The achievement gap - revisited

"Nothing will ever change so long as Education Minnesota exists. Any rebels in the DFL, who might want to think different on education funding, are squelched by the teacher's union."

Last night, it was the end of brinksmanship in our state (for now). The Republicans caved to the money hungry DFL, and their Education Minnesota puppet masters. Another GIANT education spending bill was passed. In a state which has the largest achievement gap in the nation, more good money is about to be poured in the pit after bad money. Who won on this deal? The kids? Nope. The tax payers? Definitely not. The teacher's union? Now we are talking!

Minnesota has a graduation rate of slightly over 80%. That mean slightly less than 20% don't graduate in four years. Making up that number, are different rates for different ethnicities. Whites and Asians do better than blacks, Hispanics, and natives. No matter how much money we pour into education, those disparities hold. Why? Study after study have shown that kids, no matter what their racial background is, learn the same. In other words, no race is "smarter" than the other. 

Then what gives? Why can't Minnesota taxpayers get a good "bang for their buck" in education spending? Not to sound like our Veep, but maybe we need to look at the root cause of this issue. 

Many of our inner city schools have become nothing but failure factories. Many kids, many those who are of color, fall behind, stop attending regularly, or quit all together. Those who do manage to stick it out to graduation, have not learned a whole lot. And I will repeat - it is not because they can't.

Here is my take. It all goes back to Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society. Unfortunately, years later, the Great Society has turned out to be the not so great society for many folks of color. Instead of lifting a few out of poverty, the Great Society has put many people of color into poverty. How? By destroying the family. Destroying the family has allowed more poverty to develop. More poverty leads to achievement issues.  

The "bang for the buck" Minnesota taxpayers get from education spending is lousy. Return on investment = poor. For Minnesota being such a "smart" state, we really suck at thinking outside the box on how to educate ALL our youth.

Schools which are failure factories, should be shuttered immediately. They should be replaced with a new type of school. Like Cristo Rey for example. Kids from all over the metro, from all races go there. Graduation rate - 100%. Cost? A fraction of what Minneapolis Public Schools charge. How do they do it? THAT - is what we should be focusing in on.

Nothing will ever change so long as Education Minnesota exists. Any rebels in the DFL, who might want to think different on education funding, are squelched by the teacher's union. So, in the 2021-2022 school year, the failure factories will continue to fail our youth. All paid for by us, the Minnesota taxpayers.