AASA just released it’s latest Economic Impact survey that calls for input on sequestration and job cuts. Please take a few moments to complete it. AASA plans to use this survey in an organized, cooperative advocacy campaign. The FAA was able to make a case to Congress that sequestration was bad policy. By collecting the job cuts data, providing AASA … Read More
Bullying Debate on House Floor Monday
By Sam Walseth, MREA Lobbyist Anti-bullying legislation has been moving through the legislative process this session. Spurred forward by an interim task force sponsored by Governor Dayton, advocates for kids who have suffered from bullying behavior in school are pushing legislation that would requires school personnel to get trained on, report on and better manage bullying among students in their … Read More
MREA Launches Social Media Partner Program
MREA has launched a Social Media Partner Program to help member school districts effectively use the tool to connect with parents. Last week, MREA began training interested districts on the social media trends, a strategy for their schools and implementation techniques. MREA commissioned The Write Advantage Inc. to develop a quick-start strategy based on research and best practices and train … Read More
Omnibus Education Bills Pass
By Sam Walseth, MREA Chief Lobbyist After eight hours of debate on the House floor Tuesday night and eight hours of debate on the Senate floor Thursday afternoon, the omnibus education bills passed and are headed to a conference committee. There were several contentious issues during debate in both bodies, the most significant revolving around the repeal of the Math … Read More
Session End Game Begins
By Sam Walseth, MREA Chief Lobbyist With three weeks to go until the end of session, the “end game” process is about to begin. This week conference committees will get together to walk through the various provisions in their respective budget and policy bills. Review MREA’s comparison of the the three major proposals. Meetings between legislative leaders and the Governor will … Read More
Fiscal Impact of the Bullying Bill Debated
By Sam Walseth, MREA Chief Lobbyist Minnesota Management & Budget surveyed dozens of school districts to develop a Local Impact Note (LIN) on the anti-bullying legislation moving forward in HF 826 & SF 783. Those two bills will make it to the House and Senate floors soon. The authors of the bills (Rep. Jim Davnie and Sen. Scott Dibble) are … Read More
House K-12 Bill: Step in Right Direction
By Vernae Hasbargen, MREA Lobbyist As the House K-12 bill cleared the floor, its youngest representative, Joe Radinovich, commented, “After a decade of disinvestment, this bill will not solve everything, but it is a step in the right direction.” Radinovich was an 8th grader in Crosby-Ironton when his district faced its first round of budget cuts, and in the decade that followed, … Read More
Omnibus Bill Comparison: Bills Approach Senate Floor
The Senate may take its Omnibus bills on to the floor as soon as Thursday.View a clear comparison of the House and Senate bills at a glance: Funding: Targets, Basic Funding, Kindergarten, Early Childhood, Equity, Special Ed, Integration Taxes: ANTC Relief and Gen Ed Levy, RMV Relief and Equalization, Safe Schools Levy, Cyrus and Morris Policies: Safe and Supportive Schools, Assessment Reform, Teacher Evaluation, Health … Read More
Districts Face Tough Choices as K-12 Bills Reach Floor
By Vernae Hasbargen, MREA Lobbyist As the K-12 bills head to the floor, it is now clear where the similarities and differences are and for school districts, a tough choice – do you want dollars now or stability in the state’s funding system later? As you can see from the graphs, both bills reflect similar spending priorities when it comes to ADK … Read More
Safe and Supportive Schools Coming to the House and Senate
The Safe and Supportive Schools legislation are now part of the Omnibus Education Bills before the House and Senate. MREA supports positive and safe school cultures for all students and stated that in our 2013 platform. But MREA has concerns about the intense prescriptions in the current bills and the costs for districts for implementation. The Costs Minnesota’s Office of … Read More