# data[].attributes.headline
Create a new position at schools. A non-police individual who is properly trained at de escalation tactics and is able to create connections among students. A cross between a youth counselor and a law enforcement officer.

# data[].attributes.subject
Create a new position at schools. A non-police individual who is properly trained at de escalation tactics and is able to create connections among students. A cross between a youth counselor and a law enforcement officer.

# data[].attributes.headline
Prevent teachers from having to intervene during youth escalations and employ individuals (non police) who are trained professionals that handle such crises. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Prevent teachers from having to intervene during youth escalations and employ individuals (non police) who are trained professionals that handle such crises. 

# data[].attributes.headline
Government funding targeted for family engagement planning

# data[].attributes.subject
Government funding targeted for family engagement planning

# data[].attributes.headline
Time and better communication is needed with students when aggressive behavior appears

# data[].attributes.subject
Time and better communication is needed with students when aggressive behavior appears

# data[].attributes.headline
Mandatory and adequate training for SROs

# data[].attributes.subject
Mandatory and adequate training for SROs

# data[].attributes.headline
Schools, teachers, and students need non-policing individuals who can connect with students during difficult times. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Schools, teachers, and students need non-policing individuals who can connect with students during difficult times. 

# data[].attributes.headline
Agressive behavior is common in school and teachers are not always equipped to deal with violence. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Agressive behavior is common in school and teachers are not always equipped to deal with violence. 

# data[].attributes.headline
Lack of funding for schools to create better environments for students and teachers

# data[].attributes.subject
Lack of funding for schools to create better environments for students and teachers

# data[].attributes.headline
The U.S. Federal Gov. should contribute more to education

# data[].attributes.subject
The U.S. Federal Gov. should contribute more to education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
U.S. Public Education Spending Statistics [2023]: per Pupil + Total

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out how much the U.S. spends on public education and how the costs break down per student, by state and by level of government.

# data[].attributes.body
Knowledge is power

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Minnesota Department of Commerce - Energy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Schools are increasingly going solar nationally and across Minnesota. In September 2022, Brighter Future: A Study on Solar in U.S. Schools was published detailing national solar school trends through December 2021. It reported 8,400 schools with a collective solar capacity exceeding 1,600 MW, representing 9% of U.S. K-12 schools and 19% of U.S. K-12 school districts. With more than 23 MW of solar installed across nearly 190 schools, Minnesota is among the top states for solar schools, ranking 13 and 11 respectively.

In 2021, the Minnesota State Legislature established the Solar for Schools grant program (Minn. Stat. 216C.375). The program is administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce Division of Energy Resources. In 2023, the Legislature passed language that folds the program for schools in Xcel Energy territory (216C.376) into the program administered by the Commerce Energy Division. See "About the Grant" section below for more details.

The program was designed to stimulate the installation of solar energy systems on Minnesota schools, while using the opportunity to integrate renewable energy use into school curriculum. As of May 2023, K-12 schools (Independent, Special and Cooperative Districts), Tribal Contract Schools, as well as MN State Colleges and Universities are eligible to apply for grants through the program. In the program's first year alone, 63 Minnesota schools were awarded grant to install new solar energy systems. Combined with additional pending applications, these projects represent a nearly 50 percent increase in Minnesota schools with solar.

Inquiries related to this program should be directed to SolarForSchools@state.mn.us.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Solar for Schools Program was established and became law in the 2021 Commerce and Energy Omnibus bill passed during Special Session in June. There are two tracks for the Solar for Schools program, 216C.375 for schools located outside of Xcel Energy Territory and 216C.376 for schools who are located within Xcel Energy territory.

# data[].attributes.headline
American Teachers Act sparks national action

# data[].attributes.subject
American Teachers Act sparks national action

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Washington D.C. - Yesterday, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Ranking Member of the Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee, and Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) introduced the American Teacher Act in the House with more than 50 cosponsors. The bill seeks to address the teacher shortage crisis by providing teacher salary incentive grants that support state efforts to increase teacher salaries to a minimum of $60,000 per year. This year, the bill also established a second grant program to provide cost of living adjustments for teachers earning $60,000 or above.

Pictures and videos of the press conference available.

