Honorable Representative Pat Garofalo:
The Minnesota School Integration Council (MSIC) commends the Governor and legislators for making education funding a priority in their respective budgets. Well-prepared students are a long-term investment in the health and stability of our region. Minnesota’s future success is directly linked to our ability to prepare citizens that can thrive in a diverse, global marketplace.
MSIC strongly urges you to revise the current language eliminating integration aid. The proposed changes will have a profoundly negative impact on the children of Minnesota. Eliminating integration aid will severely limit school choice in Minnesota. Integration aid provides transportation to integration programming, including magnet schools, throughout the state. Cuts to the integration program will mean fewer tools and resources to promote college readiness, ensure inclusive curriculum, develop cultural competence, diversify school staff, and strengthen civic engagement. Strong integration policy is a critical component of a larger agenda focused on eliminating disparities and creating educational equity and opportunity for all Minnesotans.
Current integration programming efforts have greatly benefited students and communities. In a qualitative analysis of youth programming and professional development funded by integration revenue, East Metro Integration District students reported gains in academic achievement/skills, work readiness and career exploration, ability to relate across differences, and leadership development. Teachers described improved ability to connect in effective learning relationships with all students and the improved student achievement they saw as a result of better relationships and improved instructional strategies. Benefits of integrated schools and classrooms include both academic and social outcomes. Integrated learning environments more fully prepare all students, including white students, for our increasingly diverse workplace and society. Long-term benefits of integrated education apply to students of all racial/ethnic backgrounds.
MSIC urges you to maintain Minnesota’s commitment to providing integrated and equitable learning opportunities for our students by amending the Desegregation Rule and Integration Revenue Statute. MSIC supports the recommendations from the Statewide Task Force on School Integration. These recommendations promote a focus on results and require greater accountability for uses of integration revenue. It’s time to clarify the outcomes of the program, identify measurable metrics, and distribute resources to meet outcomes. Integration serves as a key structure of opportunity and a foundational element for transforming schools, districts, and communities.
Sincerely,
Kathy Griebel