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  All public school children must have equal access to a high quality education regardless of where they live in Minnesota.
Legislative Update
A Communication for Parents and Education Supporters in SEE Districts		May 27, 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.
In This Issue
What's happening at the Capitol
Education reform omnibus - where is it?
School funding reform
What can you do?
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What's happening at the Capitol

The 2011 legislative session ended at midnight on Monday.  The republican majority passed an all-cuts budget to eliminate the $5 billion deficit through a series of budget bills.  The DFL governor immediately vetoed the bills including the K-12 education finance bill.  Now each side is claiming that they have beem willing to compromised while the other side has not.  The rhetoric is heating up as a possible government shutdown looms if a budget agreement is not reached by June 30th. 

 

The governor is responsible for calling a special session and he will likely wait until there is some movement on a budget agreement.    The quandary is that if a compromise can be reached between legislative majority leaders and the governor that includes any whiff of a tax increase, the republican majority may not be able to deliver enough votes within their own party.  Several democrats would need to vote with them for the compromise and how this would play out makes for interesting politics. 

Education Reform Omnibus - where is it?

In the final hours of the session, the legislature passed an education reform bill.  The more controversial provisions were removed in conference committee.  Ending social promotion of a third grader who is not proficient in reading was replaced with a focus on literacy plans for struggling students that would require closer evaluation, remediation and parent involvement.  Here is a short summary of the major provisions in the bill along with links for more detailed information.   

 

At this time, the education reform bill has not been presented to the governor.  If it still can be presented, it is not clear if the governor will sign the bill. 

School funding reform

The commissioner's education finance working group released their plan for school funding reform with an executive summary and full report. Overall, the school funding reform proposal incorporates many good provisions.  A key education leader at the legislature immediately dismissed the work.  Read more on the proposal and the criticism.  We need our elected leaders to work together to fix what all parties acknowledge is a flawed funding system.   Continued partisan bickering is not productive.   

 

SEE supports simplifying the formula and reducing the reliance on referendum revenue to fund the very basics in education.   However, concern exists that a proposal in the commissioner's reform will actually increase funding disparity that is based merely on zip code and not student need.    To address the reality of higher costs, metro school districts could reserve $400 per pupil of current referendum revenue in a separate levy account that would be on-going.  This levy account does not count towards the levy cap so those metro districts already at or above the cap could go out for $400 more in referendum revenue.    Across the metro area, some districts have $0 in referendum revenue and some have been grandfathered in above the $1,500 per pupil referendum cap.  The amount of referendum revenue generated for schools is directly proportional to the property wealth of the district.  Is it fair to those students in property poor districts to have less educational opportunities because they don't live in a district with numerous commercial or industrial developments?

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.  
       
*Keep emailing or calling your legislators (just do something!).  It's easy to get caught up in the politics at the Capitol and forget the bigger picture.  They need to hear from the average person in their districts and that's YOU!  Express your opinions on the following points:

·         Get the job done!   

·         Compromise!  None of the issues will change in a special session which is just an unnecessary cost to the taxpayer.

·         Protect education funding.  If we don't invest in our children and their schools today then we won't have the educated workforce to sustain prosperity tomorrow.   

 

This is a critical time!  If we are apathetic, our children and their educational opportunities will suffer!

 

Your email or phone call does matter!  Its the voice of many that can make a difference!

 

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

 

Here is the link to Governor Mark Dayton's contact form.


*Forward this update on to your friends and ask them to contact their legislators as well!  Ask them to sign up to receive SEE's Legislative Updates so they too can be part of our network. 

 

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

www.schoolsforequity.org