The House DFL leadership last week announced a plan to fund Greater Minnesota, including two high priority education needs: high-speed broadband Internet expansion and Ag2School tax credits. MREA members identified both of these as top issues for the 2016 legislative session that convenes March 8. This package includes $100 million for high-speed broadband Internet access to rural parts of the state, $50 million in agriculture … Read More
MREA to Speak on Ag2School in Maple River
MREA Executive Director Fred Nolan will speak to farmers and other community members of Maple River on the upcoming legislative session this week at a community meeting organized by the school district. Nolan will share how upcoming legislation could affect the school district and agricultural land taxes. He will outline the Ag2School tax credit aimed at helping address the facility … Read More
National Essay Contest Now Open for Rural Students
The National Rural Education Association (NREA) Foundation announces its annual Essay Contest for students in rural schools across America. Student contestants may participate in three divisions: elementary, middle/junior high, and high school: Grades 3-8 may participate in a written essay contest using the prompt below and the provided rubric. Any student who attends a rural school may participate. Essays must be … Read More
Farmers Can Nominate Schools for STEM Grants
Farmers have until April 1 to nominate local school districts for grants to fund math and science projects that prepare students for increasingly technology-driven careers. Through the “America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education” program, grants of $10,000 and $25,000 from the Monsanto Fund are awarded to rural public school districts across the U.S. to enhance STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programming. … Read More
New and Incumbent Directors Elected to MREA Board
MREA’s membership elected two new and re-elected four incumbent directors to the MREA Board of Directors during the December voting period. The Board also appointed a new Higher Education representative, bringing a total of three new faces to the Board. New Directors Dennis Laumeyer At-Large Representative, South Central Zone Laumeyer is in his third year as Superintendent with Benson Public … Read More
MREA Board Names Kovash President
The MREA Board of Directors named Jeremy Kovash board president. Kovash started his career teaching at Perham Public Schools and currently serves as executive director of Lakes Country Services Cooperative based in Fergus Falls. We recently sat down with Kovash to learn more about his passion for education and goals for MREA in 2016. What led you initially to a career … Read More
Visit MREA at MSBA Convention
MREA members attending the Minnesota School Board Association’s (MSBA) 2016 Leadership Conference this week in Minneapolis are encouraged to stop by and visit with MREA staff at Exhibitor Booth #620. The conference is a great place for MREA members to meet and connect, attracting over 2,000 school leaders from around the state. Visit the MREA to learn more about what’s happening, receive giveaways … Read More
Proposed Achievement and Integration Rules Drew Two Days of Intense Testimony
Minnesota’s revision of the Integration Rules drew a full house at the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) last week for two days of intense testimony. MREA joined a group of articulate and passionate testifiers ranging from law professors, high school students and advocates to parents, teachers and administrators. Among the issues raised were: Should the primary goal be achievement … Read More
Next Steps Following Passage of ESSA
In several settings Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius has said she will be calling together a broad work group of educational stakeholders to consider changes to Minnesota’s accountability plan given the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In some conversations, she has talked of large scale changes and at other times about modest changes so things are … Read More
MREA Starts Strong New Year with 212 Schools
MREA heads into 2016 with a strong increase in overall new members as it prepares for the legislative kickoff in March. In addition to new public school district members, 20 new Associate members, including 4 Empowering level Associate members, have joined MREA during the 2015-16 membership year. MREA now represents 212 districts with more than 225,800 students. View the interactive map of … Read More