“Our community values education. Our students from pre-K to higher education and job training deserve a world class education.”
-Connie Bernardy
Connie Bernardy believes in expanding early childhood education, keeping tuition affordable at Minnesota’s state colleges and universities, and balancing the state’s budget without taking money away from schools and our kids.
Connie’s Plan for Education
Prioritize Our Students
Uphold Minnesota’s commitment to education by providing resources to our schools and working to reduce class sizes and improve student achievement.
Invest in Early Childhood Education
Expand opportunity for all. Increase access to quality early childhood education for Minnesota’s youngest learners. In 2014, Connie worked with her colleagues to pay back the $2.1 billion dollars Republicans took from schools and made strategic investments in our students. She chief authored legislation to fund all-day kindergarten and helped to invest in early childhood education.
Reduce College Tuition and Debt
Help students succeed. Make college and career prep more affordable by freezing tuition and reducing student loan debt. Connie helped pass legislation that froze tuition at state colleges and universities for two years. We must do more to make higher education more affordable so that students can focus on their future, and succeed in a changing economy.
Education is Why Connie Ran for Office
Connie’s top priority is and has always been adequately funding K-12 education to prevent local school districts from further increases in class sizes, cuts to teachers, and educational opportunities. Connie worked with Democrats and Republicans and started a bipartisan Early Childhood Caucus to strengthen early childhood education and increase the opportunities for voluntary all-day kindergarten. Connie was also instrumental in passing legislation to help gifted and talented students and encourage participation in College in the Schools, International Baccalaureate, and Advanced Placement courses at our schools.
Connie and her daughter Kyla, rallying for Save our Schools. Connie was called to public service in 1999 when a funding crisis threatened the quality of the schools her daughters attended. She formed Save Our Schools and brought together parents, teachers, and seniors. Together they worked successfully to restore critical funding to our schools and opportunities for our students.
“I am proud to have grown up in our community attending our public schools with all its great teachers. It is here where I learned my passionate values for education. I will continue to work hard to ensure our students have the best educational opportunities in the world,” Connie said.
