MREA shares key needs for Greater Minnesota schools in the “Letters to the New Governor,” series just released by the Center for Rural Policy and Development. Listen to an Introduction Read all the letters.
In the series, MREA shares how Minnesota has long held a reputation for putting learners first and delivering an educational experience that equips generations of leaders. Yet a look at the data and experience in our state’s schools shows three significant obstacles holding Minnesota back from realizing those goals.
Those key challenges include deepening teacher shortages, funding lagging behind inflation and widening early learning gaps. Without quality teachers, adequate funding and access to quality early learning programs, Minnesota cannot deliver the education needed to equip the next generation. View the E-12 details.
This compilation of essays written by experts aims to give insights and recommendations on issues of importance to Greater Minnesota. “As we welcome our first new governor in eight years, this collection has become a key part of our mission,” Center for Rural Policy & Development President and CEO Julie Tesch said. “It is our sincere hope that the voices in this venue will offer understanding, which in turn will fuel larger discussions and create an aspiration for data-driven decisions.”
Some of the authors include Fred Nolan from MREA on K-12 education, Tim Penny and Charlie Weaver on why the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota need each other, Gary Wertish and Kevin Paap on agriculture, Megan Dayton from the Minnesota Demographic Center on population projections, and Gary Johnson and Brian Bissonette of Paul Bunyan Communications in Bemidji on their philosophy on broadband and more.
Despite what the title says, “Letters to the New Governor” is a publication for anyone interested in what is happening in the rural regions of our state. To read the collection, start here at the Foreword.
