Minnesota: Education

• Quality of Education
• Education Standards and Performance Measures
• Education Funding
• Charter Schools
• Higher Education

Quality of Education

Grading Local Public Schools

1 "If you were grading the public schools where you live, and you could give the public schools either a passing grade or a failing grade how would you grade the public schools where you live?"

Direction of Public Education System

1 "Overall, would you say the public education system is on the right track or the wrong track?"

Education Standards and Performance Measures

Federal Role in Setting Academic Standards and Measuring Student Performance

1 "Which statements comes closer to your point of view or do you fall somewhere in between: The government in Washington should insist that states set academic standards and measure student performance, OR the government should leave academic standards up to the states."

Support for Statewide Testing Measuring Student Peformance

1 "Do you think the recent emphasis on statewide testing to measure student performance is a good thing or a bad thing?"

View of Profile of Learning Graduation Standards

1 "Based on what you know, which of the following statements comes closest to your view about the state's graduation standards for students, known as the Profile of Learning?"

Education Funding

Level of State Education Funding

1 "Some of the debate also focused on education funding. Based on what you know, do you think the Legislature provided too much money for public elementary and secondary schools, not enough money or about the right amount?"

2 "In general, do you think Minnesota school districts receive too much money from the state, too little money, or do you think school districts receive just about the right amount of money from the state?"

Grading Minnesota School District Money Management

1 "How would you grade the job Minnesota school districts do at managing the money they receive from the state? Would you give them an A, B, C, D, or an F?" (Grade point average = 2.2)

Public Education Funds Spent Wisely

1 "Overall, would you say that public funds allocated for public education in Minnesota are being well spent, or not?"

Charter Schools

Support for Expansion of Charter School Movement

1 "Based on what you know, do you think the charter school movement should be expanded in Minnesota, or not?"

Higher Education

Legislative Funding of Higher Education

1 "Based on what you know, do you think the Legislature provided too much money for colleges and universities, not enough money, or about the right amount?"

University of Minnesota Budget Alternatives

1 "As you may know, there is debate in the Legislature over the size of the University of Minnesota's budget. Thinking about that, which of these three choices before lawmakers is most important to you?"

Mark Yudof Job Approval Rating

1 "How would you rate the performance of Mark Yudof as University of Minnesota president: excellent, pretty good, only fair or poor?"

Expansion of State Financial Aid for College

1 "Which of the following statements comes closest to your point of view? Minnesota's financial-aid system for students going to college is adequate and does not need to be expanded. Minnesota should make more financial help available to allow more low-income students to attend college."

Free College Tuition to Residents Attending College in Minnesota

1 "Several candidates have proposed giving Minnesota students the equivalent of free college tuition for a year or more if they attend college in Minnesota. Do you think this is a good use of state tax money or a bad use of state tax money?"