Expectations and surprises from 2023 Legislature’s K-12 education leaders

Minnesota House Education Policy Committee Chair Rep. Laurie Pryor lives in Minnetonka. The vice chair, Josiah Hill, is from Stillwater. Minnesota House Education Finance Committee Chair Rep. Cheryl Youakim is a Hopkins resident. Her vice chair, Rep. Mary Frances Clardy, lives in Inver Grove Heights (though she has been a St. Paul Public School teacher for many years). 

In the Senate, the Education Policy Committee chair is Sen. Steve Cwodzinski from Eden Prairie. The K-12 Education Finance chair is Sen. Mary Kunesh, a New Brighton resident. Vice chairs have not yet been named as of Dec. 15, when this column was written. 

But even if vice chairs come from greater Minnesota, Minneapolis or St. Paul, the committee chairs have huge power – for example, to decide which issues and which bills the committee will discuss. Chairs also propose to the committee what is and isn’t included in the final bill. 

I’ve been working with and learning from the legislators since the 1970s. I’ve never seen one part of the state have so much power via the committee chairs. 

Nevertheless, each of them struck me as caring, concerned and open-minded in the 20-30 minutes we talked.

Their No. 1 priority will be welcome throughout the state: lots more money overall for K-12 education. No. 2 is reducing or eliminating the “cross subsidy” in funding stu-dents with special needs and students who don’t speak English. The term refers to the difference between the amount of money received from the state and federal govern-ment to work with these students and the amount that public schools spend to serve them.

The legislators’ priorities in part reflect their work.

Sen. Kunesh has spent more than 20 years teaching in Minnesota public schools. Kunesh, who was a teacher and then library media specialist, described a “serious lack of students’ ability to distinguish fact and fiction.” She says that school libraries and media centers have a “critical role” in helping students develop these skills. She also emphasized that “some of my best learning came from students.” She plans to ensure that her committee listens to educators and students. 

So do the three other committee chairs. 

Sen. Cwodzinski taught high school social studies courses for more than 30 years. He plans to explore a civics graduation requirement, as well as look for ways to make teaching a more attractive profession. He sees this as about salaries in part, but also about giving teachers more autonomy to organize learning in different ways that will help more students achieve their potential.

House Education Finance Committee Chair Youakim has had professional experi-ence in early childhood and elementary education. She emphasized that “kids don’t come in pieces; … food insecurity, housing instability, and a lack of affordable care make it really hard to learn for some students.” She wants to work with other legislators so that schools have more resources to help youngsters and families. Her husband has been a public school math teacher for 27 years and she has a son who’s also a Minnesota public school teacher.

House K-12 Education Policy Chair Pryor is a parent and grandparent who feels “honored to be in this position.” Increased funding for early childhood education is a big priority for her. And like others, she wants to make the teaching profession more attractive.

Pat Hogan, spokesperson for Minnesota Management and Budget, told me that in the last two fiscal years, K-12 education funding has been about $23.8 billion. That’s exceeded in the state budget only by health and human services funding of more than $45 billion. The total two-year state budget was approximately $100.1 billion. 

Students and educators will welcome more money for schools. A column next month will describe several ways that the money can be spent to have the most posi-tive impact. 

Joe Nathan, Ph.D., has been a Minnesota public school educator and PTA presi-dent. He directs the Center for School Change. Reactions welcome: joe@centerforschoolchange.org.