To begin with, public education already is getting better. A strong reform effort by our math and science teachers is already showing up in highly favorable comparisons of Minnesota students with their international counterparts. I am convinced that our teachers care deeply about the results of their work and that they are as committed as I am to setting high standards for graduation.
I will continue to push for better early childhood preparation, stronger K-12 academic performance and improving the transition from school to work. We must concentrate on preparing children in core academic areas. We must resist the tendency to pile new things on to the curriculum for political correctness or dumb-down requirements so everybody easily gets by.
Education is serious work, and students must be serious about it. I will do everything I can to encourage parents to nurture higher expectations and to help our kids to achieve those high expectations.
I will continue to support the opportunity of parents to choose schools for their children, and the opportunities for teachers and parents to start new ones through the charter school process. these policies are making our system more responsive and adaptive.
We need to maintain our financial support for education, even in the face of budget pressure from growing enrollments. I am convinced that we need to raise the per student investment that the state makes through the foundation aid formula.
But this is feasible only if we can succeed in convincing the Legislature to make the tough choices, starting with an overhaul of our state-local taxing and spending system. We owe them smarter and more selective use of their money.