FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick Burke, 940-206-4746, patrick@spft.org
Saint Paul Federation of Teachers Calls on Super Bowl Hosts to Invest in Public Schools
Educators call on corporations to pay their fair share to support our public schools at a press conference before the Economic Club of Minnesota’s November Meeting
MINNEAPOLIS—Members of the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers (SPFT) held a press conference with community allies outside of the Economic Club of Minnesota’s Super Bowl LII Panel.
SPFT called on the NFL and the hosts of the Super Bowl Host Committee – including US Bank and Ecolab – to invest in our public schools. Funding for public schools in Minnesota has declined since 2003 in real dollars, while the needs of our students continue to grow. Schools that primarily serve students of color and low income students feel this underfunding most of all.
“Racial bias and corporate power should not hinder the success of our students, but that is exactly what is happening to students of color all over the Twin Cities,” said Hani Ali, an organizer with the Movement for Black Lives in Minneapolis.
While funding for public schools declined, large corporations avoided paying millions in taxes through loopholes and tax breaks. US Bank avoided paying $10 million in Minnesota state income taxes last year. Ecolab holds $2.1 billion in profits in offshore tax havens. This money could have been used in our schools to hire more mental health professionals, provide universal preschool, or expand restorative practices to slow down the school-to-prison pipeline.
SPFT demanded these corporations, which are invested millions of dollars to bring the Super Bowl to Minneapolis, invest in our communities and in our public school students.
“There is no shortage of wealth in Minnesota and in Saint Paul,” said Nick Faber, elementary school science teacher on release serving as President of SPFT. “We just chose to give that money to millionaires and corporations instead of to public schools.”
Joining SPFT at the press conference are Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL), Black Lives Matter Minneapolis, and other allies from Minnesotans for a Fair Economy.
The press conference was held before the Economic Club of Minnesota’s November Luncheon and panel featuring Tod Lieweke, COO of the NFL, Mark Wilf, Owner and President of the Minnesota Vikings, and Alexis Glick, CEO of GENYOUth.