ST. PAUL – Yesterday Republican Senator Julia Coleman (Waconia) chaired the Senate Education Policy Committee in a long-overdue hearing about school safety concerns in classrooms; joining the discussion were representatives from the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association, St. Paul Police Federation, and a northern Minnesota school. 

“We heard heartbreaking stories of violence, abuse, and ongoing distractions occurring in the classroom,” Coleman said. “There are very real safety concerns that exist in our schools which have gone unaddressed over the last two years. It is our goal to foster open dialogue and provide a platform to individuals who face these challenges every day, and we accomplished that today.” 

Testifiers spoke to increasing instances of physical violence, ongoing distractions, and concerns surrounding policies that limit school officials’ ability to enforce consequences for unsafe behavior in the classroom. “As a district…we’re encountering more and more verbally and physically violent students, and with the current statutes, we’re really limited in our ability to enforce consequences and to help all our students succeed,” Allison Gans, a teacher in Hibbing Public Schools, testified during the hearing. 

Additionally, testifiers spoke to the importance of transparency and notification for parents if their student is involved in a violent incident. “It’s important for school districts to be accountable to communities and kids… so you know, as a parent, when you’re enrolling your student at a school what kinds of things are going on there,” Mark Ross, President, St. Paul Police Federation, testified in committee. 

Following the school safety discussion, the committee heard Senator Coleman’s bill, SF-676, to ensure that when a violent incident happens at school, teachers and parents are quickly informed. Further, the proposal protects school staff from facing retaliation for reporting or talking about these incidents. 

“Parents should not be learning their child was involved in a violent incident at school on TikTok,” Coleman said. “Yet that is the unfortunate reality some parents face right now. Improving parental notification is a practical step toward increasing transparency and trust in our schools.” 

The full video of the hearing can be viewed online.