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E-12 Education

TWENTY-EIGHTH MEETING

2007-2008 Regular Session - Thursday, February 28, 2008

STATE OF MINNESOTA TWENTY-EIGHTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-FIFTH SESSION


E-12 EDUCATION COMMITTEE

MINUTES


Representative Denise Dittrich, Vice Chair of the E-12 Education Committee, unofficially called the twenty-eighth meeting to order at 8:03AM on Thursday, February 28, 2008, in the Basement hearing room of the State Office Building.

The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll:

Members present:

MARIANI, Carlos (Chair)
DITTRICH, Denise (Vice-Chair)
BENSON, John LAINE, Carolyn
BROWN, Robin NORNES, Bud
DAVNIE, Jim PETERSON, Sandra
DEMMER, Randy SLAWIK, Nora
DETTMER, Bob SLOCUM, Linda
ERICKSON, Sondra SWAILS, Marsha
GOTTWALT, Steve TILLBERRY, Tom
GREILING, Mindy URDAHL, Dean
HEIDGERKEN, Bud WARD, John
HORNSTEIN, Frank WARDLOW, Lynn
HOSCH, Larry WELTI, Andy


Members Excused:

ABELER, Jim

A quorum was not present.

HF 2657 (Bigham) - A bill for an act relating to education; requiring school boards to seek information from prospective employees and the Board of Teaching about disciplinary actions against the employees; amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 123B.03, by adding a subdivision.

Chair Dittrich officially called the hearing to order at 8:07 AM. A quorum was present.

Rep. Benson moved that HF 2657 to be recommended to pass and placed on the General Register.

Rep. Benson moved the H2657DE3 amendment. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Rep. Bigham presented HF 2657.

Testifying on behalf of HF 2657 were:

Ms. Jan Alswager, Director of Government Relations, Education Minnesota
Ms. Grace Schwab, Director of Governmental Relations, Minnesota School Board Association
Ms. Karen Balmer, Executive Director, Minnesota Board of Teaching

Handout: Letter from the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Questions and discussion followed.

Benson renewed his motion that HF 2657 be recommended to pass, as amended, and placed on the General Register. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

HF 2624 (Urdahl) - A bill for an act relating to education; establishing an advisory task force on improving teacher quality and identifying institutional structures and strategies for effectively integrating secondary and postsecondary academic and career education.

Rep. Urdahl moved the HF 2624 be recommended to pass and re-referred to the committee on Finance, with a recommended re-referral to the K-12 Finance Division.

Rep. Urdahl moved the H2624A2 amendment. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Rep. Urdahl presented HF 2624.

Testifying on behalf of HF 2624 was:

Ms. Pat King, Director of School Improvement, Minnesota Department of Education.

Questions and discussion followed.

Rep. Urdahl renewed his motion that HF 2624, as amended, be recommended to pass, and referred to the committee on Finance, with a recommended re-referral to the K-12 Finance Division. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

HF 2782 (Bigham) - A bill for an act relating to education; requiring all K-12 athletic coaches to undergo criminal history background checks; amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 123B.03, subdivision 1.

Rep. Ward moved that HF 2782 be recommended to pass and placed on the General Register.

Chair Dittrich moved the H2782A1 amendment. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Chair Dittrich moved the following oral amendment:

Page 3, line 1, delete ", and the school"
Page 3, delete lines 2 and 3 and insert "."

THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.

Testifying on behalf of HF 2782 was:

Mr. Kirk Schneidawind, Minnesota School Board Association
Mr. Roger Aronson, Minnesota State High School League

Questions and discussion prevailed.

Chair Dittrich renewed her motion that HF 2782, as amended, be recommended to pass and placed on the General Register. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

HF 2623 (Norton) - A bill for an act relating to education; directing the education commissioner to require the state's testing contractor to provide test results to school districts by the first week in May; amending Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, section 120B.30, subdivision 2.

Rep. Davnie moved that HF 2623 be recommended to pass, and placed on the General Register.

Rep. Norton presented HF 2623.

Testifying against HF 2623 was:

Mr. Tom Boatman, Supervisor, Research and Assessment Division, Minnesota Department of Minnesota

Questions and discussion followed.

Chair Dittrich laid HF 2623 on the table.

HF 3470 (Winkler) - A bill for an act relating to education; directing the Minnesota Department of Education to collaboratively establish, maintain, and revise statewide technology standards and guidelines for school districts to use in improving the academic achievement of all students; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 125B.

Rep. Mariani moved that HF 3470 be recommended to pass and re-referred to the committee on Governmental Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections.

Rep. Winkler presented HF 3470.

Testifying on behalf of HF 3470 was:

Mr. Patrick Plant, Director of Technology and Information Services, Anoka-Hennepin Public Schools

Handout: PowerPoint Presentation "A Partnership Between Minnesota School Districts and The Department of Education."

Rep. Mariani renewed his motion that HF 3470 be recommended to pass and re-referred to the committee on Governmental Operations, reform, technology and Elections. THE MOTION PREVAILED.

Rep. S. Peterson moved the minutes for February 26, 2008. THE MOTION PREVAILED. THE MINUTES WERE APPROVED.

Chair Dittrich announced that there will be an additional hearing of the E-12 Education committee on Friday, February 29, 2008 at 1:00 PM in room 10 of the State Office Building.


The hearing was adjourned at 9:29 AM.


____________________________________
Denise Dittrich, Chair



____________________________________
Celeste Marin
Committee Legislative Assistant
More Info On This Meeting..

HF2657 (Bigham) School boards required to seek information from prospective employees and the Board of Teaching about disciplinary actions against employees.
HF2782 (Bigham) K-12 athletic coaches required to undergo criminal history background check.
HF3470 (Winkler) State and school district technology established.
HF2623 (Norton) School district test results required to be provided by the state's testing contractor by the first week in May.
HF2624 (Urdahl) Teacher quality improvement task force established for effectively integrating secondary and postsecondary academic and career education.

HF3203 (Dominguez) and HF3472 (Mariani) have been removed from the agenda.