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Update for March 9-13, 2009 — From Mary Cecconi, Executive Director

What is Happening at the Capitol?
Senate targets have been released! This means the Senate leadership has decided how much each division will have to "spend" out of the state budget. You will notice that education is REDUCED by 7%. That works out to be about $1 Billion. The committee chairs within each division -- in our case E-12 education -- must stay within those limits. You can be sure this will be topic of conversation at our Summit on Monday.

The bills being heard this week have far reaching implications: Charter school legislation (HF 935), alternative graduation means created for students (HF 501), the establishment of a P-20 Education Partnership (HF 106), the re-establishment of a state board of education (HF 466), and a bill for early childhood education (HF 1411); funding various early, community, and adult education programs; and appropriating money for these initiatives.

HF 935 had its genesis in the charter school report done by the Office of Legislative Auditor (OLA). It provides greater oversight of charter schools and the process for becoming an "authorizer" ("authorizer" is the new term for "sponsor" of a charter school). A true difference of opinion was expressed as an amendment was added, then removed in a subsequent committee. The amendment dealt with traditional public school building closures and charter schools who may wish to lease those facilities.

Another area of deep discussion was the present GRAD requirement for graduation HF 501. Current law requires this year's high school junior class to pass the GRAD in order to receive a diploma. Should there be a transition built into current law? Would it be "lowering expectations" if this were done? The rise of high stakes tests has this conversation taking place all across the country. There appears to be little research that supports the idea that high stakes graduation tests increase student achievement.

HF 466 calls for the re-establishment of a Minnesota State Board of Education. Minnesota had a state board of education in one form or another since 1913. In the late 1990s, it was abolished by the legislature and then Governor Carlson. Many of the representatives at the table had no idea that this had occurred and that this left Minnesota as the only state in the union without a state school board or an elected commissioner. Wisconsin, the other state without a state school board, elects their state superintendent. In Minnesota, our commissioner is appointed by the Governor.

The conversation surrounded the reason for the abolition and the duties of a state board of education. Rep. Carlson stated that he is carrying the bill to ensure public access and provide stability for a results-oriented system of governing our public schools. Commissioner Alice Seagren testified in opposition to the re-establishment, stating that the duties of a state board were in the purview of the legislature and that they can and should perform them. She opposed a state school board saying it would provide another layer of bureaucracy and complicate the process.

And the Senate this week took up SF 314, the bill that has taken hold because of Frazee-Vergas school district. Like many bills that come this far it begins with a story.

All of the above mentioned bills have moved on to their next step in becoming law.

In this issue

A Look Ahead
The conversations have been very intense and interesting this week, and so many committee hearings were unable to finish their entire agendas. Several bills that needed to be held over will be heard in the coming weeks. Two that are of particular interest are HF 1186, a bill that establishes a center for research/analysis to provide legislators with information to make fully informed policy decisions, and SF 851 which establishes the Minnesota Reading corps program.

In this issue