Dear Neighbors,
In the coffees and town hall meetings we have had together over the past several months, many of you have told me that our children are competing with a global workforce, and that Minnesota must retain its advantage as the "brain power" state.
The goal of the Education Finance committee (on which I serve) this session has been to find ways for Minnesota to produce “the world’s best workforce.” After months of testimony from teachers, students, parents, community members, and education experts from across the state, our final proposal focuses on efforts to raise graduation rates, enable all students to reach their potential, and improve student career and college readiness.
The House released major education legislation this week, including the Omnibus Education Finance and Omnibus Higher Education bills. These bills provide a funding framework for our state education system, from early childhood through college, for the next two years.
Some key components of the bill that will enable our students to achieve to high levels and assist in eliminating the achievement gap:
· Funding all-day, every day kindergarten for all Minnesota kids
· Investing $50 million in early learning scholarships
· Increasing per pupil funding by $209, with accountability measures tied to achievement attached
Investing in early learners is a proven way to make sure that our students get an equal start and can achieve great things academically in later years. I’ve also co-authored a bill this session to provide optional, free all-day kindergarten to all young learners in the state. School districts that offer these programs are thriving, but our young families are left footing the bill. In the western metro, all-day kindergarten is around $4,000 per year.
The education bill also includes several reforms to make sure that while producing the world’s best workforce, we are also keeping our curriculum rigorous and relevant with the ever-changing job market. These reforms include strategic plans for student achievement, a new student assessment system and innovation grants.
In addition to the Education Finance Omnibus bill, the Higher Education Omnibus bill was also released this week. The major component of this bill will freeze tuition at both the University of Minnesota (U of M) and the Minnesota State Colleges and University system (MnSCU). This is in response to rising tuition that has nearly doubled at state colleges and universities in the past decade. Our young people, upon graduating from our post-secondary institutions, carry one of the highest debt loads in the nation. This is not acceptable. The largest investment in our state’s higher education system in over 10 years made in this bill is a direct way to help students and families who are currently attending a university or considering higher education in Minnesota.
As always, please contact me anytime with your input on these important issues. As always, thank you for the privilege of being your voice at our state Capitol!
Best,
Yvonne