All public school children must have equal access to a high quality education regardless of where they live in Minnesota.
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Legislative Update A Communication for Parents and Education Supporters in SEE Districts | May 6, 2011 |
If this is your first Legislative Update from SEE - Welcome!
For those who have been with us through the years - Thank you! SEE publishes this Legislative Update weekly during the legislative session.
Brad Lundell, Executive Director for SEE, writes a blog on almost a daily basis. For up-to-date information about what is happening at the capitol visit Brad's Blog. |
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What's happening at the Capitol
While it's true that the House and Senate acted quickly to move their budget bills through the committee process, the conference committee work has nearly grinded to a halt. With less than three weeks left until the session officially ends on May 23, only the typically non-controversial agriculture omnibus bill has come out of conference committee to advance to the governor for signature. That leaves 6 major budget bills still languishing in conference committees waiting for the members to reconcile the difference between the House and Senate versions.
The education finance conference committee met once this week and couldn't even finalize the agreement to accept the provisions in the House and Senate education finance omnibus bills that had the SAME language. Co-chairs Representative Pat Garofalo (Farmington-R) and Senator Gen Olson (R-Minnetrista) continue to spat over whether the proposed House teacher evaluation and appraisal system or the Senate literacy incentive aid program will best serve to increase student achievement.
The education finance committee met once this week to process the education reform omnibus bill. Several stand-alone education bills were also moved through the committee, most notably HF945 Peterson-R) - the teachers evaluation and appraisal bill. Obviously with this bill's language in the education finance omnibus bill and now proceeding alone, the House is determined to get this passed one way or another. Chair Pat Garofalo was asked if the House had calculated the cost to school districts to implement this major reform. He responded that they did not but acknowledged it would be costly for districts and added that the House is proposing an increase to the formula to address these costs. Unfortunately, the funds used for the formula increase are generated by repurposing dollars meant for mandated special education services!
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When will it end?
Without a compromise, it is likely that the current proposed funding level for K-12 education will not survive and our schools will see significant cuts that will greatly impact the educational opportunities for our children. Can our elected leaders see past the numbers? Will the real children in real classrooms be the casualty of inflexibility and broken promises?
Our DFL governor and the republican majority leaders at the legislature are digging in their heels and the rhetoric is heating up. Although all are saying there is still time to negotiate a final budget agreement, both sides are positioning to blame the other for a very probable special session. The legislature needs to get the budget bills out of conference committees so that negotiations can begin. Minnesotans expect the two sides to sit down, start compromising and get their job done! |
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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.
*Contact your state legislators today. Sending a quick email or making a call now might be the most important thing you do for our schools this year. Don't assume enough other people will respond so you don't have to. If we are apathetic, our children and their educational opportunities will suffer! Click here to find out who represents you. Copy legislative leaders in any emails you may send:
rep.kurt.zellers@house.mn, rep.matt.dean@house.mn, sen.amy.koch@senate.mn, sen.geoff.michel@senate.mn, sen.tom.bakk@senate.mn, rep.paul.thissen@house.mn
*Forward this update on to your friends and ask them to write a letter to their legislators as well! Ask them to sign up to receive SEE's Legislative Updates so they too can be part of our network. In this political world, it is the voice of many that can make a difference. |
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The Commissioner's School Funding Reform Work Group
This work group that is charged with developing recommendations for school finance reform that will be sent to the governor met again this week. Faced with economic reality, the proposal will not include any significant new money so care must be taken that the reform does not create big winners and losers. Tom Melcher, finance director at the Minnesota Department of Education, has crafted a intricately balanced proposal. At this meeting, the work group addressed the following three components of the plan:
1. Additional formula simplifications
2. Basic skills revenue
3. Integration funding
SEE is generally supportive of the proposal and has some concerns regarding the role of the referendum and the referendum cap among other things. However, the work group members are carefully and thoughtfully vetting the proposal and brought up many of SEE's concerns. Hopefully, the final proposal from the working group will produce an even better product.
The current funding system is broken and does not work well, especially for most SEE districts. Although this is the governor's initiative, we hope that the legislature will work with him for true school funding reform so that all children get the resources they need to meet state and federal academic standards and reach their full potential. The timing of the working group's proposal will probably come too late to be addressed this session.
The legislature and the governor need to make school funding reform a top priority for the 2012 legislative session! |
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If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact me.
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Example letters
It's always best to write in your own words but if you are stuck, these samples might get you started. You might find more ideas to add to samples in these Talking Points.
Key messages in your emails can included:
- The current proposed funding for our schools needs to be maintained even through negotiations between the legislative leaders and the governor.
- Please don't buden our schools with more unfunded mandates. Reforms without resources quickly become unfunded mandates.
- The House and Senate are taking dollars meant for special education to fund the formula increases and new reforms. This is very misleading.
- The House and Senate are taking integration dollars to fund formula increases and reform. See if this impacts your district.
Feel free to cut and paste all or portions of any letter. I encourage you to edit a sample letter to reflect your voice. If you are able, add personal stories about how dwindling resources are impacting your children's learning opportunities. Real stories can really impact a legislator! State elected officials are thinking dollars, budgets and bills. We need them to see our children and the good things our schools are doing.
(Fill in you legislators last names in the beginning of the letter and always include your name, address and phone number at the end)
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Dear Representative/Senator,
I wanted to let you know how I appreciate that both the House and the Senate are working to protect education funding. In these difficult economic times, I realize that is hard to do.
Please continue to support the proposed funding for our schools and talk with your colleagues to ask them to do the same.
Also, I do have concerns about the proposed reforms I read about. Won't these really be unfunded mandates since dollars intended for our special education kids are being taken away to fund the reforms?
Sincerely,
Name,
Address
Phone number
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Dear Representative/Senator,
We cannot afford cuts in funding for public education and I am happy to see that both the House and Senate are standing up for our schools in their education finance bills!
We need a well-educated work force for Minnesota's future prosperity. Please continue to support the current funding proposals for our schools. I know that will be challenging but it is vital for the sucess of our students and our state.
Thank you for all you do to serve our community.
Sincerely,
Name,
Address
Phone number
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Dear Representative/Senator,
My concern lies with my child's education. Next year, my [son] will be in [first] grade and it is [his] one chance to be a [first] grader. He won't get a do-over when economic times improve. If his class balloons to 40 students and more support is cut once again to our schools, how will [he] ever get the what he needs to succeed academically?
Thanks to the House and Senate for protecting education funding! Clearly, our schools are a priority for you. Please continue to be a champion for the current funding proposals and speak with your leadership to let them know how important our schools are to the people in your district.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Name,
Address
Phone number
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