Senator Julia Coleman (Waconia), Lead Republican on the Senate Education Policy Committee, released the following statement on the recently released K-12 English Language Arts standards and benchmarks that will require third graders to learn about non-binary pronouns:
“Parents expect schools to focus on an academic education—reading, writing, and math—not controversial ideological lessons on gender identity. The push to introduce non-binary pronouns in third-grade classrooms is not about grammar; it’s about inserting divisive social agendas into early education. Young students should be learning the basics of language, not being pressured to adopt politically driven narratives.
“We should eliminate this new requirement and empower schools to focus on academic excellence rather than confusing and unnecessary curriculum changes. Let’s keep classrooms about education, not activism.”
The new standards were adopted in 2023 under full Democrat control of state government; the Minnesota Department of Education released the proposal for implementation this month and student testing on these skills is slated to begin in 2026.