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State Representative Paul Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4317
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
GUEST COLUMN
MN not in the running for federal K-12 funding
By State Rep. Paul Anderson
It was announced last week that Minnesota, along with eight other states, would not be applying for federal funds in the Race To The Top (RTTT) education program. The federal government is offering financial incentives ($4.2 billion) for states to adopt education reforms. By not making an application, our state passed on receiving $185 million in this round of funding.
In order to have a better chance in the competitive grant process, Minnesota needed to pass legislation that would have made changes in how teachers are tenured, in addition to linking teacher evaluation to student performance. Other components that were highly encouraged in order to have a better chance of obtaining funding were alternative pathways to teacher certification and a big push to improve low-performing schools.
A bill that would have accomplished such reforms was unveiled at a joint Senate-House education committee meeting late in the session, but it failed to go anyplace. A totally different, and watered-down version, was introduced in our House Education Committee, and it eventually worked its way through the committee process. Before getting to the House floor, the controversial provision pertaining to alternative pathways to certification had been stripped from the bill. That provision is strongly opposed by the teachers’ union, Education Minnesota.
The bill eventually passed in the House, but the Senate was not moving an education bill so it appeared there wouldn’t be one. They did eventually pass one during the last days of the session and, surprising to many, a new education bill showed up on the House floor in the early-morning hours of our special session on Monday, May 17. However, in the Governor’s proclamation calling the special session, he clearly insisted that the budget-balancing bill be the only action taken up. For that reason, House Republicans opposed hearing the education bill, and it wasn’t brought up.
In the bill that balanced the state budget, the school aid payment shift that Gov. Tim Pawlenty began with unallotment was put into law, changing schools from a typical 90/10 payment schedule with a typical year's funding consisting of 90 percent of funding based on the current year and clean-up payments of 10 percent from the previous year, to the 73/27 schedule that was a part of the House's education bill last year. In addition, the budget-balancing bill changed the next two years' aid payment schedules to 70/30 for this next year generating additional one-time savings to the state and back to 90/10 the year following (fiscal year 2012, coinciding with the 2011-2012 school year). For the state to be able to move back to the 90/10 payment schedule in 2012, however, the cost will be around $1.3 billion.
I took part in the Memorial Day program at the lakeshore park in Starbuck this past Monday. It was a beautiful morning, not too hot, and with the sun reflecting of the blue waters of Lake Minnewaska in the background, the setting was beautiful. We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to our veterans, and we say a heartfelt thank you for your service to our country.
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Rep. Anderson encourages constituents to contact his office with input regarding any state legislative issue. He can be reached on the web at www.house.mn/13A and via email at rep.paul.anderson@house.mn. To contact Anderson by phone, call (651) 296-4317. Mail can be sent to Rep. Paul Anderson, 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.
News Items
- ANDERSON TAKES HOUSE OATH - (Posted: Jan 8 2013 12:00AM)
- Legislative begins this week - (Posted: Jan 11 2013 3:36PM)
- Current surplus allows K-12 repayment - (Posted: Dec 10 2012 12:00AM)
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