Dear Educators, My name is Bidal Duran, and I have the honor of serving as your representative for District 2A in the Minnesota House. During my first year at the Capitol, I’ve met many of you: teachers, coaches, bus drivers, paraprofessionals, and staff. This first message to you begins with gratitude. Thank you for showing up for our kids, especially when the challenges keep growing. This school year has already brought pressures such as staffing shortages, rising costs, and higher expectations in the classroom. My goal in the Legislature is simple: to support our schools, protect local control, and ensure resources reach students and educators, not additional bureaucracy. This past session, we made meaningful progress on teacher pensions by reducing early retirement penalties and increasing state contributions to ease pressure on district budgets. It is not the final step, but it is movement in the right direction toward a fairer, more secure system for those preparing for retirement. We also protected funding for nonpublic pupil aid and rural schools, worked to ensure districts retain the flexibility to address safety needs in ways that fit their communities, and established the Science of Reading as Minnesota’s literacy standard to give teachers proven tools rather than new mandates. Just as important as what we passed is what we stopped. We pushed back against unfunded mandates that would have forced districts to cut programs or staff. We stood against attempts to grow bureaucracy while cutting classroom budgets. We defended local control because decisions about your school should be made in your community, not dictated from St. Paul. Looking ahead, I want to work with educators, not around them. Whether you teach in public, private, or charter schools anywhere in our district, your voice matters. I’ve included a short survey below because I want to hear directly from you about what’s working, what’s not, and how I can best support you at the Capitol. Education Feedback Survey for Representative Duran Teaching is more than a job. It is one of the most important callings in our state. I may serve in St. Paul, but you are serving daily in the classrooms and hallways where Minnesota’s future is being shaped. I will continue to stand up for policies that support your work, respect your judgment, and put students first. Thank you for all that you do. Sincerely, Rep. Bidal Duran Minnesota House of Representatives, District 2A |