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

April 23, 2001

Letter from MrEdCo's president

It has been some time since I wrote you a personal note. This is the time of the legislative session when there doesn't seem to be enough time to even floss. Emotions are running high right now. Competing interest groups are intensely lobbying the legislators for their own objectives. The Maple River Education Coalition PAC is working harder than any one of them to represent the interests of citizens across Minnesota.

First of all, let me say thank you for the letters and emails of encouragement that you send to us. They usually come at just the right time. We also have greatly appreciated those of you who have given financially to the PAC. It is not as easy to collect dollars in an account that is not tax-deductible. Yet MREdCoPAC is so important. We can say it like it is. We can tell you what needs to be done. We can tell you what bills to support and oppose and why. We can rally you at the Capitol and lobby directly for our concerns.

The Minnesota House has provided good leadership on some of the issues that are very important to our concerns.

BABY ED:

Rep. Barb Sykora, Chair of the House Family and Early Childhood Education Finance Committee, has fought hard to bring forth an Early Childhood Omnibus bill that is fair, yet does not increase government bureaucracy and family invasion. The omnibus bill, HF 1515, reflects an approach that assists parents when they are in real need, without forcing intrusive government into our homes and families. We thank her for a good bill and ask her to hold strong in conference committee.

The Senate omnibus spending bill, in contrast, has all of the worst elements of a new, state Baby Ed system in Minnesota. For a summary of those items, see our updates:  1, 2, and links.

K-12 EDUCATION:

Rep. Alice Seagren's Omnibus Education Finance bill (HF 82) does not contain many of the items that we have been adamantly opposing, such as new appropriations for service learning, expanded mental health services in public schools and expanded authority to the commissioner. We appreciate her firm stand on these very important issues and urge her to remain steadfast in conference committee.

Sen. Pappas' Senate K-12 Education Omnibus bill, however, includes all of the above items and more, intended to force this system upon an unwilling citizenry. The Senate bill reflects none of the concerns the public has raised in phone calls, letters, personal visits and in committee hearings.

Rep. Tony Kielkucki's Repeal the Profile bill, HF 2057, does repeal the Profile of Learning. It also institutes academic requirements for testing, an essential step toward being able to have some measurement of academic achievement.  HF 2057 will be included as part of the House K-12 Education Omnibus bill which will soon be going to the floor of the House for adoption. From there it will move on to conference committee between the House and Senate.

This is a major victory along the way! Once again, your calls and presence have made a profound difference in moving good legislation forward. Never underestimate the significance of what you do!

The Senate version of the Repeal bill, SF 2089, has never been heard in the Senate! (For a description of our efforts to get that bill heard in the Senate, see: http://mredcopac.org/upda0149.htm.) We are still hoping that the Senate will attach a Profile repealer to their own omnibus bill. The public outcry hasn't moved them off the dime one inch.

In addition, the Governor is making it perfectly clear to the House that he will veto any education spending bill that trifles with the Profile of Learning. Apparently this does not apply to trifling with the Profile by expanding its mandates upon districts and teachers. This Governor is a huge obstacle to positive change in education in Minnesota.

There simply is no way to put a positive light on our interaction with the Senate leadership under Senator Roger Moe and the majority of Senators. Remember, these Senators are the authors of the bills in the Senate that continue to carry language that would restructure our entire state workforce under the federal government's plan, create "Baby Ed" with government curriculum in daycare centers, expand mental health services in public schools, give more authority to the DCFL Commissioner, pay teachers extra if they will teach the Profile, expand "service learning" in our schools, and the list goes on and on.

Senate authors such as Senators Pappas, Anderson, Cohen, D. Johnson, Pappas, Stumpf, Krentz, Pappas, Sabo and Lourey expect to come out of conference committee with these provisions still in their bills. (Did we mention Senator Pappas?)

We have written, called, emailed and visited the offices of legislators who support this legislation. We have been rebuffed, hung up on, ignored, maligned, insulted and thrown out. When we call by the hundreds, we are told we are the only one with that concern. We are told that people "like" the Profile of Learning. Sen. Moe won't even meet with us.

It is time to assert ourselves in equal measure. I don't mean with rudeness and arrogance, but with vigilance and boldness! The Senate and the Governor must get a clear, direct message: REPEAL the Profile of Learning/School-to-Work System.  Stop underminding parental authority and leave our economic system of free market enterprise alone!

The statewide protest rally, sponsored by MREdCoPAC and other education groups around the state, is coming up quickly! Don't let anything get in the way of being at the Capitol on SUNDAY, APRIL 29 at 2:30 PM. It will be an event you won't forget. You will be able to show your face and raise your voice in protest of the entire education debacle and all the other government intervention into our lives that goes with it. Maybe, more importantly, your children will see you put into action what you believe.

Keep in mind, the Governor of Minnesota, as authorized by Minnesota law, is the man in charge of the Department of Children, Families and Learning. He and his Commissioner are the primary cheerleaders, promoters and defenders of this horrible system. Quite frankly, the man and his Commissioner need to be replaced! He, and the Senate leaders who do his bidding, need to answer to the citizens of this state. The end of this legislative session is not too soon to begin efforts for the 2002 election when every one of them is back on the ballot.

Thank you so much for your strong support this session as we finish out the last few weeks with strength!

Renee T. Doyle,
President
Maple River Education Coalition PAC

P. S. If you would like to call and thank any of the legislators mentioned in this letter, here are their numbers!

Rep. Barb Sykora	651-296-4315
Rep. Alice Seagren	651-296-7803
Rep. Tony Kielkucki	651-296-1534

To oppose actions by the Senate or the Governor:
Minnesota Governor's office, contact:

Wayne Hayes
Education Policy Advisor for the Governor
Phone: 651-296-0046

Senator Sandy Pappas, Senate Education Policy Committee Chair
120 Capitol, 75 Constitution Ave
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
Capitol phone: (651) 296-1802

Senator Roger Moe, Senate Majority Leader
208 Capitol, 75 Constitution Ave
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
Capitol phone: (651) 296-2577

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