chevron_leftchevron_right
Leadership
Your Governor:
Tim Walz (D) (25)
First term began in 2019 (two-term limit). Re-elected in 2022.
Governor Walz refused to declare School Choice Week this year and has not outlined or even discussed any solid proposals for any type of innovations in education even though Minnesota is the birthplace of charter schools.
STATE LEGISLATURE:
With total Democratic control in the Governor's mansion and both houses of the state legislature, there is little to no hope for anything that remotely resembles help for families in need of better options. The Democrats have a one seat majority in the Senate and a six seat majority in the House.
Constitutional Issues
Minnesota's Blaine Amendment is less restrictive. Recently, the Minnesota Supreme Court let stand, but not reviewing it, "a decision of the Minnesota Court of Appeals that held that neither the state's Compelled Support Clause nor its Blaine Amendment are violated by government programs aimed at helping students, even if those programs incidentally aid religious organizations." (Institute for Justice)
Transparency
School report cards are easy to find from the Minnesota Department of Education homepage, under the “Data Center” tab on the homepage. Reports are comprehensive; they include academic measures on student achievement, student progress, graduation, and college enrollment, as well as non-academic measures such as attendance, safety, and disciplinary data which give parents a sense of school culture and climate.
Educational options are also easy to find from the homepage, with “School Choice” having its own tab under “Students and Families.”
School Board elections in Minnesota occur separately from the general election cycle, often resulting in reduced parental influence and a diminished ability to make their voices heard due to lower voter turnout.