Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

To build a Minnesota where everyone has an opportunity for success, we need to restore our world class education system. Education is the silver bullet, and Zack believes that our shared commitment to superior public education is what has made Minnesota the special place it is. But our education system has not kept up with the competition, and we need to fix that. Zack is committed to:

Universal, high-quality early education. Study after study tells us that education begins long before kindergarten. High-quality preschool education improves students' performance in school and generates $4 to $16 in return for every dollar we invest. Investing in early education will benefit our children, build the workforce our state needs to succeed in the future, and relieve pressure on middle class families struggling with the ever rising cost of childcare.

Rigorous K-12 education. Ask a foreign exchange students what surprises her about American education, and she's likely to mention the lack of rigor in our schools. Our students need high expectations,and our schools need the support to get the job done. Today, state funding for schools is $1,000 less per pupil than it was in 2003. That is unacceptable. And when a local school district tries to make up the difference by raising property taxes, it increases burdens on middle class families and retirees.

Varied and affordable higher education. Not every kid is going to go to college. But we need to make sure that those who choose to go aren't saddled with mountains of debt. We also need to do a better job supporting our vocational and technical schools. Last, we need to do a better job connecting our high school students with all of the educational options open to them after graduation, from vocational schools and certificate programs, to community colleges, and our public and private colleges and universities.​

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