Education News: March 31-April 6, 2012

Despite rumors of an early adjournment, the legislature will be returning on Monday, April 16.  This week the legislature continued their work in conference committee and on the floor, finalizing bills and sending conference committee reports to the Governor.  Governor Dayton vetoed HF 2083, a bill that would have accelerated the repayment of the school aid payment shift by taking $430 million from the state budget reserve.  Another bill of note, HF 2949/SF 2482, the omnibus education bill, passed off the Senate floor and will be headed to conference committee when the legislature reconvenes.  AMSD has put together comparison of the House and Senate versions of HF 2949; you can access the document here:

http://www.amsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/HF-2949-and-SF-2482-Comparison-4512.pdf

With all of the action surrounding conference committees this week, AMSD’s latest MN Legislature 101 blog post examines legislative conference committees, showing you how to access audio, reports and membership.  Check out the link below to find out how these committees are assembled and how you can follow their important work:

http://www.amsd.org/mn-legislature-101/mn-legislature-101-conference-committees

MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE, STATE POLICIES AND MINNESOTA NEWS

• WHAT’S ON THE BUS: A LOOK AT EDUCATION BILLS MOVING AT THE MN CAPITOL, AMSD
• MN LEGISLATURE 101: CONFERENCE COMMITTEES, AMSD
• Legislature approves plan to start paying back school shift, Pioneer Press
• Let schools start before Labor Day, Star Tribune
• Senate, House committee irons out differences in teacher layoff bill, Pioneer Press
• Bill contains new assessment methods for ‘last chance’ schools, Minnpost
• Editorial: LIFO reform should pass, Pioneer Press
• Minnesota House, Senate approve $430 million budget reserves shift to pay back schools, Pioneer Press
• Dayton’s school-payback veto spurs familiar partisan political sparring, Minnpost
• Dayton vetoes GOP-backed bill to reimburse public schools, Pioneer Press
• St. Paul schools to boost spending $27 million to support achievement plan, Pioneer Press
• GOP plan to repay schools vetoed, Star Tribune

RESEARCH & REPORTS

• Group Aims to Counter Influence of Teachers’ Union in New York, New York Times
• Training of Out-of-School Staff Debated, Education Week
• 4-H Clubs Thrive in Postwar Iraq, Education Week

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

• Minn. student’s Facebook incident could help form schools’ guidelines, Minnesota Public Radio