PreK-12 Education 3/9/23

I WILL BE TAKING A LOOK AT THOSE BILLS IN DETAIL.

>> Barry: VERY GOOD.

ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT COMES UP IN A FUNDING YEAR, AND I'M NOT GOING TO ASK YOU SPECIFICALLY.

I'M GOING TO GIVE EACH OF OUR GUESTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT IT.

BUT AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE MINNESOTA BUDGET IS K-12 EDUCATION, WHAT I CALL K-12 EDUCATION.

WE PROBABLY CALL IT PREK-12 EDUCATION.

THERE ARE NEW ISSUES THAT COME UP IN THE CONTEXT OF EDUCATION, NOT JUST A FUNDING QUESTION.

I WANT TO GIVE EACH OF OUR GUESTS TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUE AND WHAT ASPECTS OF IT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM AND WHAT MESSAGE DO THEY LIKE TO SEND TO THE CONSTITUENTS.

START WITH YOU, SENATOR MCEWEN, PREK-12, K-12 EDUCATION.

YOUR THOUGHTS.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MINNESOTA BE AGAIN ONE OF THE PREMIER EDUCATIONAL CENTERS OF THE WORLD.

WHEN I SAY THAT, I MEAN PREK THROUGH UNIVERSITY, THROUGH PUBLIC UNIVERSITY.

I THINK THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES.

WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE.

WE HAVE PROFESSIONALS, THE KNOW-HOW TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FREE TO THE USER AT THE POINT OF SERVICE OR VERY LOW COST PUBLIC EDUCATION, PREK THROUGH FOUR-YEAR PUBLIC UNIVERSITY.

THAT IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IN MINNESOTA.

MANY OF OUR NATIONS DID IT YEARS AGO.

IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.

THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT A GOOD SOCIETY PROVIDES FOR ITS PEOPLE.

I'M THINKING BIG WHEN I THINK OF EDUCATION.

I'M THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION FOR OUR PEOPLE STARTING WHEN THEY ARE VERY, VERY YOUNG OR THROUGH THE TRADES AS WELL.

WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ALTERNATIVES TO GOING TO THE UNIVERSITY.

TRAINING PROGRAMS AND THE LIKE.

THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE FREE OR VERY LOW COST TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO GET INTO THOSE PROGRAMS.

THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE SHOOTING FOR.

WE HAVE THE WEALTH.

WE ARE THE WEALTHIEST STATE IN THE WEALTHIEST NATION TO EVER EXIST ON THE PLANET.

WE SHOULD DO THAT.

THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO.

>> Barry: REPRESENTATIVE BAKER.

>> THAT'S A LOT.

THAT'S A LOT OF FREES THERE BECAUSE THERE'S NO FREE LUNCH IN MY WORLD.

WE PAY A RICH PROPERTY TAX ON OUR STATE.

WE ALL PAID THOSE WHEN YOU HAVE PROPERTY YOU OWN.

I AGREE, THOUGH, WE NEED TO DO BETTER SMARTER FUNDING WITH OUR SCHOOLS.

I BELIEVE WE NEED TO INVEST MORE IN OUR SOCIAL WORKERS IN OUR SCHOOLS.

WE NEED TO HAVE MORE TEACHERS AND EARLIER TEACHERS WHEN THEY GET INTO THE CLASSROOM SHOULD BE PAID BETTER.

I DON'T THINK OUR TEACHERS JUST OUT OF COLLEGE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS SHOULD BE PAID THROUGH THAT.

WE NEED TO PAY OUR TEACHERS MORE.

WE NEED TO FIND NEW WAYS OF DOING THIS.

TO ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE TO THE INDUSTRY IS ANOTHER GREAT CONCERN.

WE NEED TO FIND WAYS OF RECRUITING TEACHERS OF COLOR.

WE ARE NOT GETTING PEOPLE THAT ARE GRABBING ONTO IT LARGELY BECAUSE CHALLENGES OF BEING A TEACHER TODAY IS NOTHING SHORT.