"President Biden said during the State of the Union address, 'Let's give public school teachers a raise.' Republicans and Democrats gave a rousing applause because it is long overdue! It's time for Congress to send the President a bill that raises teacher salaries nationwide. Today, we're taking the first step towards doing just that. We're introducing the American Teacher Act," said Congresswoman Wilson. "The teacher shortage is among the most pressing threats to education access today. Our classrooms are at stake, our children are at stake, and the future of our country is at stake. I am reintroducing the American Teacher Act to address the teacher shortage and ensure that no teacher in America is paid less than $60,000 annually. Our teachers don't just deserve our gratitude, they deserve a living wage, and it's time we fight for it."

Teacher shortages have reached a critical point and continue to threaten education access as districts across the country are forced to radically adjust school offerings to respond to turnover and prolonged vacancies. Every day, stories surface of schools shortening their weeks, canceling courses, increasing student-teacher ratios, and placing underprepared or temporary substitute staff in core instructional roles. Such adjustments disrupt learning, take a sustained toll on teacher morale, and harm student achievement.

At the State of the Union, President Joe Biden called on Congress to raise public school teachers. In August, the White House issued a fact sheet renewing attention to the weak teacher pipeline and calling upon legislators to use federal, state, and local resources to strengthen teaching career pathways and ensure competitive, livable wages.

"Nearly one in five American teachers report needing to take on a second or third job just to make ends meet," said Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16). "We need to do better by our educators. As an educator of 20 years, I have first-hand experience of the impact that far too low salaries have on teachers. Our teachers' demands, responsibilities, and expectations continue to increase, but their salaries do not. The American Teacher Act is a vital step forward to ensure our teachers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. Let's stop giving teachers empty words of appreciation and start paying them a livable wage and respecting them as the backbone of our communities that they are."

"The average beginning salary for teachers is $41,000. The American Teacher Act is absolutely needed. It is time to stop relying on a teacher's goodwill. They need to feed their families and have a living wage. They deserve to live in the places in which they teach," said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers. "I can't thank Congresswoman Wilson and the Teacher Salary Project enough for putting these questions to Congress and America. Let's start valuing teachers and raise minimum teacher salaries to a minimum of $60,000. Let's create a living wage for what they do for our children."

"I am so grateful to Congresswoman Wilson for filing the American Teacher Act and to Congressman Bowman for always standing by our educators and fighting for our students. Today we find ourselves in a 5-alarm crisis staffing shortages in all our schools across the country. There are nearly 570,000 fewer educators in our schools today than at the start of the pandemic, and 55 percent of those remaining are considering leaving the profession. We have a shortage of professional pay, basic dignity, and respect for the professionals they are," commented Becky Pringle, President of the National Education Association. "COVID only made a long-standing problem even worse. Too many educators are subjected to outright attacks for shouldering the responsibility to care for every student and ensure they have the resources, access to support, and freedom to learn the honest truth about our country. We support the American Teacher Act, which will meet the goal of addressing educator shortage with long-term solutions, not band-aid approaches. It is not okay that the people who have dedicated their lives to this country's children are living in their cars and renting out their houses on Airbnb-that's not okay. That is not America. Join us in our fight for America's teachers and America's students.

"Thank you, Rep. Wilson and Rep. Bowman, for inviting our organization into a partnership to solve this crisis together. As we approach the 250th anniversary of our country in three years, how do we want to define who we are as a nation? Let's decide now to mark 250 years with historic commitments to our future democracy, economy, vibrant communities, and a true commitment to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all by investing in the people who educate our children," said Ellen Sherratt, Board President of The Teacher Salary Project. "Last night, in her response to the State of the Union, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders vowed to make her state top in the nation for teacher salaries. If you are a state leader, please know that we stand ready to support your state in claiming that title. Let the race to being the best-paying state for teachers begin!"

"Educators are the engine of our education system and are often the most influential adults outside of families that students will first interact with. This is why it's so critical we have well-prepared and well-paid educators," said Amanda Fernandez, CEO and Founder of Latinos for Education. "This is especially true for Latino educators who are disproportionately underrepresented in the teaching profession and often tell us that pay is one of the biggest barriers to entering and staying in the profession. The American Teacher Act is an important step in addressing this barrier, and we're excited to work with other stakeholders to reimagine and reinvest in the teaching profession."

