Minnesotans take education very seriously.  We’ve traditionally invested significant funds in our schools. It is our largest budget expenditure and we’re told the state demands high standards and continuing cost increases to achieve it. On another path, America has invested trillions of dollars in the past 30 years on technology that has revolutionized the way we work, reducing costs in production and product delivery in nearly every sector of society, except government controlled education. The ideas of public education and investment must intersect somewhere to achieve cost savings. Doesn't logic suggest it? Where are the savings we were promised to see with the investment in the public school system, and more importantly, where is that better educated and better prepared school graduate?

 

We know using technology reduces costs, achieves consistently higher product standards, and lower prices. They've done it in the corporate training world where online and computer based training delivery methods have reduced costs, increased retention, and produced greater results. It seems that only in government controlled education do we see out of control cost increases every year, yet virtually no improvement in the end results. What's going on? 

 

When we ask why our children are not up with the rest of the industrialized nations we’re told all the money spent did not prevent America’s schools from falling behind those of other industrialized countries. And we see, unfortunately the state’s commitment to educating our children was too often met with simple answers, little thought toward fixing the system, and political games.

 

Instead of demanding real answers to solve real problems in education to get more for the money being spent, the DFL controlled legislature plays politics with the problem.

 

Take the Democrat’s approach this year; In less than 24 hours, the House took up its third version of a omnibus K-12 education bill, sent it to conference committee, took it up again and passed it, only to have it rejected by the Senate. In the end, school funding was left virtually unchanged, except for the $1.9 billion Democrats borrowed from schools just to balance the state budget. So now they’ve delayed payments to school districts. They build up the infrastructure yet can't fund it.  Wouldn't it be better to scale it back, rely on technology and see that it is funded?

 

The saddest fact about last session was that the Legislature failed to capitalize on a chance to help thousands of Minnesota’s most challenged learners, one area where government should fund. At many companies (Brothers Office Furniture included), special needs children are hired so that they can learn early how to work and interact with others. Private industry pays the youths. That program is met with great success.

 

Last session, there was strong bipartisan support for a measure that would have changed the lives of challenged low-income and minority students by creating an alternative-teacher-licensure. It would have brought in a few teachers with the instruction and mentoring that goes beyond traditional teaching methods to reach challenged students. It’s a program that’s been successful in other states.

 

But, that legislation failed. Why? The political power and influence of the Minnesota teachers union. Education Minnesota, spent tens of thousands of dollars running television ads imploring opposition to alternative teacher licensure. 

 

Soon Democrats realized the political consequences and the result was swift; they quickly recessed the committee considering alternative licensure. Later that evening, Democrat members were noticeably absent from a vote to add the alternative-teacher-licensure language to the education bill.  Three days later, another attempt to add the language failed. 

 

Not surprisingly, days later, Education Minnesota endorsed the Democrat-endorsed candidate for governor, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher for her role in killing the measure.

 

This bipartisan effort to open the door to a few dedicated and motivated young teachers was slammed shut by the powerful teachers union and thousands of Minnesota’s school children were denied the opportunity of a better education. 

 

Our children deserve better. 

 

The state’s role in education must not be about politics and the next election. And it is more than about how much, but more about how well the money is spent. Local school boards need more control, performance pay for teachers and school choice should be introduced and state mandates that threaten the ability of our schools to educate must be removed.

 

The importance of educating all of our children and equipping them so they will succeed in the future is clear.