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ST. PAUL, Minn., March 6, 2015 – Education Minnesota President Denise Specht released the following statement in response to Gov. Mark Dayton’s plan to reduce the burden of standardized testing on Minnesota schools.

“Schools should inspire and engage students while teaching them critical thinking, problem-solving and all the other skills that lead to successful lives, but that often doesn’t happen due to the hyper-emphasis on standardized testing,” Specht said. "We swap learning time for testing time and deep learning for bubble filling."

“Gov. Mark Dayton is standing up for students and educators by not only acknowledging the harm caused by excessive testing, but proposing to cut the number of tests by one-third,” Specht said. “We’re still waiting for all the details, but today’s announcement is a big step toward restoring a well-rounded education to Minnesota children.”

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