EE’s 2023 policy priorities

The 2023 legislative session gaveled in this week. In the coming months legislators will decide the fate of the state’s two-year budget—and its eye-popping $17.6B budget surplus.

While education funding priorities rank high for DFL governor Tim Walz and others in his party, the policy wins we seek for Minnesota students don’t require tugging at purse strings. Many involve rethinking and redesigning outdated rules and programs, or implementing existing education policy.

Below are EE’s policy priorities for 2023—at the legislature and beyond:

Student-centered learning designs

MN must shift learning from one-size-fits all to personalized, learner-driven, and culturally affirming, by:

• Greenlighting social studies standards that teach a more honest, inclusive shared story so students find relevance in learning that reflects them.
• Prioritizing outcomes and growth—not ticking boxes—through competency-based learning legislation that already enjoyed support from the governor last session.

Educator talent pathways

MN must recruit and retain innovative educators who reflect the communities they serve, by:

• Clearing barriers to licensure for talented, diverse teachers. This includes working with heritage language and ethnic studies teachers facing licensure hurdles on their way to classrooms that need them.
• Building accessible on-ramps to teaching, through alternative prep programs and other innovative preparation models.

Outcomes that matter

MN must define and measure broader forms of student success—and be accountable to them—by:

Out this winter: Our recommendations to improve the Minnesota Student Survey.

• Rethinking state assessments to provide timely, actionable data on deeper student learning.
• Collecting broader, richer data that captures a holistic picture of student experiences and development.