Families vacation for MEA break, but conference attendance numbers are low

MEA break: What's it for exactly? The Minnesota Educators Academy, or MEA conference, is this week and for many Minnesota families it now feels as much like a fall getaway as a teachers' conference. The Brief Minnesota students are off Thursday and Friday for the annual MEA conference in St. Paul.MSP airport expects about 50,000 passengers during MEA break, 16% higher than the average for this fall.Education Minnesota said 669 people attended in person in 2023, 621 in 2024 and 659 in 2025. (FOX 9) - The third week in October marks the Minnesota Educators Academy, or MEA conference, and for many Minnesota families, it now feels as much like a fall getaway as a teachers' conference. How MEA week became a family travel break What we know: Teachers across Minnesota take Thursday and Friday for relicensing and professional development, and many families use the time off to travel. MEA, put on each year by the union Education Minnesota, used to cover both Thursday and Friday, but now is condensed to Thursday, with many districts giving teachers Friday as a work day. The conference has been a yearly gathering for educators in the state since the 1800s. Local perspective: Sarah Newberry Donovan and her two kids were headed on a Tuesday night flight for a week-long trip to New York they had been planning for months. They aren't the only family planning travel. The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) said it expects about 50,000 passengers during MEA break, which is 16% higher than the average for this fall. "It's become a fall break for our families and they come to expect it, quite honestly," said Monica Byron, president of Education Minnesota. What they're saying: "Most years, for MEA, we'll go somewhere," said Sarah Newberry Donovan. "I think having a longer break from school a couple times a year, especially the winter gets so busy with holidays and stuff like that, so it's kind of the ideal time to take a trip." There are plenty of families, however, who cannot afford to travel. Parents strategize how to balance taking off work and paying for additional childcare.  State statute requires 160 days of instruction each year for Minnesota students, one of the lowest in the nation.  "I think it's a really mixed bag," said Donovan. "There's a lot of random school days off for holidays and for different types of breaks and so for some families I think that's really frustrating and hard because it's hard to take off work." Why Education Minnesota says MEA still matters By the numbers: The annual conference is on Thursday at the St. Paul RiverCentre. Education Minnesota's more than 80,000 members are invited to attend for free each year, and this year's sessions include AI in the classroom, teacher burnout and grief along with relicensing courses. Byron said in-person attendance never recovered from the pandemic. According to Education Minnesota, 669 people attended the conference in 2023, 621 in 2024 and 659 in 2025. The union says thousands now choose to take MEA courses online instead of making the drive to St. Paul to complete license renewal courses. Why you should care: Byron said whether teachers attend the conference, or take a vacation themselves, giving teachers time to reassess improves student outcomes in the classroom.  "It's such a perfect time for them to assess what's going on in their classrooms, make any pivots so that our students have all the success that they need in their spaces," said Byron. "The state still needs MEA because our educators need it. Our educators need a place to be able to focus on their own individual needs." The Source: FOX 9 reporting from Emily Pofahl with interviews from Education Minnesota and Sarah Newberry Donovan. EducationMinnesotaTravel