All MREA members attending the Minnesota School Boards Association’s (MSBA) 94th Annual Leadership Conference and Exhibit January 15-16 in Minneapolis are encouraged to stop by and visit MREA’s new membership booth. MREA is hosting Exhibitor Booth #620 and looks forward to meeting and greeting members from all around the state. The conference attracts over 2,000 school board members, superintendents, business managers, and school leaders, making … Read More
MREA to Host Meeting on Donut Hole Funding Inequity
MREA districts are invited to attend an information meeting on the “donut hole” on Jan. 16 during the MSBA Leadership Conference in Minneapolis. This meeting aims to discuss the issue with affected districts and prioritize ideas on ways to create equity in the Minnesota K-12 education funding system. The donut hole describes the funding gap between Small Schools Revenue and Location … Read More
Legislative Platform Adopted at Annual Meeting
By Sam Walseth, Director of Legislative Affairs After months of gathering input and feedback from member districts, MREA approved a legislative platform for 2014 and beyond at the annual meeting held at the Annual Conference on November 19. The 2014 platform includes ongoing issues and some new ones stemming from the 2013 E-12 and Tax omnibus bills. The 2013 session produced huge … Read More
Indian Education: A “Call to Action”
By Vernae Hasbargen, MREA Legislative Consultant The crisis is indisputable: Native American students finish high school at half the rate of others, putting Minnesota dead last of the fifty states in their graduation rate. It is statistics like that, plus the fact that Native students comprise only 2 percent of the school-age population but account for 20 percent of Minnesota’s … Read More
MREA Announces Board Candidates
Nine candidates have applied for six open positions on the 2014 MREA Board of Directors. MREA sent ballots last week to all eligible voting members. This year each zone has at least one position that will open in 2014. Ballots were sent specific to a member’s zone and included only candidates vying for vacant positions in that district. The candidates … Read More
So How Are Early Learning Scholarships Working?
By Vernae Hasbargen, MREA Legislative Consultant The legislature successfully increased funding for the state’s poorest four year old children last session by giving their parents a $5,000 scholarship for a high-quality preschool program. If their parent is a teenager, then a child is eligible from birth. It was a long time coming and required a significant change in Minnesota’s political … Read More
What will Minnesota do to increase the teacher supply?
By Vernae Hasbargen, MREA Legislative Consultant Groups like the Business Partnership and the Chamber of Commerce have pushed hard to raise the skill level of teachers and have been successful in gaining legislative approval for tests called the “Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations” (MTLE). Starting in 2010, candidates seeking licensure in Minnesota must pass the MTLE math, reading, and writing tests, … Read More
MREA Presents Awards to Schools, Leaders
MREA recognized innovative programs and leaders serving Greater Minnesota with its annual Profile of Excellence Awards and Distinguished Service Awards. MREA honored St. James Public Schools and Windom Area Public Schools with Profile of Excellence Exemplary Program Awards. Pine River-Backus Public Schools and Pipestone Area Schools received Honorable Mentions. The Profile of Excellence Awards recognize compelling practices at any level of … Read More
Top 10 Schools Increasing Native American Student Performance
The Minnesota Campaign for Achievement Now (MinnCAN) released a “Native American Student Achievement” report and a list of the schools that made the greatest gains with Native students last year. MREA congratulates these schools. Elementary School #1 Parkview in Virginia #2 Churchill in Cloquet #3 King in DeerRiver #4 Central in Bemidji #5 Ogema in Waubun-Ogema-White Earth #6 Washington in … Read More
Schock Receives Service Award
A respected educational leader in Central Minnesota, Rynell Schock has been dedicated to improving literacy instruction in local classrooms through research-based best practices and high quality professional development. As an education specialist at National Joint Power Alliance, Rynell provides leadership in instruction, assessment, curriculum, and student achievement impacting over 250 teachers. She has developed a series of new programs, including … Read More