The beginning of the school year in Minnesota is marked by the appearance of neatly dressed neighborhood kids waiting for their school bus and smiling back-to-school photos posted by proud parents on social media. Every year around this time, communities buzz with anticipation as we send our kids off to school with full backpacks and open minds ready to learn.

Minnesotans are rightfully proud of the public education system in our state, which has consistently ranked above average in terms of K-12 test scores. Having one of the most highly educated populations in the nation gives our state an advantage in job creation, innovation, and economic stability. Many of our students receive a world-class education we should be proud of.

But before we begin another school year expecting our students to continue down the path of high achievement, we would be wise to remember the past does not determine the future, and even great schools won’t stay that way on autopilot. The success of our public school system can be traced back to bold education reforms that gave parents more choices for their kids’ education, including open enrollment options introduced in 1987 and the development of the first charter school in 1991. These free-market reforms have allowed many students to thrive in Minnesota’s education system for the past two decades.

However, with test scores flatlining and a continuing achievement gap that leaves our most vulnerable students behind their peers, it’s time to make some new bold moves to revive Minnesota’s education system. It has become increasingly clear that some state-wide education policies are continually failing students, particularly poor minorities, year after year. The current governor and legislature under one-party Democrat control have done more to harm our students than help them. For example:

1. Every student deserves a wonderful teacher, but Democrats have continually opposed a Republican initiative that would allow school districts to keep great teachers and lay off those who are ineffective. Minnesota is only one of eleven states which forces school districts to use teacher seniority as the only factor in layoff decisions.  This “last in, first out” (LIFO) teacher-tenure policy prioritizes union special interests above the best interests of kids who need effective teachers.

2. Schools are expected to provide students with the basic skills needed to succeed and thrive in college and beyond. But when Gov. Dayton and Democrats voted to eliminate the high school GRAD test, it created a way for students to be pushed out of the school system before they’re prepared for college or their careers, and made a high school diploma essentially worthless. Our state’s future workforce deserves better, especially when current statistics show that 28% of public school graduates already have to take remedial courses to catch up in college.

3. Since great teachers are a pivotal factor in achieving student academic success, Republicans believe that all teachers should demonstrate basic proficiency in reading, writing and math before instructing students in the classroom. The state took another step backward in education when the current legislature scrapped this basic skills requirement for teachers, putting our students at risk of being paired with ineffective teachers and falling behind.

4. Teach for America teachers, typically recent college graduates placed in high-poverty schools, have been shown to be “more effective across the board,” in math instruction, and over 50% continue teaching in Minnesota after their TFA commitment ends. But Governor Dayton vetoed funding for TFA after teacher unions came out in opposition to the non-union jobs. Students in underperforming schools lost this opportunity to be instructed by highly effective TFA teachers when special interests took priority once again.

5. Parents, teachers, and elected school boards know what’s best for their students, but the state legislature continues to impose one-size-fits-all on our schools. One example is a new requirement that allows the state Commissioner of Education to take authority over 2% of a school district’s budget if the state deems necessary. The rules for school referendums were also altered to allow school districts to raise the local property tax levy by $300 per pupil without taxpayer approval. When schools become less accountable to families who live in the district, confidence in public schools erodes, and our kids suffer.

Recent increases in state education spending have been widely celebrated, but that until that money positively impacts our kids’ education in a measurable way, the celebration is premature. As we’ve seen with several Minneapolis public schools, it’s possible to spend twice as much and still deliver the worst results in the state.

As this school year kicks off, we can take pride in Minnesota’s previous accomplishments in education. However, we also need to reverse the damage done to our schools by Governor Dayton and his legislature, and continue to advocate for creative, innovative new education reforms that offer a path toward high achievement for all Minnesota students.