This story was produced as part of ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2026 Capitol Reporting Workshop for Minnesota youth, with financial support from the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.
For Hennepin County Commissioner and former state representative Heather Edelson, the struggle for literacy is not merely a policy objective—it is a deeply personal mission. Growing up, Edelson navigated the educational system with undiagnosed dyslexia, a hurdle that turned the simple act of reading into an exhausting daily ordeal.
"I didn’t really read well until probably late middle school," Edelson recalled. "It was really challenging."
Edelson’s childhood experience serves as the human backdrop for a broader, systemic crisis in Minnesota. For over a decade, the state has grappled with a steady decline in reading proficiency. According to data from Compass Education, third-grade literacy rates have plummeted from nearly 56% in 2013 to approximately 46% today. This decline has spurred a legislative overhaul known as the READ Act, a policy shift that has sparked intense debate, transformed classroom instruction, and laid bare the partisan fault lines of the Minnesota Capitol.
The Genesis of the READ Act
When Edelson was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018, she brought a critical eye to the state’s education statutes. She found the existing "Read Well by Third Grade" law insufficient, arguing that it focused too narrowly on a single milestone rather than fostering a continuous, robust developmental pipeline for literacy.
The political landscape shifted dramatically following the 2022 midterms, when the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party secured full control of the state government. Seizing the opportunity to overhaul the system, Edelson partnered with Sen. Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley, to author the READ Act.
The drafting process was not merely about pedagogy; it was about equity. As the bill took shape, educators raised concerns that existing curricula were not only ineffective but culturally insensitive. Some materials in circulation featured inaccurate and stereotypical depictions of African American and Native American children, prompting legislators to prioritize inclusive and accurate resources in the new framework.
In 2023, Gov. Tim Walz signed the original READ Act into law, backed by a $70 million appropriation aimed at helping schools transition to evidence-based instruction and specialized teacher training.
A Chronology of Reform: From READ Act 1.0 to 2.0
The implementation of the READ Act was swift but iterative. Following the initial rollout, legislators maintained an open channel of communication with educators across the state. This feedback loop revealed a need for further refinement, leading to the 2024 passage of the "READ Act 2.0."
The updated version addressed gaps identified by teachers, primarily by increasing funding for professional development. While the first iteration established the baseline for science-based literacy, the 2.0 version emphasized the practical application of phonics-based instruction.
"They get it. They get the rules," said Julie Cronin, a second-grade teacher in the Robbinsdale school district. Cronin has been a vocal proponent of the shift, noting that programs like "Bridge to Read" and "LETRS" have revolutionized how she teaches word study. By moving away from older, less structured methods and toward a model that teaches students how to break apart words and synthesize sounds, teachers report that students are reaching milestones with newfound confidence.
Data and Disparities: Measuring Success
The urgency behind the READ Act is rooted in sobering data. The drop to a 46% proficiency rate has been described by many in the education sector as a "literacy emergency."
Proponents of the READ Act argue that the shift to structured literacy—a pedagogical approach rooted in the "science of reading"—is the only way to reverse the decline. By focusing on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, the state is attempting to move away from "balanced literacy" models that critics argue left too many students behind, particularly those with learning disabilities like dyslexia.
Senate Education Policy Committee Chair Steve Cwodzinski, DFL-Eden Prairie, has been a frequent visitor to classrooms since the act’s implementation. His anecdotal evidence mirrors the optimism of proponents.
"When we visit grade schools and you see the kids reading words that I didn’t know until I was in college, it’s kind of amazing, so it’s working," Cwodzinski said.
However, the road to improvement is long. While the $70 million investment provides the infrastructure for change, advocates argue that teacher preparation programs in higher education must also adapt to ensure that new teachers enter the workforce already proficient in these structured literacy methods.
The GOP Pushback: The Case for Intervention
Despite the progress touted by the DFL, the READ Act remains a point of contention. Republican lawmakers have expressed skepticism that the current law goes far enough to address students who continue to struggle.
Sens. Michael Holmstrom, Jordan Rasmusson, and Julia Coleman have introduced the "READ Act Interventions bill," a proposal that seeks to add a layer of accountability that critics of the current law argue is missing. The proposed legislation would require public schools to create individualized learning plans for any student failing to meet grade-level benchmarks. Most controversially, the bill would mandate that schools consider holding students back a grade if it is determined to be in their "best interest."
Sen. Holmstrom argues that the current approach risks passing students through the system without the necessary foundation, setting them up for failure as the complexity of schoolwork increases in later grades.
"They’re not going to keep up if we let them," Holmstrom said, noting that he has spoken with teachers who believe that, in some instances, grade retention is a necessary tool that the current policy explicitly avoids.
Implications: The Debate Over Retention
The disagreement over the Interventions bill highlights a fundamental divide in educational philosophy. On one side, proponents of the current READ Act—including Edelson—argue that holding students back is a damaging practice.
Edelson’s opposition to the Republican proposal is personal. Having been held back in the third grade herself, she maintains that retention is not a panacea for literacy struggles and can cause lasting social and emotional harm to a child’s development. She deliberately excluded retention mandates from her original bill, favoring instead a model of intensive, immediate support for struggling readers.
Educators are similarly divided. Mackenzie Mohen-VonAhnen, a teacher at Centennial Elementary in Richfield, warns that the focus on retention ignores the research surrounding student well-being.
"That would be harmful for students, you know, like, mentally and socially," Mohen-VonAhnen said. She argues that instead of retention, schools need to focus on providing consistent, high-quality interventions that allow students to catch up within their current cohort.
The Future of Minnesota Literacy
As the Minnesota Legislature remains closely divided, the path forward for literacy policy is uncertain. While the READ Act has undeniably transformed the classroom experience for many, the debate over how to handle the "left-behind" students persists.
The current political climate suggests that the READ Act Interventions bill faces an uphill battle. Even supporters of the GOP proposal acknowledge that with the current balance of power in the Capitol, the bill is unlikely to pass during this session.
Yet, the conversation sparked by these competing visions is far from over. Whether through additional funding, teacher training, or legislative mandates, the state’s focus on literacy remains the central pillar of its education agenda. For students like the young Heather Edelson—who struggled in silence for years—the ongoing debate represents a fundamental shift in how the state views its obligation to every learner.
As Minnesota continues to test the efficacy of the READ Act, the focus will likely remain on balancing the need for rigorous standards with the necessity of supporting the emotional and social well-being of its students. The goal, ultimately, is to ensure that no child faces the same barriers that once hindered a young girl in Hennepin County, and that the state’s proficiency rates return to, and eventually exceed, the levels of a decade ago.
The story of the READ Act is still being written, and for Minnesota’s educators, policymakers, and students, the next chapter will be defined by whether they can find common ground in the shared pursuit of a more literate future.
