ST. PAUL — Today, House Democrats are holding an eight-hour symposium to discuss the achievement gap in Minnesota. A recent study conducted by the Reserve Bank of Minneapolis found that the state’s achievement gap is among the worst in the entire nation and that disparities are evident across race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
House Republican Education Leads, State Representative Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, and Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, today are urging House DFL leadership to take action to fix the achievement gap.
“It is time to stop talking about this shameful achievement gap and actually do something about it,” said Rep. Kresha. “We know what the problems are, now we need to talk about solutions. Unfortunately, House Democrats have refused to seriously consider our bills that could close the gap and help all of our students succeed.”
“For decades, we’ve collected data that reveals the unacceptable and immoral gaps in academic performance between white students and students of color,” said Rep. Erickson. “This is an urgent and serious problem that demands the legislature’s full and immediate attention. House Republicans have introduced several bills that will help tackle this problem and we stand ready and willing to work with DFLers to ensure our education system works for all students. The time for talk is over, we need to take action.”
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