ISAIAH's Public Education Campaign

Our Dream and a Miracle

ISAIAH envisions a time when all children have an opportunity to learn and flourish in a way that pleases God, leading to meaningful, fulfilling lives.  It could happen.  We had a miracle once, in the early 1970s, which put Minnesota on the cover of Time magazine with the title: “A State That Works.”  The Republican legislature and the DFL governor cooperated, greatly increasing the state’s tax responsibility for schools, equalizing educational opportunities across the state, and reducing local tax levies for those least able to pay.  It was a commitment that surprised the nation and built a legacy of excellence that still benefits Minnesota.

What Went Wrong?

Beginning in 1990, our state government started scrimping a little, under-funding the real inflating costs of public schools by about 1.5% per year, forcing local districts to make up the difference with levies.  There was enough money available, (we even received tax rebates), but the state chose short-term expediency over education.  This became a crisis in 2001 when the legislature promised to take up the slack but forgot to keep its promise.  Funds were frozen while standards and testing increased.  Even the ballyhooed 2005 increase of 4% per year barely met inflation and pushed more responsibility to the local level.  The facts:

·     Minnesota dropped from 15^th among the states in 1992 in education funds as a share of personal income to 36^th today, from 6% above the national average to 7% below.

·     Our increase in per-pupil spending during the last 5 years ranks 45^th.

·     Minnesota support for preschooler’s day care access is now 36^th among the states due to similar cutbacks, and 50% of our children are not ready when they arrive for kindergarten.

People say MN education is “great” when holding down taxes but call it “failing” when that description is more expedient.  During this political banter, children are being harmed. 

What Has Resulted?

Our generally strong educational system masks one of the greatest academic disparities among U.S. cities:

·     Four-year high school graduation rates for Native Americans & Blacks are less than half of those for Whites (approximately 40% vs. 87% for Whites).

·     The Twin Cities leads the nation’s 100 biggest cities in high school graduation rates overall but is ranked 40^th in Latino graduation.

·     On the basic skills test, 89% of White 8^th graders passed, but only 59% of the children living in poverty passed.

Learning Matters—A Lot!

Public Education is not a silo, walled off from society.  It is what we will become.  What if every person you met today, at work, the store or the repair shop, was poorly educated?  The percentage of minority, non-English speaking, special-needs children, and children living in poverty is increasing and they will become the citizens of the future, but the state no longer ensures that all those children have the opportunity to succeed.  And the future is getting closer: a global, knowledge-based, competition will dominate the 21^st century.  The Itasca group, which represents Minnesota’s largest companies, sees the education gap as the greatest threat to our state’s future.

ISAIAH’s Opportunity Agenda for Education

Three things need to happen:

·     We need to dramatically improve pre-K childhood development, especially for at-risk kids.  As the early brain develops, all children need nurturing, high quality learning experiences to reach their potential.  Support for early childhood development returns $12 for every dollar spent through better school and job performance, and lower remedial costs.  ISAIAH’s plan will increase kindergarten readiness from 50% to well over 80% using specifics developed by the Ready4K organization.

·     For K-12, we need to focus on our greatest problem area--children at risk.  As we’ve increased testing and student expectations, we haven’t put funding or processes in place to reduce the education gaps.  ISAIAH asks for proven, creative methods like: in-school and after-school tutoring, smaller classes, experiential learning, mentoring, summer enrichment and similar programs.  And we need “Standards Based Funding.”  It’s crazy to impose greater testing and requirements on students without paying for it.  Many factors affect life outcomes, but the schools represent our greatest hope for breaking people out of cycles of generational poverty.

·     The state government needs to again take responsibility for providing stable, sufficient, and equitable investment for education.  We have slipped a long way from the idealism of the past.  A group representing 90% of the educational organizations in the state, called “PS Minnesota,” will soon release study results on exactly what the cost will be to meet the standards.  It won’t be small, but it won’t be as great as the “Minnesota Miracle” of the 1970s.

So, Do We Need Another Minnesota Miracle?

If we try to fix the funding shortfall all at once—YES!  We will need a MORAL MIRACLE.  ISAIAH will take the lead in putting that option in front of the legislature.  Realistically, the problems in both pre-K and K-12 won’t be solved in one session, but it is absolutely essential that we start steering the boat in the right direction.

¯ Education Campaign Press Conference (January 2005)