Reps. Kresha and Bennett Respond to MDE Report Showing Continued Decline in Student Performance St. Paul, MN — Today’s release of student academic performance confirms that Governor Walz and Minnesota Democrats continue to fail our schools, our students, and our parents. Since taking office in 2019, student proficiency in reading is down 16 percent and down 17 percent in math. The Minnesota Department of Education reports that only 49.6 percent of students are proficient in reading and only 45.2 percent are proficient in math. When fewer than half of Minnesota students can read and perform math at grade level, that is a recipe for disaster for our economy and the future of our state. “We must refocus our schools on core academics, like reading and math, along with common sense discipline policies that give educators the tools they need to create a productive learning environment for students to learn,” said Rep. Peggy Bennett, Chair of the Education Policy Committee. “These numbers should be a wake-up call,” said Rep. Ron Kresha, Chair of the Education Finance Committee. “If we continue on this path, Minnesota will face a future where too many of our young people are unprepared for higher education or the workforce. Parents, teachers, and students deserve real solutions, not more excuses.” After years of failure, Democrats simply promise next year will finally be better, but our children remain stuck in neutral instead of building the critical skills needed in literacy and numeracy to be successful in life. |