State Rep. Robin Brown (DFL-Albert Lea) has introduced legislation that will amend the Minnesota Constitution, adding language that she says addresses the inequalities that are occurring in school districts across the state and strengthens the long-standing tradition of excellence in Minnesota’s schools.

“Our founding fathers had the foresight to establish a tax-supported system of public schools as a primary duty of the Minnesota legislature,” said Brown. “Unfortunately, the language that worked in 1857 has become obsolete and no longer fits the needs of our students in this increasingly complex global society.”

Brown is recommending that the current language in Article XIII of the constitution that reads “it is the duty of the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools” be changed to “to establish a high quality and uniform system of public schools.”

In another sentence, the current language reads “the legislature shall make such provisions by taxation or otherwise…” The proposed change would insert the words “the legislature shall make such provisions to provide equitable and adequate funding…”

Great inequities exist in schools with regard to funding,” said Brown. “Those located in property rich districts can have as much as several thousand dollars more to spend on each student than schools in property poor districts. As a result, the students in the wealthier districts have smaller class sizes, better textbooks and technology, and a wider range of class and extracurricular offerings”

By contrast, according to Brown, students in poorer districts lag behind in overcrowded classrooms with scarce resources. Her legislation would pave the way for equitable school funding that would provide all students with the skills they need to compete in our increasingly competitive global market.

“This is not a fiscal bill, but rather a policy bill that would set a new standard for education in Minnesota, a benchmark that will serve as a reminder of where our real priorities lie,” said Brown. “I’m hopeful this amendment will be put before the voters in 2010 to help assure every child in the state of their right to a good education under the Constitution, regardless of their zip code.”