Congressman Brad Finstad is calling on Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to take action to address “the troubling decline in Minnesota’s education performance.”
Finstad wrote in his July 31 letter to Walz that Minnesota used to be recognized “as a national leader in K-12 education.”
But now, that “standard is eroding, and Minnesotans deserve a clear explanation for this decline,” he said.
To illustrate his point, Finstad pointed out that Minnesota’s education system was ranked seventh in the nation in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual report in 2021.
This year, Minnesota was ranked 21st in the same report, a drop of 14 spots.
“Between 2019 and 2024, the share of fourth graders who weren’t proficient in reading rose seven percentage points in Minnesota compared to the national average, which was four points,” Finstad said.
“During that same period, the share of eighth graders not proficient in math rose 10 percentage points in Minnesota. Furthermore, in 2025, less than half of all students tested as grade-level proficient on either math or reading state tests,” he continued.
This decline occurred despite Walz’s former career as a teacher and his emphasis on education as one of his top priorities, Finstad noted.
Meanwhile, states that historically ranked near the bottom, like Mississippi and Louisiana, have pursued reforms and achieved better outcomes while Minnesota has “largely questioned those approaches,” he wrote.
“Given these differing trajectories, it is reasonable to ask whether whether Minnesota’s current education strategies have produced the results they were intended to achieve,” Finstad continued.
In a statement, the Republican from Minnesota’s First Congressional District called it “extremely disappointing to see Minnesota’s educational performance decline under Governor Walz.”
“I am committed to the education of our youth, and I am calling on the Walz administration to conduct a comprehensive review of current education policies, strengthen accountability for academic outcomes, expand literacy and mathematics instruction, and ensure taxpayer investments translate to higher student achievement,” he said.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
