Education Is Not a Line Item — It’s the Foundation of Minnesota’s Future

Education is the foundation of Minnesota’s future, yet for far too long we have treated it like a budget line item instead of a public trust. We ask educators to do more every year—teach, mentor, manage classrooms, respond to trauma, ensure safety, and fill in the gaps created by underfunding—while offering them fewer resources and less support in return. That approach is not sustainable, and it is failing both educators and students.

Teachers are professionals, and they deserve professional compensation. Minnesota must be competitive in attracting and retaining educators, which means supporting strong starting salaries, meaningful wage growth, and retirement systems that allow teachers to retire with dignity. Educators are asked to give decades of service, emotional labor, and personal sacrifice. In return, they should not be left wondering whether they can afford to stay in the profession or whether retirement will ever be possible.

There is a simple truth that cuts through the politics:If a police officer does not have to pay for the lead in his bullet, a teacher should not be expected to pay for the lead in her pencil.

Yet that is exactly what we have normalized. Teachers routinely spend their own money on classroom supplies, learning materials, and even basic necessities for students. Schools should be funded so teacher pay is true compensation for professional work—not a partial reimbursement after covering classroom expenses out of pocket.

Education funding must be stable, predictable, and equitable. Special education must be fully funded by the state, not quietly cross-subsidized by school districts at the expense of general education. English learner programs must be properly supported so students receive the instruction they need without overburdening teachers. No student’s education should suffer because their district lacks property wealth or because state funding formulas fall short.

We also have to address burnout honestly. Teachers need protected prep time to plan lessons, meet student needs, and do their jobs well. Endless meetings and paperwork do not improve outcomes—good preparation does. Special education teachers, in particular, must be given paid, dedicated time to complete required documentation and attend meetings. Burnout is not a personal failure; it is a system failure.

Lowering class sizes is another critical piece of the puzzle, but it cannot be done by mandate alone. We must strengthen the educator pipeline by creating real, accessible pathways into the profession—without lowering standards. That includes alternative licensure routes, paid student teaching, mentoring, and allowing people to work in schools while progressing toward full licensure. Smaller class sizes only work if we also have enough qualified educators to staff them.

Schools cannot function without support staff, and students cannot thrive without support systems. Counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses, paraprofessionals, and school safety staff are not optional—they are essential. These professionals deserve living wages and stable funding, not temporary grants or empty praise. Supporting the whole child requires a full team, not a single teacher standing alone.

Technology has a role to play in education, but it must never replace educators. Artificial intelligence should be a tool to support learning, not a substitute for human judgment, care, and connection. Teachers see what no algorithm can—when a student is struggling, disengaged, or quietly falling through the cracks. Education is, and must remain, a human endeavor.

Finally, access matters. Higher education has become what a high school diploma once was—a basic requirement for opportunity. Minnesota must protect physical access to colleges and universities across the state and work to control tuition costs so students are not buried under debt before their careers even begin. Education should open doors, not chain people to lifelong financial strain.

Supporting educators is not charity. It is not politics. It is an investment in Minnesota’s children, workforce, and long-term stability. When teachers are supported, students succeed. When students succeed, communities thrive. And when communities thrive, Minnesota is stronger.

Education should be a promise we keep—not a burden we shift onto those who care the most. If we are serious about the future of this state, it starts with fully funding our schools and standing firmly behind the people who show up for our kids every single day.