Failing to invest in our teachers properly perpetuates shortages by devaluing the profession and diverting current and prospective educators. Currently, the Economic Policy Institute reports an enduring pay penalty for teachers, meaning that those in the profession earn lower weekly wages and receive lower overall compensation for their work than their similarly college-educated peers. This penalty reached a record high of 23.5% for public school teaching in 2021, making it increasingly difficult for our nation to recruit, train, and maintain qualified educators. These concerns are even more significant among teachers of color, who are more likely to teach in schools with fewer resources. To restore stability in our schools and secure equitable access to high-quality education, we must raise awareness surrounding the value of teaching as a profession and provide compensation that reflects this value.

The American Teacher Act centers education as a national priority and addresses teacher shortages by supporting states in better-insulating teaching as a valued and viable career. The bill would authorize funding to support the following:

Provide a funding device that supports states and districts in closing the gap between current salaries and the $60,000 minimum over the course of 4 years.

Allot 15% of funding to states and 85% directly to school districts to support this transition.

Provide a cost-of-living adjustment to ensure that the minimum teacher salary keeps pace with inflation.

Require a maintenance-of-effort provision to ensure states and districts do not replace currently committed allocations with federal government funding.

Include a part-time teacher provision that adjusts the required minimum salary proportional to workload (e.g., a 60% FTE teacher would have a minimum salary of $36,000).

Provide a separate grant program to award states cost-of-living adjustments where the base teacher salary exceeds $60,000.

Prioritize local educational agencies qualifying as low or moderate-income.

Invest in a national campaign to expand awareness of the value of teaching and encourage secondary and college students to consider teaching as a career.

Grantees would be required to establish a statewide teacher salary schedule with a minimum threshold of $60,000 and annual increases congruent with the inflation rate. This financial incentive supports ongoing state efforts to ensure competitive wages for teachers.

The American Teacher Act is being cosponsored by: Representatives J. Bowman (NY-16), B. Thompson (MS-03), A. Adams (NC-12), M. Takano (CA-41), D. Evans (PA-3), S. Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), R. Delauro (CT-03), A. Pressley (MA-07), T Sewell (AL-07), H. Johnson (GA-04), E. Holmes Norton (DC), J Tokuda (HI-02), A Carson (IN-07), L. Blunt-Roshester (DE), S. Jackson-Lee (TX-18), N. Velazquez (NY-07), Sykes (OH-13), N. Williams (GA-05), B. Watson-Coleman (NJ-12), L. McBath (GA-07), M. DeSailnier (CA-10), J. Courtney (CT-02), M. Sherrill (NJ-11), Y. Clarke (NY-09), A. Kim (NJ-03), G. Moore (WI-12), R. Tlaib (MI-12), C.A. Ruppersberger (MD-02), H. Stevens (MI-11), E. Cleaver (MO-05), R. Grijalva (AZ-07), B. Lee (CA-12), H. Cueller (TX-28), S. Brown (OH-11), G. Landsman (OH-01), J. Moskowitz (FL-23), V. Foushee (NC-04), A. Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), S. Thanedar (MI-13), S. Bonamici (OR-17), J. Gottheimer (NJ-05), J. Clyburn (SC-06), M. Pocan (WI-02), S. Wild (PA-07), M. Dean (PA-04), T. Lieu (CA-36) J. Hayes (CT-5), J. Beatty (OH-3), J. Courtney (CT-2).

The American teacher Act is strongly supported by leading advocacy organizations, including the Teacher Salary Project, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), The National Education Association (NEA), The Education Trust, Teach for America, The New Teacher Project (TNTP) National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Educators for Excellence, Council for Exceptional Children, Center for Black Educator Development, Alliance for Excellent Education, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Network of State Teachers of the Year, National Center for Grow Your Own, National Equity Project, Black Teacher Project, Teach.Org, Open Way Learning, The Million Dollar Teacher Project, American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, University of San Francisco School of Education, 826 Valencia, Tall Poppy, LLC, New Jersey Teacher Corps, Public Advocacy for Kids, Center for Curriculum Redesign, New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children, Hispanic Association of College and Universities, and American Consortium for Equity in Education. For a full list of endorsing organizations, click here.

