|
Dear Friend,
As parents of seven children, Jacquie and I have a great deal of experience with the education system in Minnesota. One of the main things we have learned as parents is that no two children are the same, and neither is the way they learn.
Last Thursday, the Minnesota Department of Education released new data from the 2023 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) test, a statewide test given to Minnesota students each spring. This test is often used as a barometer to determine what students have learned throughout the year.
Tragically, this new data shows that more than half of Minnesota students failed to meet grade-level standards in math and reading, and more than 60% failed to meet standards in science. These numbers represent a 10% drop in scores compared to 2019, the last full school year before the pandemic, when test scores were already beginning to decline.
Every student deserves access to the best education possible, no matter their zip code. This new data underscores the need to expand school choice both in Minnesota and nationally. Students’ education decisions should be made by parents, who know their children better than any Washington or St. Paul bureaucrat.
Our education system should be as diverse and individual-oriented as the students it serves. We need to pave the way for new innovative educational tools that provide every student with a tailored approach to learning. Minnesota is home to excellent, public, private, and charter schools that give students with varying learning needs the opportunity to succeed.
We need to applaud variety, not suffocate it. What works in Illinois or California, might not work in Minnesota, and what works in St. Cloud, may not work in Minneapolis.
Minnesotans deserve control of their students’ education, regardless of what zip code they live in. We will continue to fight for the rights of every family to send their children to the school of their choice.
Sincerely,
|