Education uncertainty for new leader of the Minnesota teachers union
For the first time in 12 years, the 84,000-member Minnesota teachers union, Education Minnesota, will have a new president.
Monica Byron will be MEA's first president of color at a time when the president of the United States, Donald Trump, is warning of funding cuts unless all DEI programs are banned. Byron says Minnesota teachers will fight to keep DEI-focused programs.
"Right now, we have support at the local level and the state level to continue to make sure that when it comes to inclusion and it comes to those types of programs that we will have support," says Byron.
She also takes the helm as schools across the country have come under fire for low test scores in the aftermath of the pandemic. The latest test scores show just under 50% of Minnesota students are proficient in reading, just over 45% are proficient in math.
Only 31% of Black students are proficient in reading and 21% in math. While critics, especially Republicans, say the current education system is failing students and families. Byron and MEA feel the low test scores result from a critical statewide teacher shortage, and more students are choosing to opt out of tests.
"What we are seeing there are fewer students taking the test and that actually impact the proficiency score," said Byron.
Byron says those new test scores also don't reflect the impact of the $110M READ Act, which calls for schools statewide to go back to teaching reading through phonics. Byron says teachers are still being trained.
"I think the best practices help all students, so I am hopeful that it will help reach all of our students and especially our children of color," said Byron.
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