| | | May 7, 2010
Update for May 7, 2010
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Important Date
May 17: 2009-2010 Legislative Session Adjourns
A Good Read
It’s good to ground oneself in the larger picture once in a while. Tom Gillaspy, along with State Economist Tom Stinson, spoke on October 1 at the 14th annual Minnesota Development Conference, sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Charts accompanying this article were part of their presentation and paint a stark picture of the challenges ahead.
At the Capitol
Supreme Court decision and Federal dollars
$408 million in federal funds, used in the Governor’s budget balancing act, does not look like it will come before May 17, if at all. Cutting $300 million earlier in the session has reduced a $1 billion deficit, but legislators and the Governor can no longer count on this $408 million to reduce the remaining $536 million hole.
The Supreme Court’s decision that Governor Pawlenty overstepped his authority using the unallotment statute places the $1.2 billion school payment shifts back on the table (that’s about $1,200 per student). So: $2.5 billion unallotment in question + $536 million in remaining deficit = $3 billion in a state budget deficit. Governor Pawlenty, “We will balance the budget without raising taxes.” – More on unallotment. –
So what does this mean for our schools?
Schools were in somewhat the same position last year. Without increased revenue, the only way to balance the state budget was by paying next year what was owed schools this year – or cutting that amount from schools. Same thing this year, but with a twist: schools may have to absorb the loss of the hoped for federal $408 million as well, either in further shifting or direct cuts. But will they shift the payments to schools? Or outright cut $1.2 billion? (that’s a cut of $1,200 per student).
If the payment shift is actually placed in statute, not unalloted, it is accounted for and must be paid back when the state has surplus funds. When unalloted it was questionable if, how, or when these funds would come back to our schools. If you’re confused, don’t worry – it is a bit confusing, but not rocket science. We can either raise funds to pay for services, hope for federal funds to pay for services, shift paying what we owe for services to a future time, or cut. Stay tuned….
Omnibus Bills ready for prime time?
From this time until May 17, the Capitol is busy 24-7 – seriously! It is not unusual at all to find committees meeting at all hours of the day and night in order to get these bills processed. We will be there to keep you in the loop. Don’t forget you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
The House Education Omnibus Bill (HF 2431) was first rolled out April 26. The Senate unveiled its funding provisions (SF 3063 and SF 3064) – where they cut $14 million – on April 29 and their policy provisions (SF 3189) May 4.
Before Thursday, it was expected that these bills would pass off their respective floors and that the conference committee process might begin over the weekend. But things are getting bumpy. There may not be an education Omnibus bill this year and some are saying that, without placing the $1.2 billion payment shift into law, schools will simply lose that $1,200 per pupil. The House version of the omnibus bill, which has the shifts placed in law, was pulled from House Ways and Means Wednesday night; there is division over alternative teacher licensure and compromise language is being worked on. The Senate bill, which does not mention the shift and has a variety of major policy changes to position Minnesota for Race to the Top grant dollars, is also NOT being heard.
If these bills survive, two extraordinarily different bills will go through the conference committee process. Conferees will be named – five members of the House and five members of the Senate – and their job will be to take two different bills and make them into one that is acceptable to both bodies – by May 17.
Conference committees are terrific committees to watch at work. The first step is for legislative staff to prepare a “side-by-side.” This is a document that compares the two bills provision to provision.
In this issue
Bill Highlights
A few highlights from the bills can provide a flavor of just how different these bills are. If and when these bills are conferred, it should be very interesting.
The House bill, HF 2431 (both funding and policy):
- Codifies (places into statute) the school payment shift as a way to ensure its repayment.
- Includes the New Minnesota Miracle provision for a new funding model for schools, the provision to take effect in 2014.
- Establishes an early graduation achievement scholarship program.
- Provides school board authorization for renewal referendum levies (amended in Taxes to allow for a revocation vote).
- Establishes a state high school algebra end-of-course assessment for students entering grade 8 in 2010-11.
- Requires at least two independent studies at two-year intervals to evaluate the implementation of the requirements of this subdivision (end-of-course testing statutes) and the availability and efficacy of the resources to support and improve student outcomes.
- Requires passage of a reading, writing and math skills exam before being granted an initial teaching license.
- Provides an alternative licensure pathway for teachers.
- Adds physical education to the list of state-required academic standards.
- Establishes an Advisory task force on school desegregation and integration.
The Senate bill, SF 3189 (A-E; currently just policy):
- Establishes a teacher appraisal system task force and a superintendent and principal appraisal system task force.
- Requires each of these task forces, in conjunction with the commissioner of education, to develop an annual review and appraisal system for teachers, superintendents and principals. There are a variety of prescriptive inclusions ensconced in statute that need to be part of that appraisal system.
- Requires the Board of School Administrators to establish requirements for issuance of initial, standard and master principal licensure.
- Requires the Board of Teaching to establish requirements for issuance of initial, standard and master teacher licenses.
- Requires data sharing between Minnesota Department of Education, Board of Teaching and Board of School Administrators to track effectiveness of teachers and principal preparation programs.
- Requires passage of a skills exam in reading, writing and math as a requirement for entrance into a teacher preparation program.
- Defines teachers as “highly effective,” “effective” and “needs improvement” based on evidence that the teacher’s students have experienced “more than one year of growth,” at least one year of growth or less than one year of growth.
- Provides for alternative teacher licensure.
- Adds physical education to the list of state-required academic standards.
- Establishes an Advisory task force on school desegregation and integration.
In this issue
A Look Ahead
Things are changing minute by minute and as each word is typed, it becomes obsolete! If the bills are to move ahead, we need to see passage off the floor, conferees named and conference committee hearings begun. A great many major changes are being considered in these bills and appropriate time is needed for deliberation.
What can I do?
Call your legislators and tell them – at this stage of the game – payment shifts are better than cuts for our schools!
From the Website
Find these articles — and much, much more — at our News & Events page!
In this issue
“Childhood has no rewind: Our children cannot go back to grade school and
get another education when times are better and we all have more to give.
When the playground is empty and the children are gone,
either we will have sacrificed for them, or we won’t."
—from a Parents United poster
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