Commentary By Ronald Eibensteiner

Minnesota Democrats and the Minnesota education establishment recently unleashed a torrent of outrage over Sen. Dick Day's statement that Minneapolis and St. Paul schools "suck."

While they claimed that they were outraged about the word used, in reality I think they were sent into their defensive frenzy because Day's comments struck a little too close to home. Deep down inside, Democrats and their allies in the education establishment know that they have created and are defending a public school system that has left behind far too many children of color. And that's a secret they don't want to get out.

While the Democrats' outrage at Sen. Day is spurious at best, Minnesotans should feel authentic and fierce outrage toward Democrats for perpetuating the achievement gap by condemning children of color to failing schools. According to the Minnesota Education Department, while the state is a national leader in student achievement, it ranks near the bottom on the achievement gap.

Minnesotans should be outraged that more than 10 percent of Minneapolis' and almost 6 percent of St. Paul's junior and senior high students drop out of school.

They should be outraged that in Minnesota only 43 percent of African-American students graduate on time.

And they should be outraged that according to the Department of Education, the achievement of African-American students in Minnesota is nearly three years behind that of white students in fourth-grade math.

It is clear that our public schools, especially those in Minneapolis and St. Paul, are failing those students who have the most at stake.

Yet that is not the biggest outrage. The biggest outrage is that Democrats and the education establishment are guilty of keeping that system in place by blocking common-sense reforms and accountability measures.

It was Democratic senators who sank the confirmation of Cheri Pierson Yecke as Minnesota's education commissioner. Yecke is a fierce advocate for closing the achievement gap.

Democrats oppose Gov. Tim Pawlenty's Five Star Rating for Academic Achievement report cards, which give parents, teachers and taxpayers the ability to monitor progress at their local schools. This is just one of many accountability initiatives they oppose, including No Child Left Behind.

Backed by the powerful National Education Association union, the Democrats have blocked even the most modest attempts to give parents the opportunity to remove their children from failing schools.

For example, congressional Democrats are blocking attempts to implement a modest school choice pilot program in Washington, D.C., which is even supported by the city's Democratic mayor. And what happens to state and local governments that break the education establishment's school choice blockade? The teachers' union and education establishment take them to court to challenge the school choice programs, forcing them to endure expensive and lengthy legal battles.

Democrats try to defend themselves by claiming that they are doing their part to help schools by supporting increased spending. While money is important, the problem with their solution is that pouring more money into a system that is fundamentally broken will not fix that system.

As a matter of fact, Minnesota school districts that spend the least amount of money actually outperform the school districts that spend the greatest amount of money. In 2002, in Minnesota's 20 highest-spending school districts with 1,000 or more students, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, only 66 percent of students graduated on time. In sharp contrast, in the 20 lowest-spending schools, 89.5 percent of students graduated on time.

Of course, Republicans are willing to invest in education. They have shown their generosity by making education one of Minnesota's top budget priorities. K-12 education accounts for nearly 40 percent of the state budget.

But Republicans also want results for their investment in education. They want to make sure that every Minnesota student, whether they are in Frogtown or Woodbury, the Phillips neighborhood or Edina, receives a quality education.

That is why we support Pawlenty and his common-sense education reform and accountability agenda. We also understand that more needs to be done.

Democrats, on the other hand, oppose those reforms and continue to defend a system that is failing the most vulnerable in our society.

And that is what truly sucks.

Ronald Eibensteiner is state chair of the Republican Party.

Originally published on June 13, 2004 in the Star Tribune.