MN teachers union wants surplus money to boost racial equity in schools

Minnesota's teachers union and other groups want lawmakers to use part of the state's budget surplus to help close the state's academic achievement gap.

Education Minnesota, Neighborhoods Organizing for Change and other groups are pushing for a handful of proposals they say would improve racial equity in schools.

Representatives from a handful of groups calling themselves the Minnesota Coalition for Education Equity gathered at the capitol Tuesday to push for policies that include universal preschool, improved teacher diversity and increased funding for "full-service community schools", which provide extra services such as medical and dental care. The coalition is also pushing for increased support staff in schools and student debt relief.

An education policy bill under consideration in the DFL-controlled Senate would add teacher diversity to the list of metrics that school districts use to develop goals and report progress to the state. The Republican-controlled House policy bill would include teacher diversity in a report the state Commissioner of Education delivers to the legislature every two years.

Richfield teacher Monica Byron, a member of the coalition, said as a student, she didn't have any African-American teachers.

"Although I always had the desire to be a teacher, I didn't see myself in teaching," said Byron. "I never had a role model in education that could even help me visualize that it was possible. It wasn't until I worked in the schools as a home-school liaison that I made the decision that even though I would be one of a few, I had to be a teacher."

The coalition also called for universal preschool. Gov. Mark Dayton pushed unsuccessfully last year for voluntary, statewide preschool for 4-year-olds.

Dayton has renewed his push with a call for $25 million in preschool spending this year, a pared-down version of his 2015 plan.

A competing proposal, sponsored by Sen. Melissa Franzen, DFL-Edina, and House Rep. Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, would target preschool spending to low-income families.

Paul Slack, president of the religious group ISAIAH, said with the state's budget surplus, targeted spending isn't necessary.

"We have nearly a billion dollars that we're calling a surplus, and what we're asking is to use that money. If we use the money that we have, we should be able to afford universal pre-k for all of our children," Slack said. "We don't want to target because we don't think we have to target."

The coalition is also backing several legislative efforts to make college more affordable.