The Minnesota legislative session adjourned sine die on Thursday, May 10, 2012.  While the education bill was signed into law on April 27, 2012, the legislature continued to work until May 10 to find resolution on the bonding bill, Vikings stadium and tax bill.  The last day of session also marked the last day of service for members who plan to retire this year, approximately 10% of the legislature is expected to retire according to the Star Tribune.  AMSD has put together a comprehensive list of education bills signed and vetoed by the Governor, you can access the document at the following link:

http://www.amsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/2012-End-of-Session-Bill-Summary-Matrix-51412.pdf

MINNESOTA NEWS

• Quid pro quo helped trust lands, DNR fee bills, Politics in Minnesota
• Dayton signs open-government bill inspired by Burnsville schools payout, Pioneer Press
• Culturally responsive teaching: ‘It’s something you do — every day’ Minnpost
• Closing a school a real possibility in Burnsville-Eagan-Savage, Star Tribune
• Minnesota lawmakers say good-bye, Star Tribune
• Burnsville-Eagan-Savage district drops proposal to shorten school week after parents object, Pioneer Press
• 36 Minnesota lawmakers retiring – at least from their current offices, Pioneer Press
• Minnesota, 24 other states to test new assessments of teachers-to-be, Minnpost
• As session ends, lawmakers spar over results of work, Minnesota Public Radio
• Senate scales back tax bill, sends to Dayton, Minnesota Public Radio

NATIONAL NEWS

• No Excuses! Really? Another look at our NEPC Charter Spending Figures, School Finance 101
• Public Gets Glimpse of Science Standards, Education Week

PEOPLE

• Edina High School English teacher is named state’s finest, Star Tribune
• Jon Millerhagen 2012 National Distinguished Principal, Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association
• Jacobus named superintendent of South Washington County Schools, Pioneer Press

RESEARCH AND REPORTS

• Most 8th Graders Fall Short on NAEP Science Test, Education Week
• Analysis: More Minn. students relying on free and reduced lunches, Minnesota Public Radio
• Serve Minnesota and Minnesota Reading Corps Announce 2011 Results, Minnesota Reading Corps

Legislative leaders had hoped to adjourn by April 30 but work continues as legislators and the governor work at resolving three outstanding issues – a bonding bill, a tax bill and a Viking stadium bill.  The Minnesota Constitution stipulates that the legislature can meet in session for a total of 120 days over the biennium.  Thus far, the legislature has met in session on 115 days.  That leaves only 5 more days to meet in session.  The constitution further stipulates that legislation cannot be passed on the 120th day meaning that there are only 4 more session days for the legislature to conduct business.  Finally, the constitution states that the legislature cannot meet after the first Monday following the third Saturday in May.  That means May 21 is the ultimate deadline for completion of the 2012 session.   The legislature is scheduled to return in session on Monday, May 7 and is expected to vote on the bonding and stadium bills.

The Governor vetoed the Last In, First Out (LIFO) bill yesterday.  The veto message cited the need for developing and testing evaluation methodologies through the teacher evaluation working group established during the 2011 Special Session.  The Governor’s veto letter is available here: http://mn.gov/governor/images/Ch_274_HF1870_Veto-attach.pdf

This week the Governor signed into law: SF 1528 (online learning), SF 946 (innovation zones pilot project) and SF 2535 (Board of School Administrators duties and fee adjustment).

For more information on the status of education bills, AMSD has put together an end of session spreadsheet with status information.  You can access it here:

http://www.amsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/2012-End-of-Session-Bill-Summary-Matrix2.pdf

MINNESOTA NEWS

• What ALEC bills might we see next session? Minnpost
• Dayton vetoes overhaul of teacher tenure rules, a top GOP priority, Star Tribune
• Tax-cut bill goes to governor, Star Tribune
• Dayton vetoes ‘last-in, first-out’ teacher-layoff bill, Pioneer Press
• Legislature signs off on payout bill inspired by Burnsville schools case, Pioneer Press
• Minnesota schools find it harder to shorten their school weeks, Minnesota Public Radio
• Dayton vetoes bill to repeal LIFO, Politics in Minnesota
• Gov. Mark Dayton expected to veto tax-cut bill, Pioneer Press
• Minnesota Lawmakers Vote to Play Role in Approving Standards, Education Week
• NGA to Work with Four Selected States on Effective Education Spending, National Governors Association

NATIONAL NEWS

• Ed. Department Offers States Feedback on Waivers, Education Week
• Magnets Reimagined as School Choice Option, Education Week

RESEARCH AND REPORTS

• Individual U.S. Schools Take Part in PISA Pilot, Education Week
• Researchers See Potential for Common Core to Boost Learning, Education Week

