on August 20, 2018

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Failed education ideas about to transform Twin Cities region

On July 25, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued a ruling with the potential to transform K-12 education in the Twin Cities region for decades to come. The court decided that Cruz-Guzman v. State of Minnesota—a case in which plaintiffs seek court-ordered metro-wide racial balancing in the Twin Cities’ region’s public schools—can go forward. Plaintiffs will now return to district court. There they will demand a comprehensive, legislatively mandated plan to distribute students—including those in suburban districts and charter schools—into schools across the metro area on the basis of their race and socio-economic status. The remedy plaintiffs seek will likely cost taxpayers enormous sums...

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on August 15, 2018

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Non-Union Teacher Associations Offer Educators Double Protection

Written by Catrin Wigfall

in Education

Minnesota teachers want protection against allegations that could threaten their entire career. And in the wake of the Janus decision, non-union teacher associations want educators to know they have options for excellent liability insurance....

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on August 12, 2018

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Urban Minority Students Aren’t Getting the Education They Need

Written by Andrew Scattergood

in Education

In 1970, Minnesota was among the states with the least income inequality. Black household median income was competitive with white households, and Hispanic incomes were nearly identical to white households. Since then, the racial wage gap has increased significantly despite remaining mostly unchanged in the rest of the country. Why are black and Hispanic families so much worse off in Minnesota? The answer is likely the result of several variables. Immigration patterns, language barriers, and skill deficiencies may all contribute to Minnesota’s growing income gap. One important factor, however, is the education system....

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on August 11, 2018

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Taxpayers to Get Squeezed After Minneapolis School District Mismanages Their Budget, Again…

Written by Isaac Orr

in Education

The Minneapolis School District can't seem to get their act together. The district overspent by $21.6 million last year, now the school district is seeking to raise property taxes by $18 million in a referendum on the ballot this fall. If you live in Minneapolis, you can see what these additional levies will cost you by clicking here. The Minneapolis School District has been badly mismanaged. According to a Star Tribune article from last year, auditors highlighted seven areas of financial missteps, including problems in budgeting, payroll and approval of district purchasing cards. "Some employees remained on payroll after they left the district...

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on August 09, 2018

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Evidence suggests that moving away from seniority pay improves teacher quality

Written by John Phelan

in Education

Public policy must deal with the world as it is, not as we would wish it to be. As in any profession, some teachers are better than others. We might wish that more effective teachers paid the same as less effective teachers would work just as hard, but theory, and new evidence from Wisconsin, suggest that this is not the case. If we want to get the best out of our teachers, we need a labor market structured to encourage that. ...

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on August 08, 2018

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MN Teachers’ Union Calls Attention to Center’s Employee Freedom Project and Billboards

Written by Catrin Wigfall

in Education

Education Minnesota President Denise Specht uses her column in the union's publication, Minnesota Educator to call out the Center’s EducatedTeachersMN project and its electronic billboards that welcomed union officials and delegates to the NEA's national convention held in Minneapolis this summer. Specht’s criticism of the signage? The blackboard background....

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on July 25, 2018

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Minnesota Needs to Address Labor Shortage in Education Curricula

Written by Andrew Scattergood

in Education

Why do most schools around the country have a three-month break every summer? The nine-month school year was adopted over a century ago, so children could work on the farms during prime harvesting months. This is an example of the public education system adapting to the economy. The top priority for any public education system should be preparing the students to be productive members of society, including preparing them to join the labor force. Currently, one of the top issues with the Minnesota economy is a labor shortage. Not just any labor, but high skilled labor in technical fields that require...

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on July 17, 2018

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Research suggests that collective bargaining laws harm students, with black and Hispanic men particularly affected

Written by John Phelan

in Education

When the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the Janus case recently, teacher's unions warned that pupils would suffer. However, new research suggests students might actually be better off thanks to Janus. ...

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on July 16, 2018

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Teachers want unions to focus more on professional needs, but are they listening?

Written by Catrin Wigfall

in Education

Thanks to Janus, government unions have an opportunity to reboot for the better, but they are faced with a choice: Will they continue prioritizing political objectives unrelated to meeting the needs of their members? Or will they be more attentive and responsive to professional interests?...

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on July 16, 2018

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Teachers’ Unions Scramble to Remain Relevant

Written by Tom Steward

in Education

School may be out but the recent Supreme Court ruling that public employees cannot be forced to pay union fees has cut the teachers unions' summer vacation short. Kate Walsh of the National Council on Teacher Quality explains why in a pointed column on the opinion pages of the Star Tribune. After the high court sided with Janus in Janus vs. AFSCME, public-sector workers will no longer be required to contribute to their unions, something nearly half of all states — including Minnesota — require regardless of whether teachers choose to belong to the union. The nation’s largest union, the National...

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