Governor Announces Key Investments in Education

March 16, 2016 SPECIAL EDITION Learning Matters

This week, Governor Mark Dayton announced his 2016 budget, which included important investments in education. His budget will provide better support for schools and ensure every child has access to a great teacher and an excellent education.

Over the last five years, Minnesota has made big strides in education. More students are graduating from high school than ever before and we are seeing continuous gap closure for our students of color and students in poverty. Despite these promising trends, we also know there is a great deal left to do in order to reduce troubling achievement gaps and ensure all children are experiencing academic success.

From day one of his administration, Governor Dayton pledged to provide additional funding for education every year he is in office, and he continues that commitment this year. He has also said that progress will come not only from additional dollars, but in making smart investments in proven strategies, and this year’s budget is no exception.

Voluntary Pre-K

Creating a strong educational foundation for our youngest learners has become a cornerstone of Governor Dayton’s work in education. From early learning scholarships to free, full day kindergarten in every school, Governor Dayton has made expanding access to high-quality early learning a priority. This year he is recommending that Minnesota establish a voluntary Pre-K program with a capped funding level. Funding would be awarded based on poverty rates and the lack of Three- and Four-Star Parent Aware rated programs in the area. His proposal would invest $125 million over the next three years.

Teacher Workforce

The 2015 Teacher Supply and Demand report from MDE highlighted the need for Minnesota recruit, retain and diversify our teacher workforce. Governor Dayton’s budget would address this issue through a four-pronged approach: 1) lowering tuition for and funding recruitment of teacher candidates who agree to work in teacher shortage areas, 2) creating pathways for paraprofessionals to pursue full teacher licensure, 3) expanding the Minnesota American Indian Teacher Training Program, and 4) creating a Certificate of Advanced Professional Study (CAPS) program to create expedited pathways for already licensed teachers to add licenses especially in teacher shortage areas. His proposal would invest $36.7 million over the next three years.

Full Service Community Schools

The Governor recommends funding for Full Service Community School programs to increase the number of schools receiving grants in 2017. These grant funds allow schools to partner with community agencies to provide on-site health and dental clinics, mental health services, family resource centers, college access information, out-of-school program information and other family support services. His proposal would invest $2 million over the next year.

PBIS Implementation

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a data-driven program that provides districts and individual schools throughout Minnesota with training and technical support to promote improvement in student behavior, especially for students with challenging social behaviors. Since its launch in 2005, PBIS has spread across Minnesota and is currently being implemented by 523 schools, or 27 percent of the state’s nearly 2,000 schools. The Governor recommends $2.75 million to increase the number of sites implementing PBIS. His proposal would invest $2.75 million over the next year.

GED

We know that graduating high school is a critical step in a student’s education, opening the door to college and better paying careers. For people who do not obtain a high school diploma, the General Education Development (GED) test offers an alternative route to career and higher education. Governor Dayton’s budget fully funds GED testing, removing any financial barrier by making the assessment free to interested individuals. His proposal would invest $120 thousand over the next year.

Reduce Special Education Paperwork

Since taking office, Governor Dayton has worked to reduce special education paperwork for teachers, ensuring they are able to place their focus where it is needed most: the classroom. This year, Governor Dayton is looking to fund the development of an on-line reporting system that would more effectively and efficiently collect special education data on students with Individualized Education Plan (IEPs). His proposal would invest $3.8 million over the next three years.

To read more about the budget proposal, visit Governor Dayton's website.