To read the bill text for the American Teacher Act, click here.
###

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Congresswoman Wilson Files American Teacher Act to Raise Minimum Teacher Salaries to $60,000

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Washington D.C. - Yesterday, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Ranking Member of the Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee, and Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) introduced the American Teacher Act in the House with more than 50 cosponsors.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On Friday, March 17, 2023, Governor Walz signed the Free School Meals bill into law. This will take effect with the July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024 school year. This legislation provides the reimbursement for a free breakfast and lunch to students who receive meals through their school’s participatio…

# data[].attributes.headline
Disparities seen among young black girls

# data[].attributes.subject
Disparities seen among young black girls

# data[].attributes.headline
SRO's created to curb drug use and violence in schools

# data[].attributes.subject
SRO's created to curb drug use and violence in schools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
School Resource Officers in Public Schools; A National Review

# data[].attributes.headline
"The Prison Boom and the Decline of American Citizenship"

# data[].attributes.subject
"The Prison Boom and the Decline of American Citizenship"

# data[].attributes.body
Structural - Authority figure, creates classroom environment, educates students, creates connection with students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What 3 Teachers Think About Eliminating School Resource Officers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers have mixed feelings about school resource officers and whether their presence makes schools feel safer.

# data[].attributes.body
Positional - Creates laws that community members want. Financial - creates a budget for schools.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Law enforcement agencies have started pulling school resource officers out of buildings in response to a new state law about restraint policies.

ST PAUL, Minn. - After several law enforcement agencies suspended their school resource officer (SRO) programs in response to a new state law about restraint policies, DFL leaders said Tuesday that they're open to adjusting the language when the legislature returns to the capitol in February.

Senator Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie), the chair of the Education Policy Committee, said the Minnesota Department of Education proposed the new rules around restraints within school buildings. Ultimately, DFL leaders passed the law as a part of a broader, 341-page education spending bill. The clause in question bans SROs from placing students face-down in the prone position, restricting their breathing, or putting pressure on the upper body, unless there's a threat of death or injury.

"The reason I was supportive of this law is, A) George Floyd. We don't want that to happen in our schools," Cwodzinski said in an interview with KARE 11 on Tuesday. "The law got passed. The law was signed by Gov. Walz. It passed out of policy in the Senate and the House, and then all the sudden about two weeks ago, [my] phone starts ringing off the hook."

Despite assurances from Attorney General Keith Ellison that police could still use certain restraints to prevent death or injury, some law enforcement groups have said the law remains too vague and opens their officers to liability on the job. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office, Coon Rapids Police, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, and the Clay County Sheriff's Office are among those who have pulled some SROs out of buildings ahead of the school year.

"We're all trying to juggle right now, to figure out how we should proceed," Cwodzinski said. "Everybody that has talked to me, they have my word. We're going to have a hearing on this and we'll invite all the stakeholders - the chief of police, the SROs, the school administrators, counselors, everybody, because we want to hear and we want to get it right."

During an interview with WCCO Radio on Tuesday, Gov. Walz said he was also open to clarifying the law.

"The Attorney General, we're trying to get some folks [to] get clarification," Walz said in the interview. "If we need to, we just come back and change it and make sure, because those officers, we need to make sure that they and the students are safe. But we also need to make sure that we're not using excessive force to break up a fight. And I think that was the intent of the law."

However, Walz said he does not plan to call a special session about the SRO issue, meaning lawmakers will have to wait until the start of the next legislative session in February 2024 to discuss the topic.

That comes as a disappointment to Republican Senator Zach Duckworth, who said there is "no question" a special session is necessary to fix the law.

"My suggestion would be simple. Let's just repeal the portion of the law that folks find controversial or ambiguous or doesn't have clarity," Duckworth said in an interview with KARE 11 on Tuesday. "Let's just hit reset and go back to where we were."

In February, Duckworth raised concerns publicly about the proposed SRO rules during an Education Policy Committee meeting.

At the time, he told his fellow lawmakers that the language "puts some limitations on what they're able to do to keep folks safe" and suggested the legislature solicit more feedback from school districts and law enforcement agencies.

"I'm not here to point fingers really. I'm interested in getting this corrected so that our kids and teachers have a safe learning environment," Duckworth said Tuesday. "We're seeing SROs being pulled out of buildings - that's an emergency. We've got to stop that."

Senator Bruce Anderson (R-Buffalo) also released a statement on Tuesday after the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office pulled an SRO out of nearby Rockford High School, saying the DFL "rushed policy through the committee process and turned a blind eye to the impact of their partisan agenda."

