New Report Says MN Read Act on Right Track, but Long-Term Success Hinges on Teacher Training

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – A report released by Educators for Excellence-Minnesota (E4E-MN) today reveals that while educators overwhelmingly support the Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development (READ) Act’s emphasis on high-quality reading instruction, gaps in training, compensation, and school-based support could temper the success of the state’s signature education initiative. The report, “From Buy-In to Breakthrough: Delivering READ Act Results,” captures survey data of nearly 150 public school educators from 50 schools in five districts across Minnesota. The findings underscore that teachers believe in the promise of the READ Act—but need stronger professional learning support at both the state and district levels to bring it to life.

Key Findings:

• 93% of educators using a new curriculum believe it can improve student achievement—if implemented under the right conditions
• 33% of educators are unsatisfied with the professional learning they receive at their school
• The most commonly cited issue teachers have with state-mandated training is the low amount of compensation they receive for professional learning outside school hours

“The READ Act represents a major step forward for literacy in Minnesota,” said Paula Cole, Executive Director of E4E-MN. “But as our report makes clear, even the best curriculum will fail if teachers don’t have ongoing, school-based training and support to use it effectively. Right now, too many educators are being asked to overhaul reading instruction without the resources they need to succeed, and we need to see districts respond with urgency.”

To ensure lasting success, E4E-MN urges state and district leaders to do the following:

1. While the state has already taken encouraging steps to support educators, it should allocate additional funding to increase compensation for teachers completing state-mandated, evidence-based professional learning programs.
2. Districts, meanwhile, should improve in-school professional learning support for educators by hiring a full-time literacy coach in higher-needs schools and building internal capacity among teachers to lead training and coaching in their own school communities.
3. Districts should collaborate with school boards, administrators, and teachers’ unions to develop new policies that operationalize the big shifts outlined by the READ Acts. This would close the gap between the percentage of teachers reporting satisfaction with district-level support (78%) and school-level support (68%).
4. Districts and other decision-makers should continue to engage teachers in the implementation process to improve buy-in and implementation.

With two years remaining before the READ Act’s full implementation deadline, educators are calling for immediate action to ensure they have the skills, resources, and support needed to make this historic shift successful.

“Minnesota has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve literacy instruction,” Cole added. “But if we don’t invest in our teachers, we’re setting them—and their students—up for failure.”

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About Educators for Excellence

Founded by public school teachers, Educators for Excellence is a growing movement of more than 35,000 educators, united around a common set of values and principles for improving student learning and elevating the teaching profession. We work together to identify issues that impact our schools, create solutions to these challenges, and advocate for policies and programs that give all students access to a quality education.