Republican legislators serving on the House Education Policy Committee voted to advance legislation that would repeal a state law which requires Minnesota public schools to provide “ethnic studies” in elementary, middle school, and high school levels.
Every 10 years, social studies standards for K-12 public schools are reviewed and updated by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). In 2020, MDE assembled a committee tasked with revising the standards. During this process, a new category called “ethnic studies” was drafted for inclusion in the state’s social studies standards.
According to MDE, “ethnic studies” will ask students to “Analyze the ways power and language construct the social identities of race, religion, geography, ethnicity and gender. Apply these understandings to one’s own social identities and other groups living in Minnesota, centering those whose stories and histories have been marginalized, erased or ignored.”
For example, according to the standards’ corresponding benchmarks, kindergartners will be asked to “Retell a story about an unfair experience that conveys a power imbalance.” Fourth-graders will be asked to “Explain the role that stereotypes and images based on race, religion, geography, ethnicity and gender play in the construction of an individual’s/group’s identity.”
Fifth-graders will be asked to “Analyze anti-colonial and anti-racist resistance movements of culturally, racially and ethnically diverse people throughout the world.”
Additionally, high-school students will be asked to “Investigate how the establishment of the Minnesota and U.S. government upheld and violated ideas of freedom, equality and justice for individuals and groups” and “Examine the construction of racialized hierarchies based on colorism and dominant European beauty standards and values.”
After several drafts and reviews, the new standards were approved in 2024 and will be fully implemented during the 2026-27 school year. Separate from this process, state Democrats passed legislation in 2023 which requires “ethnic studies” to be provided in elementary, middle, and high schools.
Throughout the development of the new standards, Republicans and conservative groups have strongly criticized the “ethnic studies” portion. This week, the new Republican majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives began the process of removing the “ethnic studies” mandate from state law.
Convening Tuesday afternoon, the House Education Policy Committee heard HF 29, a bill to repeal the “ethnic studies” mandate and suspend implementation of the new social studies standards. Authored by Rep. Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, the bill will require school districts to use the social studies standards developed in 2012, which do not include ethnic studies, until new standards are developed following the 2030-31 school year.
Introducing his bill at the committee hearing, Kresha said that Minnesota needs to prioritize academic achievement and “remove the distractions.” Kresha explained that students are not lacking education on social, political, and cultural matters, but instead need to be able to read proficiently and handle math and science problems.
The Republican legislator said teachers know best how to teach their students about various cultural perspectives and the “ethnic studies” mandate steals time away from students. A former teacher himself, Kresha noted that too many students in Minnesota are not able to meet basic academic achievement levels.
After Kresha’s introduction, members of the public were given the opportunity to address the committee regarding HF 29.
Those who supported HF 29 criticized the “ethnic studies” curriculum as a disastrous mistake which hinders teachers, pushes racial discrimination, advances a Marxist agenda, wrongly sorts people into predetermined social categories, and instructs students that the United States is a systemically racist country.
Parent Kofi Montzka testifies in favor of repealing Minnesota’s K-12 ethnic studies requirements:
“People will say that they need to see themselves in the curriculum. No they don’t. They need to learn to read and write.” pic.twitter.com/zvF7P7Iwl6
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) February 19, 2025
Meanwhile, opponents of HF 29 defended the “ethnic studies” standards as inclusive curriculum which encourages empowerment, lets students know they are seen, presents alternative views, provides representation to students who are ethnic minorities, and teaches a more complete view of American history.
DFL legislators followed the public testimony with questions and comments, expressing concerns that HF 29 would result in a restricted version of American history being taught and that delaying new social studies standards would have negative effects.
Kresha indicated that he does not share those two concerns. The GOP legislator told the committee that teachers know best how to teach their students and academic achievement needs to be “front and center.”
Following public testimony and questions from DFL legislators, the committee voted 7-6 to send the bill to the House Education Finance Committee; all Republicans voted to advance the bill, all voting Democrats on the committee opposed the measure.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
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