Liberal in the Land of Conservative

Fair and adequate funding, early childhood education opportunities, parental involvement, and teachers committed to students all contribute to our prominence in education. Unfunded mandates eat away at school budgets resulting in larger class sizes which has caused us to slip in national rankings. Now more than ever we need political leadership, not partisanship, to help educated students. I will work for Minnesota students to ensure that their educational needs are met so they can reach their potential.

Taxpayers will not tolerate wasteful spending in our schools and neither will I. Simply throwing money at a problem is not the answer but at the same time we must adequately fund education so our kids are prepared to compete in a world economy in the 21st century. Results of Minnesota’s educational investments are seen by the presence of world-class companies based here. I will work to make sure Minnesota is where business wants in the future because of our quality workforce.

We can provide both the funding schools need and demand accountability at the same time. The Minnesota Miracle of the 1970’s showed us that Republicans and Democrats could set aside differences and set a common goal of funding quality public education. When partisanship was set aside all Minnesotans won. Now it’s our turn to do the same. We can rebuild the miracle and drive Minnesota education to new heights. I will work tirelessly and across party lines to support Minnesota education.

Communities understand their own educational needs. Local control makes sure the community is an active partner and driving force behind our schools. Parents be involved every step of the way as partners and leaders in education. The more information parents have the better decisions they can make when teaming with educators in the classroom.

Funding needs to be fair. Kids in Sherburne County deserve the same educational opportunities as kids living in Edina and Bloomington. We must provide good education even in tough economic times. Simply shifting funding to local property taxpayers is not leadership. It’s the job of the legislature to ensure good public education. As your representative I’ll do my job and work for our kids and schools.

Unfunded mandates placed on our schools need to be eliminated or fairly funded. If the federal government requires a mandate it should fund it too. We have to either fix and fund or forget No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

Teachers, staff and school administrators have a job to do and they need to get fairly paid for doing those jobs well. Professional development opportunities keep raising the bar for educators. Let’s look at options that bring and retain the best teachers possible in classrooms.

Early childhood education gives us a measurable return on our investment and helps our kids hit the ground running as they enter grade school. Investments in early childhood give kids a sound foundation to build on throughout their academic years.

The role of higher education cannot be overstated. Today’s families are hit hard by tuition increases and students are carrying tremendous record high debt after graduating. I will work to slow tuition increases by partnering with higher education institutions for a common goal of help our students reach their potential.

The legislature’s job is to fund education fairly. Representative should gather the facts and listen to the needs of families, educators, students, and business leaders. Gathering the facts means setting aside partisanship, finding common ground, and working hard to solve problems. Many - if not most - of the best legislative solutions dealing with state problems in the past have been the result of good relationships between government and the citizens it serves. History does repeat itself and provide the framework for dealing with today’s challenges not just for education but for all public debate. That framework consists of trust, honest discussion, open-mindedness and getting the facts straight.