Politics and education reform are amongst the key topics at a national convention of greater than 3,500 teachers union members this week, including some from Minnesota.

The American Federation of Teachers is among the many groups that endorsed Kamala Harris for president, and leaders on the conference are also pushing for more cash and higher working conditions for teachers nationwide.

Leah VanDassor, president of the St. Paul Federation of Educators Local 28, said crowded classrooms significantly affect the education system.

“What’s the tutorial cost? What’s the emotional cost? What’s the mental health cost of getting so many kids in a room?” VanDassor asked. “That’s why we push so hard for all of that because learning conditions are very tightly tied to working conditions. You’ll be able to do quite a bit higher job as an educator if you could have fewer students within the room.”

While conservatives have argued public worker unions are too powerful, VanDassor noted educators disagree. She added most faculties haven’t any structure or funding in place to take care of the present mandate to handle the mental health crisis amongst students.

Vice President Kamala Harris was in Houston on Thursday to handle the American Federation of Teachers conference.

Randi Weingarten, president of the national union, praised the Biden/Harris administration’s commitment to public education in her keynote speech while accusing Republicans of undermining staff’ rights and attacking academic freedom.

“When the history books are written about this moment, allow them to record that we, the people, united, mobilized, and voted down this existential threat to democracy and freedom,” Weingarten stressed.

Weingarten also criticized the Trump administration’s support of college vouchers, the results of social media on students, and the movement to regulate or censor topics or books with which they disagree.

“They fear what we do,” Weingarten asserted. “The teaching of reason, of critical pondering, of honest history, of pluralism. Because their brand of greed, of power, of privilege cannot survive in a democracy of diverse, educated residents.”

Mike Moen writes for Minnesota News Connection.