Critics Claim Minnesota Schools in Decline Under Gov. Walz

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, faces growing criticism as the state’s education performance has reportedly plummeted under his leadership, with opponents blaming his administration’s focus on ideology over effective policies, according to the New York Post.

Walz, a former public school teacher, assumed office in 2019. Since then, the academic proficiency of Minnesota students has seen a downturn.According to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), reading proficiency fell from 59.2% in 2019 to 49.9% in 2023. Math scores have also steeply declined, dropping from 55% in 2019 to 45.5% last year.

“He spent most of the last two years working to accommodate far-left demands in his party rather than working to address real education issues in our state,” said Republican state Sen. Carla Nelson, herself a former teacher.

According to Nelson, “burdensome mandates on schools” have led to budget shortfalls and pulled teachers away from their students.

Under Walz’s administration, the state has also seen a dramatic increase in chronic absenteeism. During the 2021-22 school year, 30% of Minnesota students missed more than 10% of school days, more than double the rate from 2019.

Additionally, the MDE’s recent revisions to the social studies standards, which now require an “ethnic studies” component for K-12 students, have sparked further controversy. Critics argue that these changes aim to instill a radical worldview in students rather than improve educational outcomes.

Catrin Wigfall, a policy fellow at the conservative Center of the American Experiment, criticized the governor’s focus on what she described as “leftist ideology.”

“We’re seeing a shift in our education system, [from] traditional focus on excellent and pragmatic instruction to one that is more ideologically and politically driven,” Wigfall said.

The impact of Walz’s policies during the COVID-19 pandemic has also been scrutinized. The governor faced backlash for his decision to keep schools closed for extended periods, which some say was influenced by pressure from teachers’ unions.

Critics, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., argue that these closures were detrimental to students’ learning and contributed to the state’s decline in national education rankings.

“As governor, Tim Walz chose teachers union money over putting students first, and the results have been disastrous. Minnesota students’ test scores fell to their lowest levels in decades because of Walz’s failed, anti-student agenda,” Emmer said.

Minnesota dropped from 7th in 2021 to 19th in 2023 in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Book, which assesses states based on National Assessment of Educational Progress test scores.

Walz has defended his actions during the pandemic, arguing that remote learning fostered resilience and problem-solving skills in students.