Letter Writer to the Post-Bulletin: Nelson Fights the Right Battles for Education

From today’s Post-Bulletin:

The last two years have seen significant bipartisan school reforms passed by the Republican Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Dayton. With Sen. Carla Nelson’s support and authorship, legislation was enacted that will result in regular evaluations of teachers and principals linked to how well students are performing.

Minnesota is also closing loopholes that permitted persons to teach even when they have not been able to pass a basic skills test in reading, writing, and math. And an alternative pathway for well- qualified individuals to enter the teaching profession without the expense and unnecessary burden of some current requirements has also been authorized, which is an innovation that drew strong support from national education advocates as well as the Minnesota business community.

It is important to note that even with a budget deficit, Nelson supported budget priorities that helped result in a record amount of per-pupil revenue and eliminated several state mandates as requested by the Minnesota School Boards Association.

This will allow schools to have greater flexibility in how they spend their dollars. I want education to be about more than money, because the primary focus should be the performance of our students.

But a proper amount of money is needed to provide classrooms, staff, and materials, and I appreciate  Nelson’s commitment to making this happen.

Dave Schwartzkopf 
Rochester