(AP Photo)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO) – Minnesota representatives are blasting Governor Tim Walz’s administration for what they call failed policies championed by the governor’s office.
Republican Representatives Ron Kresha from Little Falls and Peggy Bennett from Albert Lea say declines correlate directly with Walz’s time in office. They say educators and schools are not to blame, but Governor Walz and the DFL Parties policies are the cause.
Bennett taught in Albert Lea for 33 years. She says the Democrat-led state government passed more than 60 new mandates that micromanage schools and distract them from core learning.
“We cannot continue pushing failed education strategies and expect better results,” Bennett said. “Republicans have offered numerous common-sense solutions that focus on academics, literacy, high expectations, and local control.”
“Minnesota schools and teachers now have more mandates to follow, and fewer students that have overcome the education achievement gap,” Kresha said. “Governor Walz and legislative Democrats continue to prioritize political agendas and failed policies instead of strategies and resources that would help all of our teachers and students succeed.”
Minnesota recently ranked 19th among states in education quality rankings, a drop from sixth place less than a decade ago.
A study showed that in 2022, Minnesota fourth graders’ reading proficiency fell below the national average for the first time in history.
That same study shows 17% of Minnesota’s high school students are not graduating on time, worse than states like Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota, and West Virginia.
Newly released data from the Minnesota Department of Education shows student proficiency rates decline 16 percent in reading, 17 percent in math, and 23 percent in science since 2019.
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