Minnesotans have long taken immense pride in our public schools, and for good reason. But unfortunately, trends have changed and too many students have not been getting the high-quality education they deserve.
At the end of August, a report on student test results found just 50% of students can read at grade level, while only 45% are proficient in math across the state. That’s a drop of about 10% in each area since 2019, when scores were already trending downward. We were seeing signs of trouble before the pandemic, but the pandemic accelerated the trend and now our children need us to step up.
One issue is parents have limited say over what their kids are taught. We see mandates from unelected bureaucrats at the state level and not enough support and involvement from parents in decisions. And sadly, too often those decisions are based more on controversial and divisive politics than on what will help students learn the fundamentals. Parents are children’s first and most important teachers, and their work doesn’t stop when their child walks through the school doors. Engaging parents and valuing their input is an important way we can ensure kids are put first.
Minnesota also needs to invest more in proven teaching methods, especially in key subjects like reading. Studies show phonics teaching produces better reading skills than the “whole language” approach used in many classrooms now. We should follow what research says are the best ways to teach academics. That’s why my Republican colleagues and I proposed spending $100 million on literacy instruction to reverse declining reading scores and get students back on track. It’s not enough to just send more money out the door, we need to be sure the money is spent on proven strategies with results for children.
Two areas of special concern are the lack of adequate funding for special education and support for students with dyslexia.
Dyslexia makes reading and writing extraordinarily difficult. It affects up to 20 percent of people, but most schools do not give teachers enough training in dyslexia instruction. Republicans have long supported providing additional support for students with dyslexia. We should continue that effort.
This isn’t widely known, but Minnesota schools face a massive special education funding deficit. The federal government passed laws requiring schools to cover the costs of special education and promised they would provide resources, but they never have. Schools are forced to make up those costs with other resources. This year, I supported a proposal to put $1 billion into special education to help close this funding gap. While I am glad the Democrat majority agreed with us this is an important issue, they ultimately chose to provide less money for special education than Republicans would have. We need to do better.
Both parties agree that schools need funding to provide the level of education we expect. When Republicans had the Senate majority, we heavily invested in education every single year – including record funding increases.
But money isn’t enough. To give our students the high-quality education they deserve we need to double down on strategies that work, partnerships with parents, and most importantly, we should be putting the needs of students first.