Association of Metropolitan School Districts Update

January 11, 2010

 

 

Session Preview A Big Success

 

Thanks to all of the AMSD Board Members who helped make our Legislative Session Preview a big success last Friday.  We had almost 150 people in attendance including about 30 metro legislators.  Thanks also to Superintendents Dennis Carlson, Bill Green, Patty Phillips and Bob Slotterback for their outstanding presentations.  Those of you who were in attendance at the session preview heard a brief discussion about a little know statute – 127A.46 – that allows the state to further delay school aid payments (on top of the shift already implemented) if the state is expecting its own cash flow problem.  It is important to note that this would be a DELAY in aid payments and not a cut if the state decides to exercise this authority.

 

 

AMSD Winter Conference Registrations Due January 15

 

Don’t forget to register for AMSD’s annual winter conference, Online Learning: Fad or Future?, by this Friday, January 15.  Here is a link to registration information:

 

http://www.amsd.org/pdfs/WorkshopDocs/Registration.pdf

 

Chamber Race to the Top Summary

 

The attached document prepared by the MN Chamber of Commerce summarizes the Race to the Top initiative.  In addition, here is a link to the MDE’s Race to the Top web site:

 

http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/About_MDE/Race_Top/index.html

 

 

Upcoming Legislative Hearings

 

WEDNESDAY, January 13, 2010

9:30 AM

LCPFP Subcommittee on a Balanced Budget

Room: 15 Capitol

Chairs: Rep. Lyndon Carlson, Sen. Lawrence J. Pogemiller

Agenda: Update on cash flow

 

WEDNESDAY, January 13, 2010

11:00 AM

Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement

Room: 112 State Capitol

Chairs: Sen. Don Betzold

Agenda: Review of the final order from the Court in City of Minneapolis v. MPRA/MFRA.

PERA, MSRS, and TRA funding deficiencies: Presentations by PERA, MSRS, and TRA.

MERF funding difficulties: Presentation by MERF (no final action on any MERF/PERA consolidation proposal is expected to occur).

SFxxx/HFxxx: PERA; Retirement-related administrative provisions.

SFxxx/HFxxx (Tomassoni/Rukavina): Virginia Fire Relief Association/PERA-P&F consolidation.

SF889 (Betzold): MSRS-Unclassified; Changes in membership transfer authority.

SF1601/HF1793 (Olson, M./Nelson): TRA; Adding a second retired member to the board of trustees.

SFxxx/HFxxx: Statewide and major local retirement plans; Deadlines for filing annual actuarial valuations and quadrennial experience studies.

SFxxx/HFxxx: MnSCU; Retirement-related administrative provisions.

SFxxx/HFxxx: MSRS; Retirement-related administrative provisions.

 

TUESDAY, January 19, 2010

11:00 AM

Health Care and Human Services Policy and Oversight and K-12 Education Policy and Oversight Committees

Room: 200 State Office Building

Chair: Rep. Kim Norton

Agenda: Addressing obesity in Minnesota