Governor Tim Walz Unveils ‘Due North’ Education Plan

 
Sweeping education plan addresses the immediate impact of the pandemic while
building a world-class education system that prepares every student for success
 
[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today
announced the Due North Education Plan, a sweeping agenda for the future of education in
Minnesota. Developed from a robust engagement effort with educators, school leaders,
students, and families across the state, the Due North Education Plan is centered on ensuring
every child in Minnesota receives a high-quality education, no matter their race or zip code.
 
“As a former classroom teacher for over 20 years, I’ve seen firsthand how a high-quality
education shapes students’ lives for years to come,” said Governor Walz. “The Due North
Education Plan guides us toward a future where every child receives a high-quality education,
no matter their race or zip code.”
 
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated disparities in education across Minnesota, especially
along racial and geographic lines. The Due North Education Plan will help students recover from
learning loss this year while closing the opportunity gap and transforming our education system
for years to come.
 
“The COVID-19 pandemic has not deterred us from bold, intentional education reform; it has
emphasized its urgency,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “While we’ve seen
incredible innovation from teachers and administrators in this moment, we’ve also seen
already existing opportunity gaps widen along the lines of race and zip code exacerbated by
the pandemic. The time to reimagine what education can look like in Minnesota is now. The
Due North Education Plan sets a course so that all of our children can see themselves
reflected and valued in their classrooms and curriculum.”

The Due North Education Plan is built from the voices and ideas of Minnesotans whom the
Walz-Flanagan Administration engaged in their first two years in office, including the
Governor’s Education Roundtable, the School Finance Working Group, the creation of the
Minnesota Department of Education’s Strategic Plan, and conversations with educators, school
leaders, education organizations, students, and families. The Governor’s Education Roundtable
and the School Finance Working group pulled together our state’s top leaders in education
policy and school finance reform from all perspectives and corners of our state to examine best
practices in the field. The Minnesota Department of Education’s Strategic Plan was inspired by
countless conversations, research, and visits to schools where innovative programs are
successfully moving the needle for our students.
 
“One of the powers of the Governor’s office is to convene Minnesotans, and that is exactly
what we’ve been doing for the past two years,” Governor Walz continued. “Our
announcement today is the result of countless conversations with educators, school leaders,
education organizations, students and families with diverse viewpoints. This plan was built by
Minnesotans, for Minnesotans.

“In order for there to be fundamental change in our education system we must also change
the way we fund it,” said Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker. “The proposals from the School
Finance Working Group that are embedded in the Due North Plan will help ensure that
students across Minnesota will receive the same educational opportunities not matter where
they live in our state.”
 
“The Minnesota Department of Education is dedicated to supporting our students and their
learning every single day,” said Deputy Commissioner Heather Mueller. “The Minnesota
Department of Education’s Strategic Plan includes strategies that will accomplish the goals of
the Due North Education Plan and create an education system that is student-centered,
removes structural barriers, provides the best teacher workforce, and fosters safe and
welcoming environments in every school in Minnesota
 
The plan includes actions to support students during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, reform
school financing, expand opportunities for students in Greater Minnesota, and build the most
qualified and diverse teaching workforce in the nation. The plan would ensure academic
standards address the modern needs of the workforce, are inclusive of ethnic studies, and are
reflective of students of color and Indigenous students in order to close opportunity gaps and
end disparities.
 
“For me, this is about justice. Our educational system has systematically failed children of
color, Indigenous, disabled, and poor children,” said Justice Alan Page. “It is important that
the plan recognizes this failure, and acknowledges that systemic change is needed. It is also
important that the plan calls for putting children first so every child has the opportunity to
achieve their fullest potential.”
 
“If Minnesota is to prepare its students for a multicultural, multiracial future, it’s time to
change our schools and provide those schools with the resources they need to do the job
right,” said Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota. “The fact that we’re talking
about doing so many good things at once speaks to the urgency and complexity of the
challenges, and the political courage of Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan.”