By Sam Walseth, MREA Chief Lobbyist House Tax committee members last week unveiled their plan to pay for their spending priorities. The bill raises income taxes on families earning more than $400,000 and singles earning more than $220,000. The new fourth tier income tax rate would go from 7.85% to 8.49%. Taxes on tobacco products would increase significantly including a new … Read More
Quick Omnibus Bills Comparison for Educators
There is a lot of activity regarding policy and finance for K-12 education in Minnesota at the Legislature with the House and Senate omnibus bills heading to the floor. MREA provides a clear comparison of the House and Senate bills in these key areas: Funding: Targets, Basic Funding, Kindergarten, Early Childhood, Equity, Special Ed, Integration Taxes: ANTC Relief and Gen Ed … Read More
Measuring The Value of a High School Diploma
The omnibus education finance and policy bill (HF 630) is rumored to be debated on the House floor this Tuesday. In response to the MDE Assessment Work Group recommendations, the House majority has moved forward with a repeal of the GRAD exams and in their place is proposing a series of new assessments that better align with college entrance and give … Read More
Free Training for Supporting Military Children
The Military Child Education Coalition® (MCEC) will host a free training opportunity on May 15 and May 16 in St. Cloud on Supporting Children of the National Guard and Reserve. MCEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, worldwide organization, and it performs research, develops resources, conducts professional institutes and conferences, and develops and publishes resources for all constituencies. It is focused on … Read More
MREA's Work with Schools on AIW Featured in News
MREA’s extensive project with five northern Minnesota school district on Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) was featured this week in the Park Rapids Enterprise. A rigorous revamping of the way teachers teach and the way students learn has been quietly taking place in a small conference room at the Laporte School. Five teachers and two administrators have delved into an educational concept … Read More
MREA Responds to House Omnibus Bill 630
Note: These responses were crafted in response to the HF 630 delete all omnibus bills moved by Committee Chairs Representative Marquart. MREA made every attempt to track all the amendments, but this may not be all inclusive. You can track this bill online, but ignore the introductory version from February. MREA supports the direction and the implementation particulars of the following … Read More
Omnibus Education Bills Advance
At 11 pm on Thursday, the Senate E-12 committee put a close to what felt like a ramshackle day of unveiling, discussing, amending and finalizing their omnibus education bills. And yes, that was “bills” – plural. In the Senate The Senate has decided to move the policy reforms forward in a separate policy bill (SF 978) and a separate finance … Read More
MREA Responds to Senate Omnibus Bills
Note: These responses were crafted in response to the SF 453 and SF 978 delete all omnibus bills moved by Committee Chairs Senator Wiger and Senator Torres Ray. MREA made every attempt to track all the amendments, but this may not be all inclusive. Click here to track this bill, but ignore the introductory version from February. MREA supports the direction … Read More
Biggest Political Fight: Testing Shake Up
By Vernae Hasbargen, MREA Lobbyist In a year when the legislature is putting together $8.5 billion in education spending, the biggest political fight is not about how it is spent, but rather on whether high school students should have to pass a single test to earn a diploma. Eliminate GRAD A task force, co-chaired by MREA’s Executive Director Fred Nolan, … Read More
School Finance Check In: Underreach?
By Vernae Hasbargen, MREA Lobbyist As the bill outline came into focus this week, MinnPost headlined, “Education advocates fearing DFL ‘under-reach.” All session Democratic majorities have resisted Republican predictions they would “over-reach” with too many tax increases and new spending obligations. Democrats, on the other hand, were determined to pay off the state’s $1.1 billion debt, get the state’s budget on sound footing, and pay for some … Read More