[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-591537-105":59,"doc-detail-591537-en":129},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":122,"head_meta":124,"extra_data":126,"updated_unix":128},105,"en","from-pop-machines-to-gym-memberships","From Pop Machines to Gym Memberships","","A set of educator and union-focused articles examines the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers’ organizing efforts and the partnership model behind them. It highlights leadership and collective action during contract negotiations, including parent engagement strategies, culturally relevant education, and provisions such as smaller class sizes and preschool access. The narrative also explains how collaboration reshaped community expectations, built trust, and delivered measurable outcomes for students and families.",{"@graph":69,"@context":121},[70,84,104],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":53,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/lifestyle/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/from-pop-machines-to-gym-memberships/591537/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":98,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":99,"interactionStatistic":100},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/from-pop-machines-to-gym-memberships/591537.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"supergirl","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":101,"interactionType":102,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":103},"ViewAction",{"@type":105,"mainEntity":106},"FAQPage",[107,113,117],{"name":108,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":110},"What organizing effort does the text emphasize behind the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers?","Question",{"text":111,"@type":112},"The text emphasizes partnership-driven organizing, linking educators’ collective action to improved outcomes for students and families.","Answer",{"name":114,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":115},"What was a key outcome of the union’s contract negotiations described in the article?",{"text":116,"@type":112},"The union reached an agreement ratified by an overwhelming 95 percent vote, with provisions including smaller class sizes and family engagement.",{"name":118,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":119},"How does Mary Cathryn Ricker describe the union’s earlier operating approach?",{"text":120,"@type":112},"The text uses an analogy in which the union is compared to a pop machine—members put in dues expecting outcomes without meaningful responsiveness.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":123,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":125,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":127,"site_id":62},591537,1792072682,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":130},{"doc_id":127,"user_id":131,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":132,"doc_module":4,"category_id":52,"category_name":53,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":133,"file_id":134,"file_url":135,"file_type":136,"file_size":137,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":29,"language":138,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":139,"faqs":140,"seo_title":141,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":128,"read_time":44},962088121634,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","ILLUSTRATIONS BY MATTHEW BAEK  \nAll Handson Deck  \nOrganizing for the Schools Saint Paul Children Deserve  \nAs an English teacher, I’m used to identifying the beginning, middle, and end of a story. And I enjoy letting others know when Ihave reada good one. I’m happy to share that the following two articles fall into this category. Both describe e orts that started during my time as president of the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers (SPFT) in Minnesota.  \nWhile the words written here by Eric S. Fought and Nick Faber of course must end, Ilike to think the story they tell about the power of partnership is far from over. Not only does a vibrant future of organizing educators and improving the lives of community members lie ahead of SPFT, but such promising work is in store for every local that learns from us or has taught us how to make common cause with the communities we serve.  \nI’m very proud of the work we started in Saint Paul, and I’m grateful for all the AFT members who support our efforts. I’m also honored that AFT President Randi Weingarten and SecretaryTreasurer Lorretta Johnson asked me to serve alongside them so together we can elevate the work our members do.  \nEducators face many challenges. For example, one of the things that concerned me when I began teaching in Saint Paul was parent-teacher conferences. My turnout was abysmal. In 2003, when Itold my principal, “I’ve only been averaging 30 percent parent attendance,” he was impressed. His reaction surprised me, given that I had more than  \n85 percent when I taught in Saint Cloud, a city in central Minnesota, about 75 miles away.  \nIre􀀜ected on the di erence: in Saint Paul, many teachers didn’t call home to invite families to conferences because of the language barrier. Like some teachers, I’m monolingual.  \nWe were conducting these conferences the way they had been done for my parents 25 years earlier. So I started asking how we could change the process to better meet the needs of families. I was told not much could be done.  \nAfter I became president of SPFTin 2005, we brought ideas for improving our parent engagement to the bargaining table. We were told it could not be done. In 2010, SPFT leader Nick Faber shared his parent-engagement idea with me, and we made the Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project our union’s work.  \nIt’s work that any union can do. Please add to this partnership story by making it your own—and don’t forget to tell me how it ends!  \n–MARY CATHRYN RICKER, AFT EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT  \nBy Eric S. Fought  \nO  \nn an unusually warm mid-February afternoon in Minnesotain 2014, members of the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers gathered in front of the o􀀝ces of Saint Paul Public Schools before the start of a school board  \nmeeting. Teachers, in the midst of a contentious contract 􀀞ght and nearing a strike vote, were surrounded by hundreds of supporters—parents, students, elected officials, representatives from other unions, and community leaders.  \nEric S. Fought is an activist and writer based in Minnesota. He has served in senior leadership roles with progressive political, community, faithbased, and labor organizations, including the Minnesota DemocraticFarmer-Labor Party, the Service Employees International Union, Minnesotansfora Fair Economy, and the Democratic National Committee.  \n􀀝is article is adaptedfrom Eric S. Fought, Power of Community: Organizing for the Schools St. Paul Children Deserve (Saint Paul: Saint Paul Federation of Teachers, 2014).  \n18 AMERICAN EDUCATOR | FALL 2015  \nIt’s not unusual for members of a labor union to have others join them in solidarity in the midst of contract negotiations. However, it was clear to anyone atthe rally that day that this wasn’t just about a two-year contract. every presence of those who trudged through the melting slush represented an emerging vision—not only for the union, but also for everyone with a stake in making sure that Saint Paul children have the teachers and the schools they deserve.  \nTw","cbCainqoNc0OvLg2","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCainqoNc0OvLg2","pdf",170637,"English","# From Pop Machines to Gym Memberships\n## Mary Cathryn Ricker’s SPFT leadership and vision\n## Analogy of the pop machine model and the need to change","[{\"question\":\"What organizing effort does the text emphasize behind the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers?\",\"answer\":\"The text emphasizes partnership-driven organizing, linking educators’ collective action to improved outcomes for students and families.\"},{\"question\":\"What was a key outcome of the union’s contract negotiations described in the article?\",\"answer\":\"The union reached an agreement ratified by an overwhelming 95 percent vote, with provisions including smaller class sizes and family engagement.\"},{\"question\":\"How does Mary Cathryn Ricker describe the union’s earlier operating approach?\",\"answer\":\"The text uses an analogy in which the union is compared to a pop machine—members put in dues expecting outcomes without meaningful responsiveness.\"}]","From Pop Machines to Gym Memberships | PDF"]