 Education Update
Dear Educators, Paraprofessionals, and School Staff,
Whether you are reading this over the summer or as you return to school in the fall, I hope you enjoyed a well-deserved break this summer! I wanted to follow up on a few things I heard from you over the past 18 months. Please feel free to share this with your colleagues, as we want to continue to hear from you, actual educators!
Survey Results
Thank you for responding to our “Boots on the Ground Educator Survey”. We received over 1500 responses from educators across the state who feel their voices are not being heard at the legislature.
For that reason, I will continue to advocate for the passage of the “Boots on the Ground Bill,” which requires anyone sitting on an Education Policy or Finance Committee to shadow a teacher or administrator for 12 hours each year (House File 4352).
This bill will provide legislators with a firsthand experience of the impact of legislation we pass, which impacts your school and job every single day. We need to start listening to you — the boots-on-the-ground experts—to help create the best policies for teachers, our schools, our community, and most importantly, our kids!
Pension Options
It is clear that pensions continue to be a priority for educators regardless of where they are in their careers. Over the last two years, we saw the majority party spend down a historic $18 billion surplus, raise taxes by almost $10 billion, and yet invest little into pensions, letting down so many. We need options and opportunities, not false promises from politicians.
The Suburban Solutions Caucus will continue to work through and promote our 62/30 plan (House File 3808) for career teachers. We are also exploring other options to address teachers’ pensions and early retirement opportunities.
We know the selfless work you provide has a profound impact on our communities, now and in the future. We will continue to invest in our educators, paraprofessionals, and staff.
Funding/Policy
Over 65 mandates were forced onto our schools and educators these last two years. Mandates consumed more and more of the funding provided, leaving suburban schools with more than a $300 million shortfall. This was a direct result of people not listening, not working together, and not finding common ground. This is sad, especially when it comes to topics like education.
I, along with the Suburban Solutions Caucus, am proud to have co-authored an education bill that had only 2 mandates and provided our schools with more direct, flexible funding. Schools in our district would have received an additional $1-$7 million from this plan. The breakdown by school would have been as follows:
- Minnetonka Schools $5.3 million more
- Orono Schools $1.6 million more
- Eastern Carver Schools $6.2 million more
- Westonka Schools $1.4 million more
- Wayzata School $7.7 million more
These are real dollars that could have been put toward the actual needs of these schools, not toward politician-driven mandates. Real dollars that could have hired more teachers and helped to keep class sizes down. Instead of area cuts, we could have acquired much-needed resources for our students and educators.
2024-2025 School Year
As you head into the 2024-2025 school year, please know how important your work is not only to your school, kids, and parents but also to the entire community. As you help educate our next generation, I will continue to listen, learn, and work to support you, our schools, educators, and staff. Education should be a non-partisan issue, and as a member of the Suburban Solutions Caucus, I will continue to treat it that way. Thank you again and enjoy the rest of your summer.
Side Note: During an election year, legislators cannot send correspondence after July 19th, so this will be my last email of 2024. However, you can continue to reach out by email or phone to share your ideas, priorities, and thoughts as we prepare for the 2025 legislative session. I am always up to having coffee, too!
Sincerely,
|
