St. Paul, MN – With a strike looming, and thousands of students in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul School Districts facing the prospect of days or even weeks of missed class time, Rep. Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, Republican Lead on the House Education Finance Committee, has introduced legislation to give Minnesota families education options in the event of a strike. Kresha's bill would allow parents to use their child’s pro-rated per-pupil funding from the state to attend other education options—including charter or non-public schools—helping keep kids in the classroom and learning during a teacher union walkout.
“Students have already suffered enough over the past two years with significant learning loss as a result of the pandemic and distance learning," Kresha said. "A strike will set our students back even further — my bill would give parents options, so they don't lose out on valuable time in the classroom."
"Minnesota parents should have every tool available to give their child a great education, and make sure their child isn't harmed by a strike," added Rep. Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, Republican Lead on the House Education Policy Committee. "Everyone should be focused on helping our students recoup the significant academic losses of the past two years — this strike is poorly timed and will only add to the setbacks students have experienced."
Minneapolis and St. Paul could begin a strike as soon as Tuesday, March 8 If this legislation passes. The legislation is in the Education Policy Committee for review. More information can be found here.
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