ST. PAUL, MN – Today, State Representatives issued statements of support for Governor Dayton’s letter decrying the treatment of nominees to the new Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) at their recent Senate confirmation hearing. State Representative Carlos Mariani (DFL – St. Paul), the DFL Lead of the House Education Innovation Policy Committee, and State Representative Jim Davnie (DFL – Minneapolis), the DFL Lead of the House Education Finance Committee, released the following joint statement:
“Any executive branch nominees, including nominees to the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, deserve a respectful and professional confirmation process, and that was not what was observed earlier this week.”
“Frustration is a part of governing and lawmaking, but the difficulty in creating new state professional boards like PELSB should not be taken out on citizen nominees who are volunteering their time and experience to improve Minnesota’s ability to license teachers. Minnesota needs teachers whose effectiveness can strengthen our state by deepening our understanding of the world and exposing us to new ideas and information. PELSB nominees who try to advance this deserve our respect.”
“The focus of the PELSB confirmation hearings should be on the professional experience of these individuals as educators, not on playing political games to score points as some legislators’ disapprove of the rule-making scope of the board on cultural competency and on the need for mentorship for tiered licensing. We agree with Governor Dayton- that these nominees, who are volunteering their time and service, deserve our respect and attention to their professional experience.”
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