The House and Senate are each bringing finance and policy proposals that MREA supports to end of session negotiations. Here’s a snapshot of some of the provisions, organized by the issues outlined on MREA’s 2016 legislative platform: Facility Fallout The House tax cut package contains an Agricultural school bond credit of 50 percent. MREA is in strong support of this … Read More
MREA Opens Call for Conference Presenters
MREA welcomes dynamic presenters to share best practices, solutions, and research at our 2016 Annual Conference: Making Teaching Matter. Expectations for today’s professional teachers are redesigning teaching and making it a more demanding profession. Research continues to demonstrate that great teaching is more important than ever to student achievement. Presenters will have the opportunity to positively impact more than 300 … Read More
National Teacher to Keynote "Making Teaching Matter"
Sarah Brown Wessling, National Teacher of the Year, has been selected as the keynote speaker for MREA’s 2016 Annual Conference. The conference will focus the theme, “Making Teaching Matter.” It will be hosted November 13-15 at Cragun’s Resort near Brainerd. Why “Making Teaching Matter?” Expectations for today’s professional teachers have redesigned teaching and made it a more demanding profession. Research continues to demonstrate that … Read More
National Teacher to Keynote “Making Teaching Matter”
Sarah Brown Wessling, National Teacher of the Year, has been selected as the keynote speaker for MREA’s 2016 Annual Conference. The conference will focus on the theme, “Making Teaching Matter.” It will be hosted November 13-15 at Cragun’s Resort near Brainerd. Why “Making Teaching Matter?” Expectations for today’s professional teachers have redesigned teaching and made it a more demanding profession. Research continues to … Read More
House Releases Budget, Senate to Follow
The House GOP released its E-12 target late last week with a focus on one-time funding. The Senate will follow with its plan this week. The House Plan The House proposal focuses on creating $53 million in one-time funding by offering favorable refinancing of facility debt for several Capital Loan districts. The plan assumes seven districts will take advantage of this … Read More
Governor’s Budget Focuses on Early Learning, Teacher Recruitment
The Governor’s Supplemental Budget focuses 95 percent of the $39 million in ongoing appropriations on early learning and teacher recruitment. The centerpiece is a $25-million voluntary, formula funded at .6 APU, 350 hours per year PreK program for four year olds. Next in line is a $12 million for teacher recruitment programs for teacher candidates from under-represented populations and para-professionals in … Read More
Governor's Budget Focuses on Early Learning, Teacher Recruitment
The Governor’s Supplemental Budget focuses 95 percent of the $39 million in ongoing appropriations on early learning and teacher recruitment. The centerpiece is a $25-million voluntary, formula funded at .6 APU, 350 hours per year PreK program for four year olds. Next in line is a $12 million for teacher recruitment programs for teacher candidates from under-represented populations and para-professionals in … Read More
Senate Education Committees Review 3 Key Bills
The Senate E-12 and Higher Education Committees heard bills last week on loan forgiveness, debt service, and additional funding for intermediate school districts and other school cooperatives serving certain children with disabilities. Loan Forgiveness Senate’s Higher Education Chair Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) on Tuesday heard a bill that would fund the state’s newly created loan forgiveness program for teachers that was established … Read More
Education Omnibus Bills Introduced: How They Compare
After three packed weeks of bill introductions and testimony, both the House and Senate Omnibus Education Policy Bills passed out of committee for their first deadline. HF 3066 DE and SF 2744 A5 are designed to include policy changes that do not have state-level cost impacts. View side-by-side comparison of bills. Some of the more significant proposed policy changes include: Personal … Read More
Bill Presented to Help Paras Receive Special Ed Licensure
The House Education Finance Committee on Wednesday heard a bill that would create pathway to be licensed in special education teaching for current paraprofessionals. HF3427 authored by Rep. Chris Swedzinski (R-Ghent), would establish a pilot project in partnership with Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota, the surrounding school districts, and the Southwest-West Central Service Cooperative. This program would be available online, on evenings, … Read More