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ST. PAUL, Minn. June 5, 2015 – Education Minnesota President Denise Specht released the following statement in response to the compromise education bill read Friday in committee.
“The new investments in this bill are more than 25 percent larger than those in the bill vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton. The educators and parents of Minnesota appreciate the additional support,” Specht said. “However, in total, this bill will still be viewed as a missed opportunity in most classrooms of Minnesota.”
“We will make important investments in the education of American Indian students and in students learning English, but we’ve fallen short of making the sort of once-in-a-generation commitments the $2 billion surplus would have permitted for all children,” she said. “There’s so much work left undone, we’ve already started planning for 2016.”
Specht said the increase in the per-pupil formula would limit the number of teacher layoffs, but not prevent them. She predicted several districts would ask local taxpayers to raise their school levies to make up for the revenue shortfall.
“There are two bright spots in the policy side of the bill,” Specht said. “The Legislature is poised to enact meaningful limits on time spent on standardized testing. It will also take a step forward on full-service community schools, which provide the extra services our students need.”
About Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota represents 70,000 professionals working together for excellence in education for all students. Education Minnesota’s members include teachers and education support professionals in Minnesota’s public school districts, faculty members at Minnesota’s community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.