The fundamental funding of Minnesota education

By Eleanor Steffen

Minnesota says the federal funding of programs such as education set states up for success, but the executive branch may disagree. Let's see what the news has to say.

Is fed. ed. dead?: The Trump administration has decided this week to cut contracts with the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, a research agency that uses data to determine the eligibility of states and districts for federal funding, according to MPR News. Minnesota school district staff worry this decision could have the biggest impacts on students with disabilities or low-income families, according to the network.

Meal maintenance: Minnesota education leaders, educators, and parents advocated for the continued funding of the state's free lunch program at a panel on Wednesday, according to CBS News. The program offers free breakfast and lunch to students regardless of their family income, but school districts are concerned that the program will not withstand federal funding cuts, says the network.

PG-For teens: Minnesota lawmakers held a committee hearing on Wednesday to discuss the adoption of a Parent's Bill of Rights, proposed legislation that insists upon deeper parental regulation of library content, according to KSTP. The bill hopes to restrict materials that cover topics such as "race, sexual orientation and gender identity, and medical care, including vaccines," according to the station.

Community question: Do you enjoy Valentine's Day? Why or why not?

"Valentine's Day, for me, is not for married people. It's for people who are dating and courting and about to be married. ... It's important because it's your chance to tell somebody how much you love them or whatever. Even somebody that doesn't know that you like them, you can send them a card or whatever. But we don't really celebrate Valentine's, because we've been married so long that it's just another day."

-Rebecca Cooper, 57, Vadnais Heights












Quote of the day:

"I'm just fed up with the gamesmanship, fed up with the politics that they're bringing into this."

-Todd Barnette, the commissioner of Minneapolis's Office of Community Safety, in response to Judge Robin Wonsley's plan to pause the $1.2 million intended to fund the city's violence prevention programs on Wednesday, according to Kare 11. There are debates within the Minneapolis City Council as to whether the money should continue to fund community groups, or if it should be used to transfer city violence protection programs to Hennepin County, according to the station. 


I used the stories above because they cover three significant changes that the education system may be able to expect in the near future. I feel that that news is incredibly important for people to know, regardless of whether or not they have children of their own.

I chose the quote of the day above because it's aligned with the topic of state and federal funding, but it acknowledges the recently common occurrence of making political issues out of nonpartisan matters.

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