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What happens when the Page Amendment is passed?
The Page Amendment is passed through majority vote in a statewide election. The next election during which the amendment can be considered is November 11, 2022. Once passed, there are three changes that will be made to the current state of education in Minnesota. These changes take effect immediately following the passage of the amendment.
What Changes Will be Made to the Current State of Minnesota Education?
- Change 1: Education will become a paramount duty of the state: The Amendment will clarify and initiate the responsibility to ensure education policy is within the “state.” The “state” encompasses both the legislative and executive branches, and the administration of policy through statutes and rules. When the Legislature and Governor meet for their first legislative session together after the election, they will be crafting policies and a budget with a new mandate from voters to put quality education as the paramount duty of the state.
- Change 2: The Amendment changes the state mandate from “the uniformity or efficiency of the system” to “the quality of public education offered to people”.
- Change 3: Families will have an avenue to address inequities: The Amendment establishes a civil right to quality public education first. Following the Amendment's passage, legislators, community leaders and families will come together to create policy to define quality and address inequities. If these important policy debates do not happen and citizens' rights are being compromised, the Amendment will ensure citizens may seek resolution in the judicial branch.
THE PAGE AMENDMENT
How Long Does It Take for a Constitutional Amendment to Go into Effect?
A state constitutional amendment takes effect immediately if it receives the approval of a majority of the voters (citizens) during an election. Upon passage, the Page Amendment would guarantee each child in Minnesota a civil right to quality public education, effectively replacing the original education provision from 1857.
What Do These Changes Mean for the Average Minnesotan?
Once the amendment is passed, action in accordance with it can happen immediately. The state government, made up of the legislature and the governor, will operate with new direction from the state constitution and voters to put quality education first. This collective responsibility will create a renewed push to examine the current public education system, its successes and failures, and give policymakers the opportunity to be innovative and creative in narrowing, and eventually closing, Minnesota’s education gaps.