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1 week ago | 
americanexperiment.org | Catrin Wigfall
Minnesota could do a better job equipping elementary teacher candidates in math instruction, according to a new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). The report analyzes how well each state meets five policy levers, which NCTQ has identified as the key ways to elevate teacher effectiveness, strengthen math instruction, and drive better student outcomes: Set specific, detailed math standards for teacher preparation programs.
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1 week ago | 
americanexperiment.org | Catrin Wigfall
American Federation of Teachers union President Randi Weingarten is leaving her position with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) due to disagreements with leadership, according to a letter obtained by POLITICO. Weingarten has served as an at-large member of the DNC for 23 years and has served on its Rules and Bylaws Committee since 2009. She has been a delegate to each of the Democratic conventions since 1992.
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2 weeks ago | 
americanexperiment.org | Catrin Wigfall
As more states pass legislation curbing cell phone use during school, more parents are getting on board with the idea, according to a new survey commissioned by Yondr, an American company known for its Yondr Pouch that stores phones to prevent use in designated phone-free spaces.
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2 weeks ago | 
americanexperiment.org | Catrin Wigfall
Common sense says that the most important thing to spend education dollars on is a well-equipped, high-quality teacher for every classroom. So, if school spending is up, why aren’t teacher salaries? That’s the question Chad Aldeman with The 74 set out to answer through his interactive “school district revenue vs. salary change” charts that track the growth trends across districts.
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3 weeks ago | 
americanexperiment.org | Catrin Wigfall
Does the American education system provide students enough instructional time to keep them competitive against their peers worldwide? It’s a question policymakers have argued over for decades.
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3 weeks ago | 
americanexperiment.org | Catrin Wigfall
The number of principals and assistant principals in Minnesota public schools is up again even though they served fewer students, according to state data from the National Center for Education Statistics. The most recently available principal data shows that Minnesota public schools added over 100 assistant principals and principals from fall 2022 to fall 2023, increasing by 3.7 percent despite public school enrollment declining over that same time period.
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3 weeks ago | 
americanexperiment.org | Catrin Wigfall
The fourth biennial Speaking Proudly oratory competition is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Minnesota State Capitol. The competition is open to all Minnesota high school girls interested in speaking freely about a Constitutional issue. Contestants are expected to deliver a well-researched, persuasive speech on the topic, “The Consent of the Governed” in America’s 250th year.
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1 month ago | 
americanexperiment.org | Catrin Wigfall
When it comes to education spending in Minnesota, there never appears to be enough dollars at play. Gov. Walz and the teachers’ union continually call to “fully fund” public schools, yet the catchphrase is not accompanied with a specific price tag and consistent budgetary increases from the legislature don’t ever end up being enough despite education spending being the state’s biggest general fund expenditure. How does the general public feel when they hear this message?
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1 month ago | 
americanexperiment.org | Catrin Wigfall
I previously wrote about the $7 billion elephant in the room plaguing Minnesota’s Teacher Retirement Association (TRA) pension fund. As of the plan’s , TRA says its funded ratio is at 79.9 percent, or put another way, only 80 cents on the dollar is available to pay already earned teacher benefits. Its unfunded liability is at $7.1 billion. The valuation report also reveals that the fund continues to run a contribution deficiency — $81,430,000 for 2024.
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1 month ago | 
americanexperiment.org | Catrin Wigfall
The financial health of the Teachers Retirement Association (TRA) affects the fund’s long-term viability and ability to offer the majority of Minnesota educators the retirement benefit they have been promised. The plan supplements Social Security and Medicare benefits by providing teachers with defined pension payments when they retire.