"We are once again seeing the results of Democrats' bad process as school resource officers are removed from our schools. We rely on SROs to help keep teachers and students safe, the removal of these officers will make our schools less safe," Anderson said. "This will continue to happen until our law enforcement officers receive the clarity they need, and with the new school year set to begin, it's critical to get this issue resolved as soon as possible."
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DFL leaders say they're open to clarifying school resource officer law, as GOP leaders call for special session

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Law enforcement agencies have started pulling school resource officers out of buildings in response to a new state law about restraint policies.

# data[].attributes.body
Positional - Signs laws into place, follows government protocols.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Jeff Potts, executive director of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, wrote to Walz this week to outline the concerns of school resource officers, or SROs.

MINNEAPOLIS - As Minnesota schools prepare for the return of students, police officers assigned to schools say new statewide restrictions on the use of physical holds will curb their ability to do their job effectively.

A provision in the education bill signed by Gov. Tim Walz in May prohibits school-based officers from placing students in the prone position or in holds that subject them to "comprehensive restraint on the head, neck and across most of the torso."

Jeff Potts, executive director of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, wrote to Walz this week to outline the concerns of school resource officers, or SROs.

"Prohibiting the most basic measure of safely restraining and controlling the aggressor in a fight severely impacts the SRO's ability to intervene, stop the altercation, and protect everyone's safety," Potts wrote.

Walz told reporters Wednesday the law includes "exceptions for health and safety of students and the officers."

"I certainly think we should agree that we should not be on the necks of students unless someone's life is at risk," Walz said.

The disagreement comes as schools across the country grapple with a rise in disciplinary issues coupled with increased scrutiny on police since George Floyd's murder. The St. Paul, Minneapolis and Hopkins districts eliminated armed police in school hallways in 2020. But Bloomington added police to three middle schools to supplement the officers that already patrol the district's two high schools.

Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruly said that because of increasing hostility toward police, and the lack of clarity in the new law, some of his officers are refusing assignments in schools.

Minnesota Department of Education spokesman Kevin Burns said the agency will soon provide districts with guidance.

WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app Watch all of the latest stories from Breaking The News in our YouTube playlist: for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
School police officers say Minnesota's new restrictions on use of holds will tie their hands

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Jeff Potts, executive director of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, wrote to Walz this week to outline the concerns of school resource officers, or SROs.

# data[].attributes.body
Positional - Voting ability to make a change for the community, educate children in their community they're close with. Financial - ability to donate time and funds for a campaign.

# data[].attributes.body
Positional - Have the voice to make change for their children, voting rights. Financial - Can provide the funds to support their children's school. Structural - can teach their own children.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Just days into the new school year, sparks are flying over a new law limiting school resource officer's (SRO) use of force.

The new legislation has prompted some law enforcement agencies to pull uniformed officers out of schools, arguing it stops them from effectively serving, and makes the work of an SRO more dangerous.

On Thursday, a group of educators, concerned parents, and activists rallied at the Capitol, speaking out in defense of the law, insisting it does exactly what it was intended to do, protect students.

"We believe in educating and growing our people to be strong and brilliant. And adding any kind of force only inflicts trauma," said St. Paul School Board member Chauntyll Allen.

Supporters contend young students acting out in a school environment should receive support and care, and not face the potential of an SRO putting them in a dangerous hold.

"The law is clear that you can no longer restrain a child or put them in an unsafe restraint unless there is a threat of bodily harm or death," explained Jessica Webster, an attorney with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid.

Law enforcement leaders across the state have raised concerns over what they have described as ambiguity in the statute, as well as the severe limitation of the use of prone restraints in a school setting.

"They want to diminish the officers' authority. And we can't let that happen," Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told FOX 9 's Paul Blume, adding a prone restraint is often the safest way to handcuff a person.

Sheriff Fletcher pulled his agency's SRO out of several schools including Mounds View High School this year. Though the Sheriff explained, deputies are currently invited on campus throughout the school day to keep a uniformed presence. A FOX 9 crew observed a deputy in a marked squad outside the front entrance at dismissal on Thursday.

Fletcher's solution is to repeal the law, or at the very least wait a year for implementation, giving the Legislature some further time to reconsider the implications of the new use-of-force language.

"There are many, many situations where we wouldn't be able to use prone restraint, and we'd be wrestling around with a subject in the hall, trying to, trying to control them. It's just totally impractical," concluded Fletcher. "No one wants to hurt a child, but we also want to bring the situation under control as soon as possible."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Parents, educators join advocates to support of SRO law that's sparked controversy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Just days into the new school year, sparks are flying over a new law limiting school resource officer's (SRO) use of force.

