The U.S. Forest Service announced last week that it plans to begin an environmental impact study of the proposed land swap of 30,000 acres of school trust lands inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) for federal forest land outside the BWCAW. MREA along with other educational organizations has been working on this issue for over five years. The land swap would … Read More
Spurring Investment in Next-Generation Broadband
Technology has become a key component in educating today’s students. Yet in rural Minnesota, broadband access remains sparse. MREA is working alongside the Blandin Foundation to address this. In the monthly webinar, “Advocacy Groups — Who Are They?” hosted August 13 by the foundation, they discuss how to spur investment in next-generation broadband infrastructure while engaging communities to adopt next generation … Read More
Conference Breakouts Promise Practical Ideas
MREA announced today the breakout sessions for the 2015 Annual Conference. The 30 sessions feature experts from inside and outside the classroom, providing practical insight and ideas on everything from early learning and career readiness to parent engagement and professional development. Great Beginnings: When Learning Starts Early, Inspires and Applies offers plenty of networking and development opportunities for a diverse audience of teachers, administrators, … Read More
Share Voice at Area Meetings
MREA invites all its members to attend an Area Meeting this August and September to share their voice on issues important to their school district. Area Meetings start Tuesday in Walker and Wednesday in Virginia. Every fall MREA’s advocacy staff hits the road to gather input from MREA members. We review outcomes from the last legislative session, preview upcoming issues, and help members understand how their districts are impacted. Check out … Read More
Addressing the Dropout Challenge in Rural America
The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network recently hosted a webcast that focused on how communities in rural America are in major transition as leaders confront the realities of significant social, cultural, and economic shifts. Their August 11 episode, “Public Schools at the Crossroads: Addressing the Dropout Challenge in Rural America,” focused on how public schools today are at a crossroads as they try to … Read More
Contact Congress During August Recess
August is a good time to contact Minnesota’s members of Congress regarding reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), School Nutrition, and other Federal topics affecting schools and students. The National Rural Education Advocacy Coalition (NREAC) has released a comprehensive update of pending federal legislation and advocating for rural schools. Learn more. Here is contact information for Minnesota’s Congressional … Read More
MREA Hosts Webinar on American Indian Funding
MREA hosted a webinar August 13 to help member school leaders learn about the new American Indian (AMI) education aid funding formula. This funding legislation, passed during Minnesota’s 2015 legislative special session, makes 61 MREA member districts eligible for new, increased, or stabilized AMI aid formula funding. Read more about the AMI funding passed in the legislative special session. The online meeting was lead by Dennis Olson, … Read More
Facility Fallout: Facility & Technology Equity
While the legislature took a major step forward in 2015 to assist rural districts with long term maintenance needs, most rural districts face major hurdles to building new or remodeling old facilities due to tax base issues related to agricultural production land values. In addition to facility maintenance, construction and remodeling costs, rural district leaders have cited improving school technology … Read More
Early Learning
MREA has long supported early learning and it is among the top issues for the 2016 legislative session. A 2003 report from Art Rolnick of the Federal Reserve Bank changed the debate over the value of early childhood education. It estimates that dollars invested in high-quality preschool education for disadvantaged kids paid an inflation-adjusted 16 percent return. View a brief … Read More
Teacher Development & Evaluation
MREA has a long-standing platform position promoting teacher quality and availability so the state’s 845,000 students have highly qualified licensed teachers. View printer-friendly brief on this issue. Where We Stand The state directed school districts in 2014 to implement a teacher evaluation and development plan (TDE). The 2014 Legislature spent $302 per teacher in one-time money for districts that don’t participate … Read More