Rep. Andrew Carlson (50B) – Legislative Update
Neighbors,
Only a few days remain in the 2017 legislative session and a budget solution seems elusive. Legislative leaders decided to move forward with their own budget targets without including Governor Dayton. This is the same approach that the legislature took two years that led to a very chaotic end of session.
I support Governor Dayton and his push to fully fund E-12 and higher education, and prevent cutting regulations that protect our land, water and air. These are cuts that will harm many of the things Minnesotans value. The choice is not a difficult one – move Minnesotans forward or hold back our state. I will advocate for Minnesota values as we move this session to the finish line and work to prevent a special session.
TEACHER LICENSURE
The teacher licensure bill passed out of the House and Senate, but it was vetoed by Governor Dayton. This bill lessening Minnesota’s rigorous teaching standards that have allowed us to build a nation leading education system. This is the biggest change to our teacher licensure process in decades and is very controversial.
The bill relaxes licensing requirements, lets school districts change their process for renewing licenses, and paves the way for retired teachers with out-of-state teaching licenses to teach in Minnesota without any formal training.
Minnesota values our teachers. Our kids can learn from a variety of teachers – with a mix of practical and classroom skills – but we must insist that they are learning from those who have attained the training needed to provide the best education possible.
While Minnesota faces a teacher shortage, a better approach to solving it would be to fully fund our schools and ensure that every school, in every corner of Minnesota, has the resources needed to give Minnesota kids an excellent education. Education has made Minnesota a leader, but we won’t continue to lead by lowering our standards. That’s why I’ll continue to fight to fully fund our schools.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the budget over the next few days. Your input is valuable in these final days of the legislative session.
Sincerely,
Andrew Carlson
State Representative