Minnesota prided itself on being an “education state”. We have placed a high value on supporting our schools because of the benefits to our children as well as the public good of the entire state. In our State Capitol building, there are three quotes about education which caught my eye:
“Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither justice nor freedom can be permanently maintained”. – James A. Garfield
“Education is our only political safety”. – Horace Mann
“Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army”. – Edward Everett
Those who have gone before us believed that an educated populace was crucial to a healthy functioning democratic nation. Not just to create workers or employees, but to create Citizens. Before the notions of “All men are created equal” and a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” came into being, kings and queens of old would make sure their children who were to be heirs to the throne got the best possible education to enable them to rule wisely and justly. Now, as a representative republic supposedly ruled by its own citizens, we need to also ensure an educated populace up to the task of self-rule. Along with other important benefits, this needs to remain our primary purpose of public education. This becomes even more urgent in the era of AI.
James Garfield went on to say ““the best system of education is that which draws its chief support from the voluntary effort of the community, from the individual efforts of citizens, and from those burdens of taxation which they voluntarily impose upon themselves”. This is why local school boards’ independence from state and federal mandates must be protected.
We must reverse the trend of pushing education decisions, funding, and mandates up the ladder to state and then federal agencies. For schools that are operating well, they should be given as much local control as possible. To address problems of individual failing schools, the state may need to provide stand-off help. But this should not be cause for the state to step into every local school’s affairs. One size does not fit all.
Support for homeschooling should be considered any time the state makes decisions regarding funding.
The experiment with technology in the classroom has hurt a lot of kids and it’s high time to give them a break from screens. In limited cases where technology actually helps, it can be retained. Minnesota can be a leader in education again by having the courage to admit that many popular trends in education did not work.
