Dayton to unveil new education proposals

Gov. Mark Dayton told a group of school principals Friday that his administration would be proposing education changes in the days before his budget is released in mid-February.

Dayton spoke to the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals in Minneapolis. He told them his Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius would be unveiling the proposals in the next couple of weeks. He wouldn't elaborate, but said he wants to roll back student testing.

"My direction to the Commissioner is to find way to do as much less of it as possible," Dayton said. "We all want accountability and there are ways to provide that. I don't want to belabor the obvious. As you know this has gotten to be excessive. I voted against No Child Left Behind, nine out of 10 of the members of Minnesota's congressional delegation voted against No Child Left Behind. This was a bipartisan recognition that this was the wrong way to go."

Dayton also cautioned the principals, saying he had been struggling to meet his campaign promise to increase funding for education. He said that may have to wait for additional tax revenues in months ahead.