# data[].attributes.body
Structural Power - Authority figure, can use force, use of weapons, if needed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Minnesota Legislature during the 2023 session passed a sweeping education bill that boosted public spending for schools by nearly $2.3 billion.

Gov. Tim Walz, a former teacher, has advocated for more school funding since the beginning of his tenure, but he was mostly stymied under a divided government. Education advocates, the state's teachers' union and school districts are praising the increase in spending.

Some lawmakers - and Walz - are even hoping the increase in spending can create a "Minnesota Miracle 2.0," referring to the 1971 legislative session that made school spending more equitable across districts by relying less on property taxes. They argue the increased education spending jump-started the Minnesota economy by producing a highly educated workforce.

During a ceremonial budget bill signing last week, Walz said a "Minnesota Miracle 2.0" will pay closer attention to equity.

"If this is the 'Minnesota Miracle 2.0,' the difference between then and now is we're saying today 'We're leaving no one behind.'" Walz said.

Here are some the significant provisions from the education bill:

More funding directly to districts

Schools for years have asked for additional state funding, and the Legislature this year boosted the general education funding formula by over $700 million in fiscal years 2024-2025.

The per-pupil formula distribution is based on district enrollment, as well as the district's student profile. The bill increases the formula by 4% in fiscal year 2024 and 2% in fiscal year 2025. Districts will receive $7,138 per student in fiscal year 2024 - up from the current $6,683 per student. That's a 6.8% increase.

In the years following, the formula will be indexed to inflation, with a minimum annual increase of 2% and a maximum increase of 3%.

But many schools will still ask local homeowners for property tax levies, as the Legislature did not eliminate the so-called cross subsidy - a term used around the Capitol referring to school districts paying for special education programs from their general funds because of inadequate state and federal funding.

The Legislature's education bill says the state will pay for 44% of a school district's special education cross subsidy in fiscal years 2024-2026 and half in fiscal year 2027 and later. This is higher than the current 6.43% Minnesota pays, but the Legislature did not eliminate the cross subsidy, despite lobbying from school districts.

Lawmakers did opt to eliminate school districts' English learner cross subsidy by 2027, with incremental increases until then.

Early education

In addition to K-12 provisions, lawmakers also allocated $300 million in new spending on early childhood education, scholarships and other programs that prepare young children for school.

Over $250 million will go to the state's early learning scholarships program, which is targeted at 3 and 4 year olds. Head Start and the Child Care Assistance Program also received extra funding.

The early learning programs will now be overseen by a new state agency - the Department of Children, Youth and Families - which was proposed by Walz. The new agency will administer a number of programs that were previously under different departments, including juvenile justice and child care grants. Lawmakers allocated $7 million for the creation of the department.

The new education law also permanently funds 4,000 pre-K slots - they were previously temporary - and added another 5,200 new slots.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman said in an interview with the that the Legislature's investment in early education is her proudest legislative achievement. Hortman said securing more pre-K slots was among the things she's been advocating for the longest in her 20-year legislative tenure.

"This year, we've invested big in little kids," Hortman said.

Labor wins for teachers, staff

Legislators expanded unemployment insurance eligibility to hourly workers during the summer months. Originally, the bills in the House and Senate provided no funding for unemployment insurance. After pushback from school administrators - some who said the Legislature's effort to provide more funding for schools would be negated by the mandatory unemployment insurance - the legislators proposed a state-funded unemployment insurance pool for school workers.

Lawmakers allocated $135 million for the fund. According to a coalition of unions, Minnesota is the first state to implement an unemployment insurance program for hourly workers during the summer. Bus drivers, paraprofessionals and food service workers will be able to apply, which should make it easier to lure people into the jobs when school is in session.

" These jobs are often done by women and people of color and most of the workers were designated as 'essential' during the pandemic because they kept schools running and connected to students," the union coalition said in a statement.

The teachers' union received another win with ongoing funding to lower the age a teacher can retire with full pension benefits from 66 to 65, according to a provision in the tax bill. The lower retirement age goes into effect July 2025. The union's original goal was to reduce the retirement age to 62, but that effort failed.

