About Us

About SRSEA (State Residential Schools Education Association)

SRSEA is an AFT-affiliated Minnesota teachers union representing approximately 190 educators, including teachers and librarians, who serve students in some of the state’s most specialized educational settings.

Our members provide vocational, special, and general education in:

• Minnesota state correctional facilities

• State hospitals and group homes

• Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and the Blind

• Perpich Center for Arts Education

SRSEA advocates for safe and equitable learning environments, fair wages and working conditions, and a strong professional voice for educators who work in state residential and correctional settings. We believe educators deserve respect, support, and representation—especially when serving students with complex needs.

SRSEA - State of Minnesota - Management and Budget

Vision

SRSEA envisions a future where educators in state residential and correctional settings are respected, supported, and empowered, and where every student—regardless of circumstance—has access to high-quality, equitable education.

We believe strong working conditions for educators lead directly to stronger learning environments for students. Through collective action and professional advocacy, we work toward education systems that are safe, humane, and grounded in dignity for both educators and learners.

Mission

The mission of SRSEA is to advocate for educators, protect workers’ rights, and strengthen public education in Minnesota’s state residential and correctional settings.

We accomplish this by:

• Negotiating and enforcing fair contracts

• Providing representation and support in workplace matters

• Promoting safe, equitable learning and working environments

• Elevating the professional voice of educators

• Partnering with AFT Minnesota and the American Federation of Teachers to advance shared goals

SRSEA is committed to collective action, professional respect, and educational justice for the educators and students we serve.

About the AFT

The AFT, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, was founded in 1916 and today represents 1.8 million members in more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide.

Five divisions within the AFT represent the broad spectrum of the AFT's membership: pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; and nurses and other healthcare professionals. In addition, the AFT represents approximately 80,000 early childhood educators and nearly 250,000 retiree members.

The AFT is governed by its elected officers and by delegates to the union's biennial convention, which sets union policy. Elected leaders are President Randi Weingarten, Secretary-Treasurer Fedrick C. Ingram and Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus along with a 43-member executive council.

Many well-known Americans have been AFT members, including John Dewey, Albert Einstein, Hubert Humphrey, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt, Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, former Senate Majority Leader and Ambassador to Japan Mike Mansfield, former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, and former United Nations Undersecretary and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche.