Promises of increased education funding, more school accountability and greater respect for educators are emerging from his year's gubernatorial campaign. Three of the four major candidates for governor outlined their positions Friday, during a Minnesota School Boards Association meeting in Bloomington.

	DFL gubernatorial candidate Roger Moe. (MPR Photo/Tim Pugmire)

Education is traditionally one of the top issues in the Minnesota governor's race. The Minnesota School Boards Association's annual summer seminar provided the first opportunity for this year's field of candidates to focus all their attention on public schools.

Green Party candidate Ken Pentel, however, did not stray far from his main campaign themes of economic justice, sustainable energy and health care reform. He says solving those problems will result in more money for public education.

"First we've got to take the overall society - reduce the stress and the tension. Then what we do is - yes - fully fund the schools. Because that's a natural investment in our society that flowers into great things down the road. Good economics in the state of Minnesota are a natural byproduct of a good education," Pentel said.

Last November, a record 188 school districts asked local voters to provide additional tax support. Dozens of districts that failed to pass levy referendums will try again this fall.

The DFL candidate for governor, Roger Moe, says bad fiscal policy forced districts to seek taxpayer help. He says the 2001 Legislature made a mistake by switching from property taxes to sales and income taxes to pay for school funding.

	Green Party candidate Ken Pentel. (MPR Photo/Tim Pugmire)

"Now more than ever, school districts' economic fortunes are tied to the state's economic fortunes. You have less and less flexibility," Moe said. "And so if you're going to take away that flexibility, which this policy did, then the state has to stand behind it's committment and provide the resources."

Moe took the unusual step of offering to campaign this fall on behalf of levy referendums in any school district that asks him to help.

Republican candidate Tim Pawlenty is promising a boost in education spending as well. But he's also proposing a radical overhaul of the entire K-12 funding system in Minnesota. He wants to pick about a dozen school districts for a pilot project that would distribute state money based on actual expenses, rather than the current per-pupil formula.

Pawlenty also set himself apart from his opponents on the issue of Minnesota's high school graduation standards. He's the only candidate advocating a repeal of the Profile of Learning. Pawlenty says the show-what-you-know system doesn't give teachers room to teach.

"It's a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. We need to make sure that the state has some sense of standards about what we expect children to know," Pawlenty said. "But we need to allow educators and school boards to undertake the art of teaching - to get there in the best way that they can, based on their knowledge and particular circumstances in their district."

	Republican Tim Pawlenty. (MPR Photo/Tim Pugmire)

Roger Moe says he'd favor giving districts more flexibility with the graduation standards. Ken Pentel says he supports the show-what-you-know concept and offered no suggestions for changes.

Pawlenty and Moe both pointed to what they saw as shortcomings of the Ventura administration. They generated the loudest applause after pledging to appoint an education commissioner who will be an advocate for public schools.

After more than an hour of discussion, many school board members said they weren't fully satisfied with the candidate responses. Terry Morrow from St. Peter says he wanted to here more specifics on how they'd increase education funding, and where the money would come from.

"I think they recognize that cost control has to occur, and they're trying to deal with a failing or problematic state budget," said Morrow. "So, for example, should they advocate tax increases in order to pay for education? The state simply is not providing school districts with enough money to meet its basic educational programs."

MSBA officials say they invited Independence Party candidate Tim Penny to the forum, but a scheduling conflict prevented him from participating.

The candidates for governor get another chance to focus on education issues Sept. 20, during a forum in St. Paul sponsored by the Alliance for Student Achievement.