Published the week of 11/14/04

Minnesota just might want to be the first state to guarantee all youngsters 14, rather than 12 years of free, tax supported education. That's one of the key recommendations of a new statewide task force, issued by the St. Paul based Citizens League.

Controversial? Sure. Expensive? Somewhat. Worth considering? Definitely. At one point, Minnesotans only expected youngsters to complete an 8th grade education. Beyond that was considered an unnecessary frill. Plenty of good jobs on farms and factories were available that did not require more than an 8th grade education.

Today that's not true.

Rondi Erickson of Duluth, who co-chaired the Citizens League study group, says that if changes are not made in Minnesota's higher education system we are at risk of becoming just a "cold, small state."

Virtually all well paying jobs require an education of at least two years beyond high school. That includes jobs like auto mechanic and carpenter, as well as jobs in professions like law, medicine, journalism and education. So more well educated people translates into a state better able to compete not just with other parts of the United States, but other parts of the world.

Job growth comes from two basic sources: creation of new companies and organizations, and expansion of existing ones.

People who start new companies - and whose companies grow, tend to be people with a good education, a good product or service, and real drive.

Companies looking to expand are looking, in part, for educated workers who do not need remedial education. Companies also want to make as much money as possible. Tax rates ARE important. The answer to higher education challenges is not JUST spending more money.

Some readers may think - "Nathan works at the University of Minnesota. Of course he likes a report proposing more money for higher education." My salary does not come from taxes, but from foundation grants and federal contracts. So I would not get a cent if this report were carried out.

Nevertheless, I do wish the Citizens League Report had clearer recommendations about making higher education more efficient. The report dodged the question of whether to close some campuses around the state. Minnesota has substantially more higher education campuses for its population than many states. We may have more duplication across college campuses than is necessary.

And at least at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus, we could more efficient in some operations. We could make effective use of buildings, since relatively few classes are held on Fridays and over the weekend. And some business operations might be improved, such as procedures requiring checks to go through five to seven steps before being sent.

As the Legislature considers Citizens League recommendations, I hope it examines encouraging greater efficiency. But I hope legislators and other Minnesotans also consider a truly historic step - making this the first state to guarantee 14 years of education.