School choice rally will tell Gov. Walz to prioritize kids over systems

Mark your calendars! On Saturday, May 8 at 11 a.m. Minnesotans will gather together in front of the Governor’s Mansion to urge Gov. Tim Walz to support the Education Savings Accounts provision in S.F. 960. Register here.

Source: The Exodus MN

Organized by The Exodus MN — black moms working for excellence in education for all Minnesota kids — the rally will highlight how ESAs would enable thousands of children to have access to more educational options and would equip parents with more control and flexibility over their children’s education.

There is no greater door to success than an excellent education, but for too many Minnesota students that door has been shut due to financial barriers and a neighborhood school failing to meet their needs.

Through ESAs, kids in low-performing public school districts and those limited to a distance or hybrid learning model would have access to a different school or a variety of other educational services — such as tutoring or supplemental curriculum, mental health treatment, or special education services and therapy, to name a few.

Not all students thrive in the same learning environment, and our kids need access to educational opportunities that work better for them now, not years from now.

Please join these dedicated moms and numerous other Minnesotans who recognize the importance of prioritizing students over a top-down education system. Multiple states have advanced and passed ESAs with bipartisan support. Minnesota can too.

Gov. Walz and legislators, the time is now — especially in light of COVID-19 — for Minnesota to expand educational opportunities.

ESA Quick Facts:

  • ESAs are popular. Sixty-nine percent of Minnesotans and 75 percent of parents nationwide support ESAs.
  • ESAs are not the same as vouchers.
  • ESAs pass the constitutionality test.
  • Participation in an ESA program is voluntary.
  • ESAs do not “defund” public schools. In fact, they help families while giving public schools more resources for fewer children.
  • The ESA program proposed in S.F. 960 would have accountability.