Register by August 1 For Early Bird Conference Discount

mreaadminEarly Learning

Register through Saturday, Aug. 1 to receive the Early Bird savings on your 2015 MREA Annual Conference registration fee. Teams of 3 people from the same member organization can attend Great Beginnings: When Learning Starts Early, Inspires, & Applies for only $495 per team – a member savings of $150. Register today. Every year, MREA receives high marks on its annual … Read More

Registration Opens Today for Annual Conference

mreaadminEarly Learning, Opportunity Gap

The 2015 Annual Conference focuses on Great Beginnings: When Learning Starts Early, Inspires, & Applies with an excellent line up of general sessions  and breakouts designed for teachers, administrators and school board members. Register a team of three for only $495 to attend the three-day conference by Aug. 7. The conference will be held from Nov. 15-17 at Cragun’s Resort on the Lake in … Read More

MDE Releases Look Up Table on Impacts

mreaadminAchievement Gap, Assessment and Accountability, Balance Local Control, Capitol Insider Blog, Career and College Readiness, Early Learning, Facility Fallout, Opportunity Gap, Other Rural Issues, Quality Teachers

Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) just released the FY ’16 and ’17 runs and look up table based on the results of the 2015 special session signed education bill. MREA downloaded the report and makes it easily accessible here: View the impact on your school. School districts can see the financial impact the bill has on their respective districts by putting their … Read More

Governor Signs E-12 Bill into Law

mreaadminAchievement Gap, Assessment and Accountability, Balance Local Control, Capitol Insider Blog, Career and College Readiness, Early Learning, Facility Fallout, Opportunity Gap, Other Rural Issues, Quality Teachers

The special session of the Minnesota Legislature ended over the weekend and the Governor Dayton has signed all of the special session bills into law. The E-12 bill, now Chapter 3 of the 2015 Special Session (SS HF 1 for those who want to look it up) provides $525 million for E-12 schools over the next two years. View details by issue. Overall the … Read More

New, Improved E-12 Bill Unveiled

mreaadminAchievement Gap, American Indian, Assessment and Accountability, Balance Local Control, Capitol Insider Blog, Career and College Readiness, Early Learning, Facility Fallout, Opportunity Gap, Quality Teachers

On Friday, a new and improved $525 million E-12 bill emerged for approval during an upcoming special session. This bill includes 2&2 on the formula, more money in existing early learning programs like scholarships and school readiness and a major expansion of American Indian Education funding. Statewide access to an equalized levy for deferred maintenance funding stayed in the final … Read More

Special Session Plans

mreaadminAchievement Gap, Assessment and Accountability, Balance Local Control, Capitol Insider Blog, Career and College Readiness, Early Learning, Facility Fallout, Opportunity Gap, Quality Teachers

On Friday, the House Ways & Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee held a joint hearing to review four bills that are paving the way to a special session. Included in this package of bills is the new and improved E-12 bill that contains $525 million in new spending on a variety of education initiatives over the next two years. The … Read More

Talks Continue: Universal Pre-K Dead

mreaadminAchievement Gap, Assessment and Accountability, Balance Local Control, Capitol Insider Blog, Career and College Readiness, Early Learning, Facility Fallout, Opportunity Gap, Other Rural Issues, Quality Teachers

An agreement on the outstanding education issues is elusive after Gov. Mark Dayton and House Speaker Kurt Daudt met four days in a row last week. One thing Gov. Dayton and Speaker Daudt agreed to quickly is that the Special Session would be held in the State Office Building. Several hearing rooms are large enough to hold each body, it is … Read More

GOP Counters Dayton's K-12 Education Offer

mreaadminAchievement Gap, Assessment and Accountability, Balance Local Control, Capitol Insider Blog, Career and College Readiness, Early Learning, Facility Fallout, Opportunity Gap, Other Rural Issues, Quality Teachers

The GOP on Friday afternoon countered Gov. Mark Dayton’s initial proposal for a K-12 education agreement for a special session. View the Governor’s priorities. The GOP’s offer includes starting with HF844 as vetoed and add: $125 million additional spending for FY 16/17 for: Formula to 2 percent increase each year (2&2) Increase School Readiness Funding by $21.5 million (for total of … Read More

Gov. Dayton Shares Priority List

mreaadminAchievement Gap, Assessment and Accountability, Capitol Insider Blog, Career and College Readiness, Early Learning, Facility Fallout, Opportunity Gap, Other Rural Issues

Gov. Mark Dayton shared his priority list for K-12 education, totaling $250 million in funding. The list comes after Dayton vetoed the E-12 bill approved by the Minnesota Legislature in an effort to gain support for universal Pre-K.  Many of the priorities listed by the governor also were included in the Conference Committee Report. Governor’s Priorities Here’s a breakdown of … Read More

Ed Organizations Agree to Special Session Priorities

mreaadminAchievement Gap, Assessment and Accountability, Balance Local Control, Capitol Insider Blog, Early Learning, Facility Fallout, Opportunity Gap, Other Rural Issues, Quality Teachers

MREA and five other Minnesota education organizations met last week and all agreed to four talking points to guide the special session negotiations in St. Paul. Start with the Conference Report HF 844 and add to it to HF 844 Increase the formula to at least 2% and 2% For early learning, start with School Readiness and phase in additional Pre-K Resolve … Read More