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State Representative Kim Norton
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-9249
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
Column/LTE
EDUCATION A TOP PRIORITY FOR THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION
To the Editor:
During the eight years I served on the Rochester School Board I learned a lot about how to provide the very best education for the young people of our community. Now as a State Representative I have the unique opportunity to work with my legislative colleagues in the House and Senate to provide a quality education for both the children of Rochester and students across the state of Minnesota. This is one of my top priorities as a legislator.
There are two education initiatives this session that deserve particular attention. These initiatives include providing voluntary all-day kindergarten to every school district in the state and implementing statewide parental involvement guidelines for all districts.
Providing all-day kindergarten on a voluntary basis is something our state should seriously consider. Minnesota has fallen behind 29 other states that already fund statewide all-day kindergarten programs. As they enter 1st grade, all Minnesota children deserve the opportunity to be fully and equally prepared for a successful academic career. Studies show that all-day kindergarten programs can boost the graduation rate of high school seniors and close the achievement gap. Passing a voluntary all-day kindergarten bill this session would be a step in the right direction.
Parental involvement guidelines for the curriculum of all Minnesota school districts would also do a great deal for the quality of education in our state. This is something I worked extensively on in my role on the Rochester School Board. Increasing parental involvement in education has a direct correlation with higher student achievement. By allowing individual districts to determine how best to involve parents in the process while providing loose guidelines on how to do so, we can enhance the quality of education in Minnesota with little additional expenditures.
Aside from these two initiatives, there are a number of issues to be discussed this session regarding how to improve education in our state. I am eager to discuss these options. I will do all I can to make informed choices on these issues in an effort to improve the quality of education in Rochester and the state of Minnesota as a whole.
Kim Norton
State Representative
News Items
- Rep. Norton Selected as Vice Chair of House Health and Human Services Finance Committee - (Posted: 2012-12-14 00:00:00)
- It’s Time for Legislature to Get Back to Basics, Balance the Budget Honestly - (Posted: 2012-12-11 00:00:00)
- Second Saturday Coffee Meeting Date Changed to December 9 - (Posted: 2012-12-03 00:00:00)
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