|
|
|
Legislative Update A Communication for Parents and Education Supporters in SEE Districts |
February 27, 2009 |
|
If this is your first Legislative Update from SEE - Welcome!
Brad Lundell, Executive Director for SEE, writes a blog on almost a daily basis. For up-to-date detailed information about what is happening at the capitol visit Brad's Blog. | |
|
If this communication was forwarded to you, sign up to receive it directly by clicking on the box below: | |
|
Starting School Before Labor Day
HF195(Norton)/SF22 (Wiger), a compromise bill that would allow school districts to start school before Labor Day for the next two years only was heard in the House education committees. Labor Day is very late in 2009 and 2010 and thus the school year would extend well into mid-June. This bill is being fast tracked with the hope to get it on the Senate and House floor in the early part of the session. The bill was passed in the House K-12 Committee by a vote of 14 to 5 and must be passed out of the Finance Committee before going to the House Floor for a vote. As of now, the Senate has not acted on the bill.
Testifiers spoke both for and against the bill and gave compelling testimony. Those that support the bill cited many reasons including:
- The agrarian calendar is outdated and no longer meets the educational needs of students.
- The school calendar should be left up to local control of the individual districts. Only 3 states have laws requiring schools to begin after Labor Day.
- The long summer break causes summer learning loss. Indeed to increase student achievement, districts should be moving towards year-round learning. Over 50% of the achievement gap is attributable to the summer learning loss.
- Districts are offering innovative joint learning opportunities with Minnesota state colleges and technical schools and want to align school calendars with these institutions that begin before Labor Day.
- Many students participate in extracurricular activities that begin in August so these families already can't travel during the last few weeks of August.
Those that opposed the bill cited:
- Tourism in Minnesota is an $11 billion dollar industry generating 15% of the state sales tax revenue. Many in the hospitality business strongly oppose this bill stating it will cause a severe negative impact to these businesses.
- Most resort owners and small business owner's in resort communities claim they need every one of the "100 days of summer" to remain profitable.
- The summer hospitality market depends on the high school labor force in their businesses.
- The state fair would also be negatively impacted in attendance. Also, the state fair in dominated by rural members with many students participating in 4-H and Future Farmer of America clubs.
| |
Mandate Reduction
With the general consensus within the education committees that education is underfunded and the prospect of additional funding for our schools over the next two years looking pretty slim, there is much talk of mandate reduction. The House established a K-12 Mandate Reduction Work Group, chaired by Rep. Tom Tillberry.
The work group was given a list of over 90 education mandates for review. For various reasons the work group excluded many of those leaving a list of 24 mandates for possible elimination. Four will be included in HF920 (Tillberry). On Monday, the work group heard public testimony in favor or opposition of eliminating the remaining 20 mandates.
The problem with mandate reductions is that there is usually a reason why the mandate exists and, in a perfect world, it would be nice to keep. However, the work group was reminded that this is a time of crisis. Our schools are burdened by unfunded mandates that promote little, if any, student achievement. Should our schools keep spending limited dollars on these mandates or should they spend those dollars in the classroom? The members of the work group need to move this work forward. Unfortunately, the 24 remaining mandates on the list would not provide huge financial savings for our schools but every little bit would help.
Testifying continues this afternoon in a Mandate Reduction Work Group meeting on the remaining 20 mandates. Presumably after today's meeting, more mandates that can be eliminated will be included in an updated version of the HF920 bill which is scheduled to be heard in the House K-12 Policy Committee on Thursday, March 5. |
The Governor's Education Bill
The governor's education proposals have been put in SF836(Stumpf)/HF1172(Garofalo) and is being heard in committee this week and next. I had outlined the content or the provisions in the2009 Governor's Education Budget Summary.
One point I didn't see in the original proposal that is included in the bill is the governor is recommending a state-wide minimum school year. Currently in Minnesota law, the minimum school year was defined as the number of student contact days that a school district offered in the 1996-97 school year. The average school year is 173-174 days, with some districts having 180 days and some offering less than 170 days.
In SF836/HF1172, the school year is defined by hours rather than days. The governor is recommending a minimum school year of 425 hours for Kindergarteners (equivalent to 2.5 hours per day for 170 days), 935 hours for students in grades 1-6 (equivalent to 5.5 hours per day for 170 days), and 1020 hours for grades 7 - 12 (equivalent to 6 hours per day for 170 days).
Using hours instead of days, would allow other school districts to go to a 4 day week like the MACCRAY district in rural central Minnesota. In a cost saving measure, the MACCRAY School district got a waiver from the Department of Education to reduce the number of contact days. The four day week resulted in a savings of 20% in transportation costs along with other savings from closing down the buildings for an additional day each week. |
|
What You Can Do
- Voice your concerns. The Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate, will be holding town hall meetings across our state to hear from Minnesotans on Governor Pawlenty's budget recommendations. Check out the schedule to see when one is near you. They will use these meetings to gauge what is important to Minnesotans. Education supporters need to voice their support for education and encourage state legislators to preserve Minnesota's education system which is Minnesota's greatest asset.
