Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) stuck his foot in his mouth again this week when he tried to criticize Elon Musk by referencing the company’s stock price. The failed Democratic vice presidential candidate gloated about Tesla’s stock, commenting that he enjoyed seeing its price plunge.
“On the iPhone, they’ve got that little stock app,” Walz said during a recent event. “I added Tesla to it to give me a little boost during the day. $225 and dropping!”
But if the Minnesota governor enjoys things that plummet, he should look no further than the academic performance of schools in his state since he took office. And if Walz finds challenging economic and fiscal matters humorous, he will get a real hoot out of the return on the investment of the billions of dollars he authorized in government spending on education.
For example, on Walz’s website, the $2.3 billion education budget he signed into law is highlighted as an accomplishment as “the single-largest investment in public education in state history.” Yet, since Walz became governor in 2019, Minnesota’s student standardized testing scores in reading and math have plummeted, with the majority of “K-12 students not meeting grade-level standards in both subjects.”
Furthermore, Minnesota’s decline in school performance under Walz correlates with the state’s sizable increase in education spending. Minnesota now spends $15,730 per student in its public school system, significantly more than the state spent before Walz was governor.
Under his leadership, the state has spent more for students to do worse. The American Experiment analyzed Minnesota’s failing school performance under Walz. Its study revealed that in 2015, the state was ranked sixth best in the country, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In 2019, Walz’s first year in office, it fell to 10th. In 2024, Minnesota’s school performance tumbled to 19th.
Next, consider the proficiency rates in reading and math for Minnesota’s fourth and eighth grade students since Walz became governor.
In 2022, the most recent year data was available, three years into his gubernatorial term, Minnesota’s standardized testing revealed that only 41% of fourth grade students were proficient in math. Minnesota’s fourth grade reading test scores fell below the national average. Furthermore, only 32% of Minnesota fourth graders tested proficient in reading. Both were drops from 2019.
Walz’s education disaster was even worse with older students. In 2022, only 32% of eighth grade students were proficient in math. For reading, the scores were worse, with only 30% of eighth grade students proficient in this subject despite being on the verge of attending high school. Similar to the fourth grade students referenced above, both percentages dropped since Walz was elected.
The education carnage under Walz did not end there. In 2023, 78 public schools in Minnesota had “zero students in at least one entire grade level were rated ‘proficient’ in reading or math” in statewide assessments.
WALZ CELEBRATED TESLA STOCK DOWNFALL — MINNESOTA OWNS OVER 1 MILLION SHARES
Obviously, these are horrific stats for a former school teacher and someone who champions himself as an educator. He’s been a complete failure as governor, and his state’s students have suffered as a result. Walz should download an app about his state’s inability to achieve proficiency in rudimentary skills instead of worrying about Tesla’s stock.
As for boosts, the failed vice presidential candidate should try boosting Minnesota’s student performance.