MSBA Journal: September-October 2020

Education 2040

Jessica Davis – the 2019 Minnesota Teacher of the Year – says closing achievement gaps and “providing a more equitable educational experience for students in Minnesota must be our goal.”

A Better Future for Education Will Be a Hard Journey That Requires Extreme Investment 2019 Teacher of the Year Jessica Davis: “Changing the infrastructure of our schools and our education departments at large is the difference between a superficial Band-Aid and a sincere attempt at longitudinal improvements”

By Jessica Davis, 2019 Minnesota Teacher of the Year

Editor’s Note: As the Minnesota School Boards Association celebrates its centennial this year, we’ve asked people to write about their vision of education in 2040. This month, we hear from 2019 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Jessica Davis.

In past issues, we’ve heard from school board members, students and MSBA staff. In our next issue, you’ll hear from a superintendent. If YOU have something to say about education in 2040, feel free to email YOUR essay to Greg Abbott at gabbott@mnmsba.org by October 1.

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SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2020

“It’s easy to ignore privilege when it works in your favor.”

– Activist and writer Rachel Cargle, tweeted in December 2018 (A bold statement that, in my opinion, expresses a dangerous and real truth in public education today.)

Behind the volumes of federal data on diversity demographics and its effects on student achievement, measured through standardized tests that expose gaps exacerbated by complicated recipes to allocate resources and funds, is a system heavily nuanced by layers of historical and cultural influence with few tools to understand the significance between the interactions of the above and our unique experiences that make each person an individual.

MINNESOTA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION | JOURNAL