Innovation & Technology

• High tech classrooms in northeast Minnesota redefine distance learning, Minnesota Public Radio
• N.Y.C. Outlines Social Media Guidelines for Educators, Education Week

As the Minnesota Legislature works toward adjournment, conference committees are closing and sending reports to the Governor.  This week HF 2949, the education omnibus conference committee report, passed off the Senate and House floor.  The bill passed the House on a vote of 119-9 and the Senate passed the bill 64-0.  The Governor has until midnight tonight to act on the bill.  The House and Senate also passed the school trust land conference committee report on Wednesday and it is unclear whether or not the Governor will sign the bill into law. HF 1870, the Last In First Out (LIFO) conference committee, passed their report to the floor earlier and it passed the House floor on Thursday night on a vote of 70-61 with one democrat voting in favor and two republicans voting against.  The Senate is expected to act on the HF 1870 conference report today. The Governor has indicated he plans to veto HF 1870.  For more information on the status of education bills at the legislature, AMSD has put together an end of session spreadsheet with status information.  You can access it here:

http://www.amsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/2012-End-of-Session-Bill-Summary-Matrix.pdf

MINNESOTA NEWs

• No Answers on Integration Revenue Program, AMSD
• After redistricting, which legislative districts are vulnerable in 2012 election? Minnpost
• Dayton says he won’t negotiate on LIFO, Minnpost
• House votes to end seniority-based layoffs for Minn. Teachers, Star Tribune
• Minnesota House OKs teacher layoff rules that drop seniority protection, Pioneer Press
• Little learners ride stadium bandwagon, Star Tribune
• Omnibus ed bill: many tweaks, little GOP ideology, Minnpost
• Rochester students open up about school bullying, Minnesota Public Radio
• Teacher scorecards might sound easy, but good ones carry a price, Pioneer Press
• Minnesota Legislature OKs new oversight for state school trust lands, Pioneer Press

NATIONAL NEWS

• Suspecting verbal abuse, parents are sending disabled children to school with audio recorders, Star Tribune
• Accountability Moving Beyond Math, Reading Tests, Education Week
• Reading on Science, Social Studies Teachers’ Agendas, Education Week

PEOPLE

• What Does It Mean to Be a Good School Leader? Education Week
• Live and in Person, History Comes to Chicago’s Classrooms, New York Times

RESEARCH AND REPORTS

• Study Supports Essay-Grading Technology, Education Week

Under the 2011 special session education bill, integration revenue is set to expire at the end of FY 2013.  The 2011 education bill also established a 12-member task force to “create and sustain opportunities for students to achieve improved educational outcomes.”  The task force held 10 meetings and spent over 30 hours receiving testimony and finalizing their recommendations.  The task force adopted their final recommendations on a 10-2 vote and submitted the report to the legislature on February 15, 2012.  The two dissenting votes were from Peter Swanson, co-chair of the task force and Katherine Kersten; both submitted dissenting opinions which were included in the final report.

To date, the legislature has not taken action on the task force recommendations.  Debate has ensued throughout session as to why the legislature hasn’t acted on the report.  The Senate Education committee devoted time to hearing Task Force Member Katherine Kersten review her publication on the achievement gap (which has been disputed by Susan Eaton in a National Education Policy Center publication).

Rep. Carlos Mariani, a member of the task force, introduced legislation based on the task force recommendations in HF 2840 (no Senate companion).  On March 27, while hearing HF 2949 (the education omnibus bill), Rep. Mariani offered the contents of HF 2840 as an amendment to the omnibus education bill in the House Education Finance Committee.  The amendment did not pass but the chair assured members that the task force report and the Mariani bill would be heard before the Easter/Passover break.

The task force report was heard in the House Education Finance committee on Monday, April 16.  The committee heard testimony from Scott Thomas, Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force Co-Chair and Integration and Education Equity Coordinator for the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District and Peter Swanson, Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force Co-Chair and attorney. Thomas reviewed the task force process and gave an overview of the report and Swanson commented on his opposition to the report.  The co-chairs responded to questions and gave clarifications on the specifics and intentions of the report.  The committee did not take action on HF 2840 (Mariani bill) and testimony was restricted to the co-chairs of the task force.

The Senate has not indicated when or if they plan to hear the report.  Given the fact that committee deadlines have passed, it is unlikely that the legislature will act on the bill or task force recommendations this year.  Consequently, the fate of the Integration Revenue Program will not be determined until the 2013 legislative session making it very difficult for school officials to develop integration plans and engage in strategic planning.

