EdAction
Maple River Education Coalition PAC
105 Peavey Rd, St 116 
Chaska, MN  55318 
952-361-4931
http://www.EdAction.org
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April 14, 2000

Legislative Update

At the Capitol, things are wild and intense! This last week was a major week for the Northstar Standard.  Sen. Larry Pogemiller and his echo team, Sen. Linda Scheid, and Sen. Martha Robertson, continually whacked away at the Northstar Standard in an attempt to get their Senate language on the Profile of Learning.

Using various tactics, Sen. Pogemiller tries to dismantle the Northstar Standard.  First, he tries to make the Northstar Standard answer to the Profile of Learning requirements. (See our previous Alert)  Other tactics include bogging it down with unnecessary reporting and paperwork, like the Profile. The bill also requests additional funding for the Profile for best practices networks, Profile tool libraries, and additional staff Profile development days — services not requested for the Northstar Standard.

Parents and teachers responded to the Alert that went out at the beginning of the week with a flood of telephone calls and email letters. We are receiving a great deal of feedback on conversations you are having with Sen. Pogemiller.  True to form, he is trying to discredit you by telling you that he supports a "clean" Northstar Standard.  He has not, to this day, made one written offer in Conference Committee with a clean Northstar Standard.  All he offers in writing is a mutilated Northstar Standard.

At MrEdCo, we have been working day and night moving as fast as we can.  We read each offer as the Senate and House goes back and forth.  Each offer is about a 43-page bill that must be scoured for hidden restrictions and provisions that will give you a Northstar Standard that isn't anything like what you are expecting.  At this point we still have not seen a bill that is acceptable.

This means working through the nights, being on the phone most of the day and writing proposed bill language.  At times, when things are moving very rapidly at the Capitol or in committee, it may mean not even eating or getting dressed all day because we are on the phone or speed reading a bill.

This also means that at a moment's notice we jump in our cars and drive as long as 2.5 hours to get to the Capitol to keep pressure on our position or stop something from happening.

Sometimes it means face to face confrontation.

Right now, a new House offer has been drafted.  We are very optimistic about what its language will look like.  As soon as we have more information or the Conference Committee is called to reconvene and go over the bill, we will let you know.

Until then, thank you for your encouraging emails and phone calls.  They are the inspiration that keeps us moving forward.

Be sure to call our hotline for up-to-the-minute information.  That number is (507) 345-0595.  Keep the pressure on the House and Senate Education Conference Committee Chairs: Rep. Bob Ness and Sen. Larry Pogemiller.  Politely let them know that they can debate the language and future of the Profile all they want but hands off the Northstar Standard!

THIS IS HIGH STANDARDS?

A note to us from a School Board Member:

Just a note to let you know that we had to cut 2 teachers in Social Studies (World History, in fact) last night.  They were cut because students were forced to choose "academic courses" (sarcasm) like 'Foods I' to satisfy the Graduation Standards rather than World History, because no standards, or a duplication of a standard students already had, were offered in the course.

EdAction - 105 Peavey Rd, Ste 116, Chaska, MN  55318 
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