Issue Position: Invest in Education Equity

Issue Position

Every single student deserves the tools and resources to become successful, and this includes more than just academics. We need to look at students from a holistic mindframe, because each student is unique in their journey in school. Growing up in an education system that didn't have me in mind made school extremely difficult for me. I didn't see myself in the textbooks, we didn't talk about the areas of history that affected the generations before me, and I didn't see anyone in my school that looked like me. I have worked in education for 10 years and have had many conversations with families who have the same story as me.

Investing in the next generation is a priority. We can do this by:

Setting guidelines on curriculum to ensure inclusion. All students need to see elements of their lives in what they learn at school. Minnesota should create statewide teams to review and update curricula, including teaching resources.

Development of Culturally Inclusive Professional Development training.

Creating a tiered licensing system that allows staff and employees the opportunity to grow and rise within their own district.

Providing life skills support in higher education in order to help our young adults moving into the professional level.

Creating pathways for Communities in Schools so we are collectively coming together to support students of all ages. Often communities have valuable resources for our students but they are hard access because of location, appointment times overlap with school hours, families can't afford or have resources to participate in community programs. We can provide collaboration funding statewide to encourage partnerships and provide services to all students who need the resources.

Source