HAVING SUMMERS OFF IS SOMETIMES NOT ENOUGH OF A BREAK FOR WHAT THEY GO THROUGH IN THE SCHOOL YEAR WITH THE CHALLENGES TEACHERS HAVE.

I HAVE A BILL IN THIS YEAR THAT'S GETTING A LOT OF CHATTER, AND I TALKED TO THE CHAIR THIS WEEK ABOUT THIS, AND SHE'S DEFINITELY CONSIDERING.

BUT TO HAVE OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO WORK THROUGH THE ISSUE, SHOULD WE DO A FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK?

THERE'S A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN MINNESOTA THAT HAVE DONE THIS FOR THE LAST 12 TO 15 YEARS.

THEY HAVE GOTTEN KIDS THROUGH K THROUGH 12 THROUGH THE ENTIRE SYSTEM ON FOUR DAYS.

TYPICALLY GO TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

IT'S NOT THE RIGHT DECISION FOR ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

IT'S A COMPLICATED QUESTION TO ASK ABOUT DAY CARE, TRANSPORTATION, SCHOOL SPORTS, BUT A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS HAVE DONE THIS, AND THEY WOULD NEVER GO BACK ACCORDING TO THE ADMINISTRATORS AND THE FAMILIES.

THEY REALLY LIKE IT.

TEACHER COLLABORATION IS BETTER.

THERE'S THE RECRUITING FOR TEACHERS IN THOSE SCHOOLS WITH FOUR DAYS.

THEY ARE NOT SHORT OF TEACHERS.

THOSE SCHOOL SYSTEMS RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE FOUR DAYS.

AGAIN, IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY, BUT I THINK THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SCHOOL BORTD SHOULD MAKE THAT DECISION, NOT THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION.

THAT'S WHERE THAT LANDS RIGHT NOW, AND THEY HAVE NOT GIVEN ANYBODY THAT EXCEPTION.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF RETHINKING EDUCATION HERE IN MINNESOTA AND IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE MONEY.

I'M CERTAINLY A SUPPORTER OF DOING GOOD STUFF THIS YEAR, SOCIAL WORKERS, BUT WE HAVE OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT, HOW WE CAN GET OUR KIDS THE BEST HELP THEY CAN.

>> Barry: SENATOR WEBER.

>> WELL, ONCE AGAIN, QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK GOVERNMENT HAS BECOME THE PROBLEM IN EDUCATION.

THE MANDATES THAT WE HAVE PUT ON OUR SCHOOLS ALWAYS COST MORE MONEY THAN THEY ARE EVER RECEIVING.

WE GO BACK -- THIS GOES BACK NOT ONLY TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

FOR MANY YEARS OUR SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN UNDERFUNDED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

THAT'S MONEY THEY HAVE TO MAKE UP SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THOSE PARTICULAR SERVICES.

AS WE LOOK AT THE CURRENT SITUATION, EVEN AS WE LOOK AT ALL THE BILLS GOING THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW, WE SEE ANOTHER INTENSE SPENDING DEMAND BEING PLACED ON OUR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

EARLIER IT WAS MENTIONED ABOUT THE FAMILY LEAVE BILL.

THIS IS GOING TO COST ALL LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, INCLUDING OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS.

I HAD A SCHOOL, SMALLER SCHOOL SYSTEM SENT ME AN OUTLINE OF WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT, WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IN TERMS OF HIRING ADDITIONAL PEOPLE.

THEY WENT THROUGH ALL THE ADDED COSTS THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED THEM WITH THE MANDATES THAT ARE COMING THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR.

WE ARE LOOKING AT A SITUATION THAT IS MANY, MANY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR THIS SMALL SCHOOL SYSTEM.

THEY SAID THERE'S NO WAY WE ARE GOING TO GET THAT KIND OF MONEY FROM THE STATE.

WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT.

SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC IN WHAT WE ARE EXPECTING.

WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC IN WHAT WE ARE REQUIRING.

WHILE THERE'S GOING TO BE ADDITIONAL MONEY SPENT FOR EDUCATION, WE ALSO HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION AND WHAT ARE WE FORCING THEM TO SPEND.

THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM, AND IT'S BECOMING AN EVEN LARGER