What are we demanding?

Minneapolis Educational Support Professionals are demanding that the Minneapolis School Board votes to expand their authority for the ESP contract. The current proposal for step freezes and below inflation wage increases for a majority of our members is not just and we as a school community can do better.

Who are Educational Support Professionals?

We are the over 1,500 educators who work with students and families every day across Minneapolis Public Schools.

Educational Support Professionals make schools run by working: with students in the classroom, scheduling and organizing transportation, working one-on-one with special needs students, translating for and engaging with families, and helping run before and after school programs, teaching social emotional skills, and so much more.

Basically, we make school happen.

Our work is based on building relationships with students to support their development. Most ESPs are People of Color and Indigenous and women. For many of our students, ESP are their most important connection to their school.

One Job Should be Enough!

Educational Support Professionals work in schools because we care about our children’s education. But when ESPs are not paid enough, children are being denied the schools they deserve.

About 75% of our union membership make under $29,000 a year.

Under current wages, three quarters of ESPs reported working two or more jobs just to get by.  On top of that, unfair wages means high turnover for ESPs that harms how a school operates and our students' development. This year we started with over 100 vacancies for ESP positions. This means our students are being denied the education they deserve because the school district does not justly pay ESPs.