For more information, contact:
Megan Boldt
651-292-4818 (work)
651-245-9163 (cell)

ST. PAUL, Minn. June 12, 2015 – Education Minnesota President Denise Specht released the following statement in response to the passage of the education omnibus bill by the 2015 Legislature.
 
“Minnesota’s educators and parents welcome the additional support and funding provided in this bill,” Specht said. “These new investments are about 30 percent larger than those in the bill originally vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton, and we thank him for pushing for more for our students.
 
“Unfortunately, we missed an opportunity this session to invest in the programs and strategies that really push the needle on student achievement,” she said. “There’s still room for improvement in public education, including increasing access to preK, providing more supports for students in poverty and investing in teacher development and evaluations.”
 
“While we’ve made headway with important investments in American Indian education, school readiness and full-service community schools, 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. “On the policy side, the cap on time spent on standardized testing is a start, but we need further conversation on helping students become lifelong learners, not just test takers.”
 
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’s so much work left undone,” she said. “Minnesota educators are ready for 2016.”

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.