The legislature returned from Easter/Passover break on Monday and was quick to start back at work.  The Integration Revenue Replacement Task Force report was heard in the House Education Finance committee on Monday, April 16.  The committee heard testimony from Scott Thomas, Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force Co-Chair and Integration and Education Equity Coordinator for the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District and Peter Swanson, Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force Co-Chair and attorney. Thomas reviewed the task force process and gave an overview of the report and Swanson commented on his opposition to the report.  The co-chairs responded to questions and gave clarifications on the specifics and intentions of the report.  The committee did not take action on HF 2840 (Mariani) and testimony was restricted to the task force co-chairs.

The conference committee on HF 2949 (omnibus education bill) began meeting this week.  On Thursday, the committee released a delete-all A12 amendment that reflected an attempt to address the Department of Education’s concerns.  The Commissioner testified on the new language and pointed out continued areas of concern.  The committee returned today with an agreement with the Commissioner and finalized the conference committee report.  AMSD has summarized the report with amendments here: http://www.amsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/HF-2949-and-SF-2482-with-amendments-42012.pdf

The conference committees on HF 2244 (permanent school fund) and SF 1528 (online learning) have also been meeting this week.  AMSD has developed a contact sheet for members of these active education conference committees here:

http://www.amsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Education-Conference-Committees-20121.pdf

MINNESOTA NEWS

• With a small fix, Minnesota can cultivate dynamic principals, Minnpost
• Fate of Minnesota schools’ integration aid hangs in limbo, Star Tribune
• The Stretch Run: looking at education bills in the Legislature, Minnpost
• Board OKs Mpls. teachers contract that adds four days to school year, Star Tribune
• Teachers hope to boost test scores with fresh air, food, mints, Minnesota Public Radio
• State task force on prevention of school bullying meets with Bemidji students, parents, educators, Bemidji Pioneer
• Bills look at how schools can capitalize on trust land, St. Cloud Times
• Stop blaming teachers, Star Tribune
• Minnesota rethinking MCA math-test do-overs, Pioneer Press
• Shorter school year? Burnsville-Eagan-Savage parents not so sure, Pioneer Press

 NATIONAL NEWS

• Controversial Policy Group Casts Long K-12 Shadow, Education Week
• Call to States: Revolutionize Teacher and Principal Preparation, Education Week

PEOPLE

• ‘Driving Change’ panel: Rolnick is a ‘leader as illuminator’, Minnpost

RESEARCH AND REPORTS

• Study: Shorter school weeks don’t mean longer vacations, Minnesota Public Radio
• Study Links Zoning to Education Disparities, Education Week

Technology and Innovation

• Flattening the School Walls, Education Week
• Obama Administration Seeks to Remake Career-Tech Programs, Education Week

This was a quiet week for the Minnesota legislature as they were on their Easter/Passover break.  Session and committee hearings will resume on Monday, April 16.  Next week the House Education Finance Committee is scheduled to review the Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force report. It is expected that the conference committee on HF 2949 (the education omnibus bill) will also begin their work next week.  AMSD has compared the provisions in the House and Senate versions of the bill and you can access that document here: http://www.amsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/HF-2949-and-SF-2482-Comparison-41012.pdf

Minnesota News

• Bullying data, an integration hearing, and a U bioethics update, Minnpost
• Still no hearing on integration, despite bipartisan recommendations, Minnpost
• Do Minnesota schools need more counselors? Pioneer Press
• Burnsville weighs shorter school weeks as part of cost-saving plan, Star Tribune
• HF 2949 Comparison, AMSD

National News

• School vouchers spark more court fights, Minnesota Public Radio
•  Education Issues Factor Into Governors’ Races, Education Week
• Feds Back Off on Easing Special Ed. Funding Restriction, Education Week
• La. School Choice Options Expand After Sweeping Education Overhaul, Education Week
• Chicago Charter Schools Struggle to Serve Special Ed. Students, Education Week
• Release of City Teachers’ Rankings Prompts Lawmakers to Weigh Limiting Access, New York Times
• At Texas Schools, Making Do on a Shoestring, New York Times

People

• West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan school board OKs contract for new superintendent, Pioneer Press
• Coming (someday) to a menu near you, Star Tribune
• High school chess championship opens in Minneapolis (w/ video), Pioneer Press

Research and Reports

• Majority of states with early education cut program spending in 2011, Minnesota Public Radio
• No Obituary Needed for Arts Education, Study Reveals, Education Week

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

We are at the point in the legislative session when conference committees take center stage.  We often hear about bills making their way through the various House or Senate committees or when they are debated on the House or Senate floor.   However, an often overlooked and integral part of the process takes place in conference committees.  Quite often it is a conference committee that determines  the final content of the bill that ultimately makes its way to the Governor.  When the House and Senate pass bills that aren’t the same and one body refuses to accept the changes the other body made, the bill is sent to conference committee.  The conference committee may be composed of 3 or 5 members of each body depending on the profile and interest of the issue. Committee membership is determined by leadership and the authors of the bill in each body.   In most cases, a conference committee is comprised of members of both the majority and minority parties.  A general rule of thumb is that a member must have voted in favor of the bill to be appointed to the conference committee.

