No Time for Waiting: What You Can Do Now To Help Solve Minnesota’s Education Issues
By Rashad Turner, Minnesota Parent Union, President & Executive Director
We can’t wait around for others if we want to improve Minnesota’s education system. If we do, no real progress will ever be made for our children, and they will continue to receive a mediocre education that will get them nowhere in life. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Wait, almost always means never.”
The time to stand up for our children’s education is now. We can’t count on politicians to prioritize quality education. Nor can we rely on other organizations, many of which will likely sit on their hands, thinking nothing will get accomplished because of the way our state’s legislature is currently structured.
Minnesota Parent Union is not interested in waiting! We have a clear agenda and an unwavering commitment to improve the quality of education in our state because our students' lives depend on it. In 2023, we’re focused on several initiatives that will hold our educators accountable, provide financial support for parents and keep high-quality teachers of color in the classroom where they belong.
Transparency Campaign
We are relentlessly working on getting Minneapolis Public Schools to add Minnesota Report Card data on the front page of their school websites. Highlighting performance data will equip parents with the knowledge they need to make more informed decisions about their child’s education. Our vision is that when they log on to their child’s school website, they won’t just be checking grades or peeking at the lunch menu; they’ll be able to view much-needed transparency about how the school is performing. We want the numbers, good or bad, to be easily accessible so parents and guardians can make informed decisions on what schools their children should attend.
We want to see administrators and teachers taking action to improve their schools' poor performance, and if they’re not, then the school needs to be closed. A school has one mission which is to educate students. If that’s not what’s happening within the walls of any academic institution, then it’s time to shut it down. The reality is that a number of Minneapolis schools are failing our students, and closing down these schools is sometimes what’s needed to give our children a chance at a bright future.
Our hope is to eventually expand the Transparency Campaign to other districts such as St. Paul, St.Cloud, Mankato and Rochester to hold schools across the state accountable for their academic performances and give parents the knowledge they need to make decisions about their children's education.
Education Grants Program
Our state government wants to continue dumping money into schools with the hope that it will magically improve academic achievement among students. This doesn’t work and the numbers show it. When roughly 80% of Black students in Minneapolis and St. Paul schools aren’t reading at grade level, it’s clear there is a need for educational reform and a radical change in how the billions of dollars poured into schools is spent.
Minnesota Parent Union is working on an education grants program that will give parents the power to choose the best school for their children. If approved, parents in Minneapolis and St. Paul could fill out an application for the grant program which would give them access to portion of their taxpayer dollars (about $12,000) and apply it toward non-public school tuition and approved education services such as transportation, tutoring, educational therapies, tuition at a postsecondary institution and more.
As the saying goes, “Talent is universal, but opportunity is not.” Money isn’t universal either, and many parents simply don’t have the financial means to send their children to high-quality schools that will prioritize their intellectual wellbeing and academic success. An education grants program is our solution. It creates opportunities for Black, Brown, Indigenous and children from low-income households to have a quality, culture-affirming education.
Ending LIFO at the Local Level
LIFO stands for “Last In, First Out”, or in other words, “Last one hired, first one fired.” It used to be the default policy at the state level to help school districts determine how to implement layoffs or cutbacks during difficult times. A few years ago, LIFO was removed as the default policy at the state level, but some districts still use it at the local level. It’s not enough for LIFO to be removed at the state level. It needs to be completely eradicated because if LIFO is still happening anywhere, that’s a threat to quality education everywhere.
Minnesota Parent Union is fighting to eliminate LIFO because it disproportionately impacts teachers of color. When it comes time to tighten up inventory, administrators are often quick to let teachers of color go, regardless of how qualified and skilled they are. We’ve seen award-winning teachers of color, people who bring fresh and innovative strategies into the classroom, lose their jobs at the drop of a dime. This has to end, especially in Minnesota, where sadly, only six percent of teachers identify as people of color.
What Parents Can Do To Help Us Improve the Education System in Minnesota
As parents, we have the power to help solve Minnesota’s education issues and below are some tangible steps you can take:
1. Transparency Campaign
Go to school board meetings. Talk to teachers. Research your school’s proficiency data. Parent advocacy starts by getting informed and involved. Nothing will ever change if you don’t continuously educate yourself and take action on that knowledge. Awareness is important, but action is the only way we will achieve our goal of holding schools accountable for their performance.
2. Education Grants Program
The first step in making an education grants program possible is to gather 30,000 signatures in support of legislation. Parents in Minneapolis and St. Paul, who want the power to choose the best education for their child regardless of their financial situation, can sign the form here that will urge our state leaders to support this program. Students should never be denied a quality education based on a lack of money, so let’s send that clear message to our politicians and get them on board.
3. Ending LIFO at the Local Level
We need parents to speak up and let their school leaders know they’re against LIFO. This policy is a major deterrent to increasing diversity in the school system. New teachers of color entering the classroom don’t even get a chance to enjoy a stable career because they’re the first ones pushed out. It is not enough to simply hire teachers of color; we have to retain them. Black, Brown, Indigenous and children from low-income households need teachers who look like them and can relate to their unique struggles. The best way for all students to feel represented in their school’s educators is to end LIFO. Parents can help with this goal by actively speaking out against this policy and having those difficult conversations with educators.
MNPU is here to amplify the voices of those who feel powerless to improve the education system. We will never stop advocating for a better school system and moving the education space in the right direction for Black, Brown, Indigenous and low-income children. Parents, don’t wait around for change. Take action now and know that we are here for you every step of the way. Reach out to one of our advocates who can equip you with the knowledge and resources to be a changemaker for better education.