2010 Legislative Session: Education Policy Wrap-Up

The Partnership entered the Legislative Session hopeful that Minnesota would receive one of the Obama Administration’s initial Race to the Top grants, which would generate public support – and $330 million in federal funds – for education reforms consistent with our Minnesota’s Future Initiative. While the Administration rejected Minnesota’s application, the review process provided some clear direction to Minnesota lawmakers on the kind of reforms that would be necessary to receive a grant in Round 2, including:

• Alternative teacher licensure to widen the pipeline for additional talented individuals to teach in Minnesota’s most challenged schools. 
• A statewide teacher and principal evaluation system with student achievement accounting for at least 35% of the evaluation.  In addition, evaluations must be factors in making decisions about placement, promotions, compensation, tenure and dismissal. 
• Clear authority for the commissioner of education to intervene in low-achieving schools.

The Partnership spearheaded lobbying efforts at the Capitol and worked with the Itasca Project and others to generate broad, bipartisan support from a coalition of business, community, foundation and education leaders. (See House Floor letter.) Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to overcome opposition from Education Minnesota, the statewide teachers union. House opposition to key reforms, primarily alternative teacher licensure, resulted in multiple attempts to pass an omnibus education bill – each of which failed.

Partnership successfully opposed:

Without any education reform in them, the Partnership successfully opposed the omnibus education bills, which included:

• Eliminating state expectations for how well students should do in math in order to earn a high school diploma
• Promising a $5 billion (33%) increase in state funding – with no corresponding reforms – that proponents call the “New Minnesota Miracle”
• Giving school districts authority to renew expiring referendums, without voter approval.

For more information, contact Education Policy Director Jim Bartholomew.