Conference committee meetings are usually announced via the committee of jurisdiction’s listserv.  The House and Senate chief authors rotate chairing the meetings and setting the agenda for the meeting.   Conference committee meetings can take place in either the Capitol or the State Office Building hearing rooms.  If you’d like to listen to audio, you need to know if it was recorded in a House or Senate room.  Once you know if it was a House or Senate room, you can look at the respective website.  The House has their conference committee audio listed according to the bill number while the Senate lists their conference committee recordings according to the date of the meeting.  The House also maintains a page with general information about each conference committee.

Senate Audio:

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/media/media_list.php?ls=87&ver=new&archive_year=2012&category=committee&type=audio#header

House Audio:

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/audio/archivescc.asp?ls_year=87

General Information about conference committees:

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/bills/confcommactivity.asp

During the first meeting of a conference committee, it is customary that House and Senate staff assist members in going through what is commonly referred to as a “side-by-side” comparison.  This document is prepared by House and Senate staff and lays out the two bills in a side-by-side manner so members can easily compare the similarities and differences of the bills.  You can access these side-by-side documents here:

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/sbs.php

Just like in the regular committee process, the conference committee may take testimony and amendments may be considered.  The final agreement is developed into a conference committee report that must be approved by a majority of conference committee members from each body.

Reports can be found at: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/reports/conference/

After the report is passed by committee, it then goes back to the House and Senate for final approval.  After the conference committee has been passed in both the House and Senate it is then sent to the Governor for action.

Below you will find a list of education conference committees as of 4/4/12:

It’s a busy time at the Minnesota State Capitol.  The legislature is maintaining a fast-paced schedule that is more often seen during May.  Even legislators have complained about the fast pace because the multiple committees they serve on are meeting at the same time.

With all this activity it’s tricky to figure out which bills are making their way through the whirlwind.  To try to provide some clarity, we’ve outlined education bills we see as “on the bus” or as commonly referred to as “moving.”  These bills have made committee deadlines or they are contained in omnibus bills that are making their way through the legislative process.  Of note, these are bills we think are of most interest to AMSD members and does not represent an exhaustive list of every education bill that is moving.  You can also check the AMSD Bill Tracker for current information:

http://www.amsd.org/advocacy/2012-bill-tracker

The legislature continues to work at a fast pace as third deadline passes today. Quick to start and wrap up, the conference committee for HF 2083(the education shift aid payment omnibus bill) finished their work this week, stripping out the policy provisions and adopting a report that set the aid payment percentage at 70.2 for FY 2012 and later.  The conference committee on HF 1870 (the last in, first out bill) also met this week hearing concerns about the legislation from Commissioner Brenda Cassellius.  Later in the week authors of the bill met with the Governor and he indicated his preference to wait until after the teacher evaluation work group finishes their work and thus a veto is likely.

Stay updated on the bills moving through the legislature with the AMSD Bill Tracker available here:

http://www.amsd.org/advocacy/2012-bill-tracker

HEALTH AND SAFETY

• ‘Pink Slime’ Is Vanishing From School Cafeterias, New York Times

MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE, STATE POLICIES AND MINNESOTA NEWS

• Minn. lawmakers consider giving schools the option to start before Labor Day, Minnesota Public Radio
• Inver Grove Heights voters reject levy increase to improve classroom technology, Pioneer Press
• Minnesota Senate OKs $430M partial payback for schools, using reserve money, Pioneer Press
• Prone restraints bill advances, Minnesota House of Representatives
• School staff could not engage in politics, Minnesota House of Representatives
• West St. Paul school district names superintendent, Star Tribune
• Proposed Minneapolis teachers settlement falls short of district’s change agenda, Minnpost
• ALEC and corporate fingerprints are all over national push for online learning, Minnpost
• School annexation requirements could be eased, Minnesota House of Representatives
• Seniority-based teacher layoffs: Dayton won’t sign GOP bill, Pioneer Press

NATIONAL NEWS

• Access to Teacher Evaluations Divides Advocates, Education Week
• Duncan Defends Waivers, Competitive Grants to Congress, Education Week

RESEARCH & REPORTS

• SIG Effort Posts Promising Early Results, Education Week

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

• Willmar’s Chinese language classes underscore trend, Minnesota Public Radio
• Bringing Up an E-Reader, New York Times