- Attend Parents United's 7th Annual Parent Leadership Summit on Monday March 16 from 8:30 - 3:30. This is an excellent opportunity for parents and education supporter to network with others from across the state and meet with their legislators in the afternoon. If you would like to attend and need help setting up appointments with your legislators, just contact me and I can help. The morning program includes for the first time in one parent-accessible venue, three reports with huge implications for education in Minnesota:
- The Lost Decade, Katherine Blauvelt, Minnesota Budget Project
- Kitchen Table Budget Principles, Jermaine Toney, Organizing Apprenticeship Project
- Smart Investments in Minnesota Students, Angie Eilers, Growth and Justice.
|
|
If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Working together, we can make a difference.
Deb Griffiths
Director of Communications and Community Outreach
Schools for Equity in Education
612-309-0089
|
 |
Upcoming Scheduled Education Committee Meetings
These committee meetings were current when published but schedules are very fluid at the legislature. If you plan on visiting a committee meeting, verify the agenda by clicking on the links below.
In the Senate . . .
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
E-12 Education Budget and Policy Division Chair: Sen. LeRoy A. Stumpf 8:30 a.m. Room 112 Capitol Agenda: Testing and Assessments Thursday, March 5, 2009E-12 Education Budget and Policy Division Chair: Sen. LeRoy A. Stumpf 8:30 a.m. Room 112 Capitol Agenda: S.F. 811 Dille Independent school district #2887, McLeod West; reorganization operating debt bond issue. S.F. 726 Vandeveer Independent school district #831, Forest Lake, fund transfer authorization. S.F. 731 Sheran Independent school district #77, Mankato fund transfer authorization. S.F. 737 Marty Independent school district #282, St. Anthony-New Brighton; fund transfer. S.F. 939 Kubly Independent school district #62, Ortonville; permanent fund transfer. In the House . . .
K-12 Education Finance Upcoming Meetings
TUESDAY, March 3, 2009
2:45 PM Room: 10 State Office Building Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling Agenda: HF1172 (Garofalo) Early childhood and family, prekindergarten through grade 12, and adult education provided. WEDNESDAY, March 4, 20092:45 PM Room: 10 State Office Building Chair: Rep. Mindy Greiling Agenda: HF331 (Nornes) Seat belt requirements amended for motor coaches used in school-related transportation. HF875 (Hortman) State requirement modified for pupil transportation for elementary pupils, and a levy authorized to pay for certain transportation costs. HF896 (Hortman) Locally controlled process defined for establishing hazardous traffic condition pupil transportation zones, and levy authorized for certain hazardous pupil transportation services. K-12 Policy and Oversight Upcoming Meetings
TUESDAY, March 3, 2009
8:30 AM
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: HF935 (Slocum) Charter school provisions modified.
Continuation of previous week's discussion of delete-everything amendment to HF935 Charter school provisions modified. Additional amendments may be offered and discussed. Committee will take final action on the bill.
WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2009
8:30 AM
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: HF553 (Dittrich) Online learning provider requirements modified.
Informational hearing on HF1001 (Demmer) K-12 education state grants authorized to leverage quality improvements, and money appropriated.
THURSDAY, March 5, 2009
8:30 AM
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Carlos Mariani
Agenda: HF920 (Tillberry) Education; obsolete and unneeded mandates removed.
HF1037 (Swails) Home school mandates reduced.
|
Committee Deadlines
Deadlines Set: It may seem like minutae, but the legislative deadlines often play a huge role in how the business of the legislature unfolds, especially near the end of session. This year, with the major budget challenges facing the state, the deadlines will likely take on even greater importance.
The deadlines are as follows:
First Deadline--Friday, March 27: Last day for policy committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin (in English, last day for Senate policy committees to act on Senate Files and House policy committees to act on House Files).
Second Deadline--Tuesday, April 7: Last day for policy committees in either body to act favorably on bills or companions of bills that met the first deadline in the other house (in English, House policy committee may act upon HF XX if SF YY met the first deadline in the Senate).
Third Deadline--Thursday, April 16: Last day for House and Senate budget divisions to act favorably on omnibus education funding bills (This is the one the education community watches most closely, as Senator Stumpf and Representative Greiling will have to have the omnibus K-12 bills out of their divisions no later than this day).
Fourth Deadline--Wednesday, April 22: Last day for Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee to act favorably on an omnibus appropriations and tax bills.
Fifth Deadline--Thursday, May 7: Conference committee reports on omnibus appropriations and tax bills must be reported to the floor. This is new for this year and will give the Legislature nine working days to pass their major funding and tax bills and send them to the Governor for signature or veto. | |
|
|
|
