Essay
HF 827 as introduced
Pro:
According to information published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 270,000 teachers per year will leave the profession from 2016 to 2026. Most of those exits will not be due to retirement but to switch careers (Torpey). Significant action needs to be taken to ensure that the profession can maintain the number of teachers needed to teach all of our students. The first step in that process is to protect our teachers' preparation time. Currently, teachers are facing an epidemic of being overworked as many teachers are being tasked with duties beyond their roles, which they often have to fulfill during their prep time. It negatively affects the work-life balance necessary for a healthy profession, as teachers must take their preparation work home to stay on top of everything. It is a daunting task, forcing many educators to burn out and leave the profession (Walker). This bill will protect teacher preparation time, lessening pressure on already overwhelmed educators.
Torpey, Elka. "Projections for teachers: How many are leaving the occupation?" U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2018/data-on-display/how-many-teachers-are-leaving.htm. October 2018.
Walker, Tim. “Getting Serious About Teacher Burnout.” NEA, https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/getting-serious-about-teacher-burnout. November 12, 2021.
Con:
Many Minnesota schools are facing significant financial issues, which would make this policy incredibly difficult to implement. According to Minnesota Public Radio, over 70 percent of schools in Duluth, Rochester, and the Twin Cities region are expecting significant budget shortfalls. The largest school district in the state, Anoka-Hennepin, is experiencing a 24 million-dollar funding gap, likely leading to teacher layoffs (Shockman). Our schools need our teachers' incredible time and effort to stay afloat while dealing with significant budget deficits, which makes reducing staff sizes necessary. According to Representative Sondra Erickson, the bill also interfered with the collective bargaining process between teachers and school districts when the bill was first introduced during the 2021-2022 cycle. It is standard practice for negotiating prep time to be handled during collective bargaining, which makes this legislation harmful.
Shockman, Elizabeth. “Most Twin Cities area schools districts show deficits for 2024-25.” MPR News, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/03/04/most-twin-cities-area-schools-districts-show-deficits-for-202425. March 4, 2024.
“House Education Finance Committee 3/30/22.” YouTube, uploaded by MNHouseInfo, 30 March 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hbsEldoF0Y&t=1s.