You can't separate school funding from student performance, a reality the governor and Legislature need to recognize as they continue their budget debate, Education Minnesota president Judy Schaubach said Thursday.
"Other states strive to achieve what Minnesota's public education system has traditionally delivered," she said at a Capitol news conference. Schaubach highlighted areas where Minnesota students rank in the top five nationally, including ACT scores, graduation rates, math and reading proficiency, and teacher qualifications.
"The level of these outcomes is closely linked to the level of public education funding and investment from past governors and legislatures," she said.
$600 more per pupil proposed
Now, however, the state's coalition of teachers' unions fears that "recent cuts to school funding may cause Minnesota to lose its position as a national leader in outcomes for its students."
To prevent that, Schaubach called on Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the Legislature to restore $185 million in educational cuts from the last state budget, and to increase state support by $600 per pupil in the upcoming two-year budget ? an amount she said is necessary for schools to keep up with inflation.
Further, the actual cuts in education funding and in Pawlenty's proposed budget will make it more difficult for disadvantaged students to close their achievement gaps, she said. Major cuts have targeted "the very programs designed to help these kids succeed," she said, including reducing class sizes, after-school and summer-school programs, English language tutoring, special education, and professional development for teachers.
 |
| Judy Schaubach: "We need a funding source that is stable and predictable and reliable." Union Advocate photo |
State should live up to obligation
Pawlenty's proposed budget "pays lip service to high standards, but in reality will likely erode the quality of our schools," Schaubach said. "? We will likely see more program cuts and teacher layoffs, which will deny opportunities for all students."
The governor's budget shifts more education costs onto local property taxes, she noted, but "the state has the responsibility to fund public education in a uniform way across the state. Otherwise we have huge disparities in what is offered from district to district.
"So, if the state has that responsibility, they need to find a way to ensure that that's provided.? We should quantify: What does the public expect from its public schools? What is it going to cost to do that? Then provide that money."
Schaubach didn't let the Legislature off the hook, either. "We really haven't seen the House or Senate come up with a comprehensive education funding proposal," she said. "? We need a funding source that is stable and predictable and reliable."
Education Minnesota doesn't have a specific proposal on how to raise additional revenue for schools and other programs that affect children, Schaubach said, but "we do need to increase revenue that's available to do the things we need to do."
Michael Kuchta edits the Union Advocate, the official publication of the St. Paul Trades & Labor Assembly. E-mail him at advocate@mtn.org
For more information
Visit the Education Minnesota website, www.educationminnesota.org
Share
You can’t separate school funding from student performance, a reality the governor and Legislature need to recognize as they continue their budget debate, Education Minnesota president Judy Schaubach said Thursday.
“Other states strive to achieve what Minnesota’s public education system has traditionally delivered,” she said at a Capitol news conference. Schaubach highlighted areas where Minnesota students rank in the top five nationally, including ACT scores, graduation rates, math and reading proficiency, and teacher qualifications.
“The level of these outcomes is closely linked to the level of public education funding and investment from past governors and legislatures,” she said.
$600 more per pupil proposed
Now, however, the state’s coalition of teachers’ unions fears that “recent cuts to school funding may cause Minnesota to lose its position as a national leader in outcomes for its students.”
To prevent that, Schaubach called on Gov. Tim Pawlenty and the Legislature to restore $185 million in educational cuts from the last state budget, and to increase state support by $600 per pupil in the upcoming two-year budget ? an amount she said is necessary for schools to keep up with inflation.
Further, the actual cuts in education funding and in Pawlenty’s proposed budget will make it more difficult for disadvantaged students to close their achievement gaps, she said. Major cuts have targeted “the very programs designed to help these kids succeed,” she said, including reducing class sizes, after-school and summer-school programs, English language tutoring, special education, and professional development for teachers.
|
| Judy Schaubach: “We need a funding source that is stable and predictable and reliable.”
Union Advocate photo |
State should live up to obligation
Pawlenty’s proposed budget “pays lip service to high standards, but in reality will likely erode the quality of our schools,” Schaubach said. “? We will likely see more program cuts and teacher layoffs, which will deny opportunities for all students.”
The governor’s budget shifts more education costs onto local property taxes, she noted, but “the state has the responsibility to fund public education in a uniform way across the state. Otherwise we have huge disparities in what is offered from district to district.
“So, if the state has that responsibility, they need to find a way to ensure that that’s provided.? We should quantify: What does the public expect from its public schools? What is it going to cost to do that? Then provide that money.”
Schaubach didn’t let the Legislature off the hook, either. “We really haven’t seen the House or Senate come up with a comprehensive education funding proposal,” she said. “? We need a funding source that is stable and predictable and reliable.”
Education Minnesota doesn’t have a specific proposal on how to raise additional revenue for schools and other programs that affect children, Schaubach said, but “we do need to increase revenue that’s available to do the things we need to do.”
Michael Kuchta edits the Union Advocate, the official publication of the St. Paul Trades & Labor Assembly. E-mail him at advocate@mtn.org
For more information
Visit the Education Minnesota website, www.educationminnesota.org