Hello neighbors, As I’m sure you agree, it feels like we will be stuck in this cold spell forever. But don’t fear, the forecast looks promising and says we can expect to get back above 32° by this weekend. I hope that you can enjoy the more manageable temps by spending some time outside this weekend, whether ice fishing, snowshoeing, or taking the dog for a walk.  Last week, I had the opportunity to speak at the Homeschool Day at the Capitol. It was a great chance to connect with students and parents from around the state who choose homeschooling. As a strong proponent of school choice, I’m happy to meet and hear from students from all kinds of schools. Thank you to MACHE for inviting me to speak at the event and facilitating the event overall. Thank you also to the parents and students who took the time to visit last week. We have continued to stay busy in committees, and as the chair of Education Finance, I have a few bills to share with you. HF6 was introduced to the committee this week, which is a priority bill for education. Currently, less than half of Minnesota students can read or do math at grade level, and our bill works to address this crisis. By giving schools the choice to opt out of mandates and enhancing the Read Act, we are taking the first steps towards better supporting our schools and students. HF6 will do these things, as well as creating an Office of Achievement and Innovation in the Department of Education. I am a proud supporter of this bill, at a time when our students need our help desperately. Another bill, HF29, was heard in committee on Tuesday this week. This bill will remove the Ethnic Studies Mandate. I am supporting this bill because the mandate is unnecessary and an additional forced burden, like many mandates. Most people agree, myself included, that it's valuable to teach cultural perspectives and explore the diverse backgrounds of our nation and world. However, this mandate forces schools to teach these concepts in a way that defines racism as institutional, creating division and animosity rather than understanding and harmony. The standards are political and have the intention of hurting our academic rigor instead of improving achievement. Repealing the Ethnic Studies Mandate will get us back on track towards academic achievement rather than indoctrinating our students with political opinion in school. Looking forward to next week, we will continue to hear bills in committees and move them towards the House floor. I intend to keep you update on the highlights as they come. In district, I would like to highlight the Aitkin Robotics Team and their recent success at the Itasca scrimmage. I look forward to watching the competition season unfold.  BTW, by the way: Lucy’s Café is open!! Check out their pastries, coffee, or lunch, and support a local business. Please Contact MePlease don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or comments on a state legislative matter, by phone at 651-296-4247 or by email at rep.ron.kresha@house.mn.gov  |