The teachers of the Twin Cities German Immersion School, a charter school in St. Paul, have voted to join Education Minnesota, the statewide union of 70,000 educators, the union announced Wednesday.

“This decision shows that classroom educators believe their students will benefit when those educators have a meaningful voice in the operation of their school, regardless of how that school is organized,” said Education Minnesota President Denise Specht.

Katie Stephens, a middle school language arts and social studies teacher at TCGIS, said, “We wanted to unionize because we felt that it would more fully address the needs of our school. We love our school, and value one another, and many of us felt we could do our jobs even better if we organized.”

The TCGIS teachers voted Tuesday night to become Education Minnesota members. The motion passed with 80 percent support. Once the results are certified by the National Labor Relations Board, the 25 teachers at TCGIS can formally join Education Minnesota.

The new members will have access to Education Minnesota’s catalog of professional development activities, including its popular Summer Seminar in St. Joseph, Minn., professional support services and networking opportunities with other educators around the state.

The teachers at the immersion school will now need to adopt a constitution and bylaws and start negotiating their first contract. The process may take several months.

The immersion school will become the only charter school currently affiliated with Education Minnesota, but Specht said it may not be the last.

“We often hear from teachers who are afraid to speak out about problems in their charter schools,” she said. “A union contract can be their First Amendment, and the first step toward bringing back passion and patience to their classrooms.”