Education (K-12)

September 11, 2010| Posted in ISSUES, Videos

The State Fair means a lot of things, including that a new school year is almost here. Soon Minnesota parents will be asking their kids around the dinner table “How was school today?”

At the same time, we must all keep asking ourselves “What is it that makes a successful school?”

As the son of two career public school teachers, and the father of three public school students, I am personally invested in the success of our state’s public schools.

When I talk to my own kids about heading back to school, they are excited about seeing friends and favorite teachers, about field trips and history projects, plays and sporting events. And they’re on to something. Our goal should be making sure that every Minnesota school is a place where students, teachers, and volunteers are excited to be learning and teaching.

The way I see it, we’re too focused on what comes out of our schools, and not focused nearly enough on what we’re putting into them.

Currently, reading and math test scores dominate how we measure a school’s success. And we do need to keep advancing the stronger reading and math curriculum that my kids and many others are fortunate to enjoy in their Minnesota public school.

But we sell our kids short when we judge our schools by that standard alone. We need to strive for more.

Every public school in Minnesota should have faculty with the talent, and the time, to build one-on-one relationships with their students. Should have flexible academic environments that serve a diversity of learning styles. Should have offerings in visual arts and music to ignite the creative power in every child. Should have an emphasis on personal safety and health, through physical activity and good nutrition. And should have technology to properly and cost effectively prepare successful twenty-first century citizens. That means state of the art science labs, and equipment to teach students the skilled trades.

As Governor I’ll make sure that we apply the resources, and create the jobs, to make this happen. The truth is that every child’s education should matter to all of us. As a state there is no more fundamental way for us to say ‘Yes’ to Minnesota’s future.