Tell MN Leaders: Invest In READ Act Teacher-Led Coaching

The READ Act was a promising first step toward addressing Minnesota’s literacy crisis and bolstering achievement in one of the most vital subjects for student success. But the work isn’t done.

To ensure this investment pays off, MN leaders must strengthen implementation support. They can do this by creating roles that allow highly effective teachers to coach their peers while continuing to teach, equipping them with the training, release time, and extra pay necessary to do so. 

Without this, millions spent on new materials risk going to waste. Curricular materials only work when teachers are trained and supported to use them effectively. 

Highly effective, research-aligned, and fairly compensated teacher coaching ensures that educators trust the professional learning they receive and can implement their new materials with confidence, while also making the teaching profession more sustainable and rewarding in the process.

And fiscal pressures are no excuse. Leaders can do more with less by first piloting teacher-led coaching in hard-to-staff schools and those serving historically marginalized students—economically disadvantaged students, students of color, students with disabilities, and English learners.

So don’t wait. Call on Minnesota education leaders to invest in training, release time, and extra pay for teacher-led coaching as part of the READ Act so that the law delivers on its promise to close literacy gaps for all students.