A lot is made of the "average" Minnesota student - average test scores, average background, average cost for their education. As parents and teachers know, the truth is that every student is as unique as the person they are. A one-size-fits-all education funding system is inadequate to prepare today’s kids for tomorrow's responsibilities.

P.S. Minnesota advocates for adequate, sustainable education funding that’s rationally tied to student achievement and need.

Minnesota continues to be a national leader in most educational quality indicators, but worrisome trends indicate our historic leadership is in jeopardy:

• Minnesota ranks fifth nationally for overall graduation rates. But almost 15,000 students did not graduate from our high schools in 2006; the lost lifetime earnings in Minnesota for that class of dropouts alone totals more than $3.8 billion.¹

• Minnesota ranks in the top 10 of states for national test results. But nearly two-thirds of Minnesota 4th and 8th graders were not proficient in reading in 2007 and achievement gaps between student groups in our state are among the largest in the country - 30 percentage points for 4th graders and 38 percentage points for 8th graders in math.²

• In May 2006, Education Week magazine graded Minnesota a "D" with respect to the availability of technology for our students and teachers.
• Fees paid by students and families for coursework and extracurricular activities increased 45 percent from 2002 to 2005, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.
• The state's special education debt to school districts is currently estimated to be $450 million a year, resulting in schools "borrowing" from their regular student funding to meet the needs of special education students.

Minnesota’s schools have a history of excellence. Today, they are challenged more than ever to provide a multifaceted education for students facing an increasingly competitive and socially complex global society.

Our past is good - make the future great. Thinking ahead about education.

Sources

• ¹ Alliance for Excellent Education
• ² Minneapolis Star Tribune, 09/26/07