Pawlenty spent much of the speech talking about education and emphasizing the need to make Minnesota public schools "world class." Education Minnesota President Judy Schaubach said teachers and other education professionals support this goal.
"To become world-class, we need to properly fund our schools, starting with all-day, every-day kindergarten," she said. "No longer is this a \'nice to have\' as the governor suggested; it’s a \'must have\' for all children, ensuring they start their education careers on equal footing. Minnesota can no longer be content to lag behind 29 other states in offering all-day, every-day kindergarten."
Like all-day kindergarten, the governor\'s goal of innovative high schools also needs proper funding, Schaubach said. " We agree that all schools must prepare students for life; again we must properly fund them."
Education Minnesota has proposed a five-point plan for the state\'s public schools. It can be found on the union\'s website, www.educationminnesota.org
"Education Minnesota’s five-point plan proposes to put college education within the reach of all our students by offering more affordable tuition at Minnesota public higher education schools," Schaubach said. "We’re concerned that the governor’s message was unclear on this.
"Finally, we welcome more conversation on meaningful school reform. Again, we extend our invitation to the governor and lawmakers to meet us, any day, any time, at any Minnesota public school to see first-hand the great teaching and great learning that’s already happening in our schools."
Eliot Seide, director of AFSCME Council 5, a union of 43,000 public and non-profit workers in Minnesota, said it appeared that "Pawlenty’s near-death experience on election day has awakened him to what Minnesotans want."
AFSCME would like to see "bipartisan cooperation and wise investments in education, health care and transportation," Seide said. The union also would like to see state employees "rewarded for their efficiency and the world-class services they provide to Minnesotans." During the legislative session, unions representing state employees will enter into contract talks with the state on a new contract.
Seide said AFSCME members are concerned that Pawlenty made only a brief mention of transportation in his speech.
"Our union represents the workers who maintain and repair state roads and we challenge the Governor to invest in keeping Minnesota moving," he said.
For more on AFSCME\'s legislative agenda, visit the union\'s website, www.afscmemn.org
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Pawlenty spent much of the speech talking about education and emphasizing the need to make Minnesota public schools "world class." Education Minnesota President Judy Schaubach said teachers and other education professionals support this goal.
"To become world-class, we need to properly fund our schools, starting with all-day, every-day kindergarten," she said. "No longer is this a \’nice to have\’ as the governor suggested; it’s a \’must have\’ for all children, ensuring they start their education careers on equal footing. Minnesota can no longer be content to lag behind 29 other states in offering all-day, every-day kindergarten."
Like all-day kindergarten, the governor\’s goal of innovative high schools also needs proper funding, Schaubach said. " We agree that all schools must prepare students for life; again we must properly fund them."
Education Minnesota has proposed a five-point plan for the state\’s public schools. It can be found on the union\’s website, www.educationminnesota.org
"Education Minnesota’s five-point plan proposes to put college education within the reach of all our students by offering more affordable tuition at Minnesota public higher education schools," Schaubach said. "We’re concerned that the governor’s message was unclear on this.
"Finally, we welcome more conversation on meaningful school reform. Again, we extend our invitation to the governor and lawmakers to meet us, any day, any time, at any Minnesota public school to see first-hand the great teaching and great learning that’s already happening in our schools."
Eliot Seide, director of AFSCME Council 5, a union of 43,000 public and non-profit workers in Minnesota, said it appeared that "Pawlenty’s near-death experience on election day has awakened him to what Minnesotans want."
AFSCME would like to see "bipartisan cooperation and wise investments in education, health care and transportation," Seide said. The union also would like to see state employees "rewarded for their efficiency and the world-class services they provide to Minnesotans." During the legislative session, unions representing state employees will enter into contract talks with the state on a new contract.
Seide said AFSCME members are concerned that Pawlenty made only a brief mention of transportation in his speech.
"Our union represents the workers who maintain and repair state roads and we challenge the Governor to invest in keeping Minnesota moving," he said.
For more on AFSCME\’s legislative agenda, visit the union\’s website, www.afscmemn.org