"It just makes sense to make a full pension easier to access for the teachers who have given so much to our state," Education Minnesota President Denise Specht said in a statement. "Pensions are also an important recruiting tool for talented people considering teaching as a career because the state of Minnesota is offering something corporate America never will - a defined-benefit pension with a reasonable retirement age."

In addition, the Legislature's labor bill includes a provision stating school districts must negotiate with teachers about class size during collective bargaining negotiations.

Banning religious colleges from requiring PSEO faith statements

Tucked within the education bill is a new state law prohibiting religious colleges and universities from requiring faith statements from high school students who seek college credit through a program called postsecondary enrollment options (PSEO). Two Christian colleges have already sued the state over the provision.

Two days after the session ended, the University of Northwestern in St. Paul and Crown College in St. Bonifacius filed a joint lawsuit against Walz and the Department of Education, arguing the new state law violates the First Amendment's free exercise clause. Lawmakers argue that the law doesn't prohibit the colleges from practicing their religious beliefs, but it is barring them from using public dollars to exclude students from the free college program based on a students' religious beliefs.

"Ironically, the schools bringing this lawsuit are the colleges who have excluded PSEO students based on religion," the Legislature's Secular Government Caucus said in a statement. "Their required faith statements have excluded high school students from participating in the publicly funded PSEO program, and they will no longer be allowed to continue. Religious freedom guarantees all people the right to believe and practice any faith or none at all, and institutions participating in this program must abide by that."

According to the complaint, the plaintiffs - two Christian families and colleges - are represented by Washington D.C.-based law firm Becket Law, a firm with a history of "religious liberty" litigation.

Curricula changes

Lawmakers also added civics and personal finance to the list of required courses students need to take to graduate high school beginning next school year.

In addition, schools will be required to teach Holocaust and genocide studies by the 2026-2027 school year. High schools also need to offer ethnic studies courses by the same year, while elementary and middle schools have an additional year to develop ethnic study classes.

On top of required courses, the Legislature allocated nearly $75 million next biennium to restructure the way Minnesota teaches students how to read.

Reading test scores dropped last year, with 51% of Minnesota students proficient in reading. The Legislature adopted The Read Act, which directs districts to employ evidence-based best practices like phonics and reading comprehension.

Lawmakers also overhauled the way Minnesota schools practice active shooter drills. The active shooter simulations are now banned. Instead, districts are required to provide students with at least one hour of violence prevention training per year.

Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, during a committee hearing, described the kinds of adverse effects the simulations had on students during her years as a teacher. Sometimes the drills at her school included police officers entering the building, jiggling classroom door handles and looking into windows. Kunesh said elementary school students would be scared during and after the drill.

Free food, free menstrual products, Naloxone at the ready

Earlier in the legislative session, lawmakers approved universal free breakfast and lunch for all eligible schools, which will cost about $200 million annually . The program aims to eliminate the stigma attached to students who receive food aid, and reduce the bureaucratic burden on families and schools that have been mired in paperwork required to obtain free and reduced-price meals.

Schools will now be required to provide menstrual products to students, as well as opiate antagonists, like Naloxone.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What's in Minnesota's 2023 education bill - Minnesota Reformer

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Minnesota Legislature during the 2023 session passed a sweeping education bill that boosted public spending for schools by nearly $2.3 billion. Gov. Tim Walz, a former teacher, has advocated for more school funding since the beginning of his tenure, but he was mostly stymied under a divided government.

# data[].attributes.headline
Language barriers need to be addressed and implemented for parental involvement

# data[].attributes.subject
Language barriers need to be addressed and implemented for parental involvement

# data[].attributes.headline
Parents need to show up, different family dynamics need to be recognized, schools need to provide adequate resources for working parents, governments need to provide appropriate funds, lawmakers need to create efficient legislature, and communities need to vote.

# data[].attributes.subject
Parents need to show up, different family dynamics need to be recognized, schools need to provide adequate resources for working parents, governments need to provide appropriate funds, lawmakers need to create efficient legislature, and communities need to vote.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Importance of Community Support In Schools | Alignstaffing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Research shows that schools with high levels of community support from parental involvement and partnership programs have increased student attendance, gra

# data[].attributes.headline
Need to develop a relationship with the community

# data[].attributes.subject
Need to develop a relationship with the community

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
reframing service-learning as Learning and Participation with Urban Youth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reframing Teacher Education for Learning Equity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Promoting school safety through multi-tiered systems of support for student mental health