so special that we have an arts high school in Minneapolis, and shutting it down would be a huge loss. It serves as a safe haven for queer and neurodivergent students, and any students that have a hard time fitting in and feeling safe anywhere else.”

MFE 59 has been leading the fightback against these closures, with a presence at all five of the district’s feedback sessions and a large rally in the rain, September 15, outside of the Davis Center, where MPS is headquartered. MFE 59 member organizers handed out hundreds of “No school closures!” buttons to community members on their way to give negative feedback on the plan to the district. Rallies have also been held by Minneapolis Families for Public Schools, featuring speakers like school board candidates Shannon Gibney and Christin Crabtree and MFE 59 Teacher Chapter First Vice President Natasha Dockter.

News that Minneapolis school board directors Greta Callahan and Sharon El-Amin introduced a resolution to pause the closures made the crowd hopeful at the Roosevelt High School rally. The resolution goes further to call on the superintendent to perform a “comprehensive alternative plan to increase enrollment, strengthen academic and programmatic offerings, improve district stability, and identify options for the sustainable use of district facilities,” including pre-kindergarten and bilingual programs.

The resolution also calls for the district to refocus on enrollment and expansion instead of divestment, echoing the vision long held by MFE 59. Only 53% of Minneapolis kids are enrolled in Minneapolis Public Schools, and the proposed closures would continue the trend of decreased enrollment in the district, driving families out of MPS. The resolution will be voted on Tuesday, October 13, and Director Callahan has indicated optimism that she has the votes to pass it.

Pickets at sites targeted for closure are still planned in the upcoming weeks, as well as continued email pressure and actions at school sites by MFE members.

In a statement, Minnesota Workers United voiced support for the educators: “MWU sees this as another step towards the defunding of every public service working families rely on. It’s an attack on the people of Minneapolis and an attack on the future of high-quality public education in Minneapolis, fitting right in with the current billionaire agenda to attack Minneapolis and public schools.”

Follow MFE 59 and Minneapolis Families for Public Schools for action items and rally times.

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