Superintendent Asks Community to Support All Students in Reaching Their Dreams

Editor's Note: The following is a letter from Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Bernadeia H. Johnson.

Dear MPS partners and friends,  

I wanted to tell you about a proposed public policy initiative that can help us close the opportunity gap. On March 14, the Senate’s Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development unanimously passed Senate File 723, more commonly known as the Dream Act. Our students and staff members cheered, some were overcome with emotion and many chanted with their youthful energy in the Capitol rotunda to celebrate this momentous decision.  

This is a big step forward for our students and families – and it is a big step forward for Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), too. If passed, this bill would allow undocumented students who meet certain criteria to pay in-state tuition at all state colleges and universities. Immigrant students would also be eligible to receive state grants and private scholarships. This proposed policy brings hope to our students, schools and community. Rather than being fearful of deportation, students will be inspired to stay in school, excel in their studies and truly reach their full potential.  

I want to take this opportunity to thank Senator Sandra Pappas, Senator Patricia Torres-Ray, Representative Carlos Mariani and their colleagues for bringing these bills to life. I want to acknowledge the hard work and courage of MPS students, families and staff members who have been paving the way for this initiative for the past decade. Let’s keep going.  

The House of Representatives’ Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee is scheduled to hear the companion bill, House File 875, on Wednesday, April 3rd at 12:30 p.m. Your voice and that of our students can help bring positive impact to this conversation and I urge you to consider reaching out to the committee members to share your support for this bill.  

We at MPS are committed to doing our part. On behalf of the 33,000 MPS students and families, I wrote a letter to the House of Representatives’ Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee asking them to pass this bill and send it to the Governor's desk for his signature. You can read the letter the MPS website. We have engaged our principals and counselors to promote knowledge about this moving bill with students and staff members in their schools. Later this month, MPS will feature student efforts for the Dream Act during our weekly news segment on Univision, “Mi Ciudad, Mi Escuela.” Through our leadership to support our Dream students, we have already helped over 600 students in our schools to apply for Deferred Action. We are ready to do more if our help is needed.  

We are hopeful that this bill will be enacted into law. We anticipate higher student retention and lower dropout rates as the result of the passage of this bill. I truly believe that education is the civil rights issue of our time. Strongly supporting the Dream Act will only enhance the learning and growth of our students. I would like to encourage you to learn more about this bill by reaching out to Navigate and Tamales y Bicicletas – the two Minneapolis based organizations leading to inform, empower, and engage young people around this issue. You can read more about the Senate hearing in the Star Tribune’s media coverage of the event.  

To fulfill our mission of ensuring that every child is college and career ready, we need laws to change. Bills like Senate File 723 and House File 875 are needed to remove the systemic barriers standing in the way of our students’ path to a college education. With your help in supporting this bill, every young person can have a better chance at fulfilling the American dream. 

Sincerely,  

Bernadeia H. Johnson, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools