Legislative Update from SEE

The House passed phase 1 of their budget plan which would reduce the deficit by $1 billion (See how they voted). The Senate plans to pass a similar bill next week. A conference committee will work out the difference between the two bills and leadership hopes to have the final bill on the governor's desk before February 15^th. The bill trims approximately $800M of the $6.2 billion deficit by making permanent Governor Tim Pawlenty's unallotments that were temporarily extended last session.

In a usual move, the bill also requires the governor to reduce $200M from the current fiscal year with only six month remaining. AP reports that those savings will require some very difficult cuts to previously approved funding in areas such as disaster aid to communities ravaged by floods and tornadoes last year, emergency grants for veterans and financial aid for college students already starting their spring semesters.

Governor Dayton criticized the plan but did not say he would veto it. He is asking the legislature to provide a comprehensive budget reduction plan and not deliver it piecemeal.

Education Mandate Relief

A mandate relief bill was passed in the Senate Committee on Education. SF56 includes the following provisions:

1. A two year, statewide wage freeze for all school personnel.

2. Elimination of the penalty to school districts if teacher and other personnel contracts are not settled by January 15^th.

3. Elimination of a maintenance of effort requirements that requires schools to keep the same number of student health personnel including counselors, nurses, psychologists and social workers on staff.

4. Repeal of the requirement to set aside 2% of funding for staff development

The House is approaching mandate relief in pieces. The House Education Reform Committee passed HF92 and HF115 which both repeal the January 15^th teacher contract deadline penalty. The House Education Finance Committee passed HF88 which repeals the maintenance of effort on the student health personnel. HF115 is the only one of the three House bills that has a companion bill in the Senate. I haven't seen a House bill that would remove the 2% set-aside or freeze wages for school personnel but I would expect them soon.

All the mandate relief bills have to travel to various other committees and pass on the floor before a conference committee will determine which mandate relief provisions they will put in one or more final bills to send to the governor.

Ready for College?

Forty percent of the students who graduate from Minnesota's public schools and enter Minnesota's public college and university system need remedial help according to a report reviewed in the House Education Reform Committee.

Only about 30% of all Minnesota public school children go on to receive a 2 or 4 year degree and this percentage has remained pretty steady for over 30 years. This number is alarming due to a recent report that indicates that by 2018, 70% of the jobs in Minnesota will require education beyond a high school diploma. Students, parents and Minnesota's public education institutions need to get serious real quick and determine how we are going to prepare our students to be the workforce required for the 21st global economy.

Teacher Effectiveness

SF40/HF63 - Alternative Teacher Licensure bills continue to move through the legislature. Both have a few more stops in various committees before making it to the floor. A conference committee will convene to work out the differences and create one final bill that will be sent to the governor. The governor has indicated that he supports alternative teacher licensure.

The House Education Reform Committee also heard testimony on a new way to measure teacher effectiveness.

SEE Website

Check out the SEE website for more information.

In Legislative Info and Updates Section:

A continually updated 2011 Education Bills spreadsheet

A continually updated schedule of education committee meetings

On the news page you will find an accumulation of education news stories, many that go into more detail on the issues covered in the Legislative Update.

There's more so check it out!

Also, be sure to check out Brad's Blog for detailed information on what is happening at the Capitol!

What can you do?

The decisions that will most impact our children and their schools are made at the STATE Capitol. Since children can't advocate for themselves, it up to us to be their voice.

Stay informed. Take the time to read SEE Legislative Updates. I will work to keep you informed and will suggest ways that you can help. Be prepared to act at critical times when I send out action alerts. Action can be as simple as sending an email or making a phone call.

Pass these updates on and ask your friends to sign up to receive SEE's Legislative Updates so they too can be part of our network. Now is the time to build a education supporters network so we can respond when critical times occur during the legislative session. In this political world, it is the voice of many that can make a difference.

Contact your state senator and representative to introduce yourself. Now is a great time to send a quick email to your legislators, something as simple as thanking them for taking on the responsibility of representing your community and emphasizing how important education is to you and your family. Click here to find out who represents you.

If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Deb Griffiths

Director of Communications and Community Outreach

Schools for Equity in Education

612-309-0089

deb.griffiths@schoolsforequity.org