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May 15, 2001

Governor urged to accept REPEAL of Profile

House-Senate Conference Committee Has Repeal Under Consideration

State Senator Michele Bachmann (R-Stillwater) called on Governor Jesse Ventura to withdraw his recent warning that the House-Senate Conference Committee on Education Finance must reject a provision that would repeal the Profile of Learning.

“For the third year straight,” said Bachmann, “the members of the House of Representatives have passed either a Profile repeal or moratorium. And the Senate has been narrowly divided on the same issue. The Governor should take heed and realize there is no consensus on the state Profile of Learning mandate that’s frustrating and undermining our teachers, parents, and students.”

Bachmann was responding to a letter sent by the Governor to the members of the House-Senate Conference Committee on Education Finance, which has under consideration a House-passed proposal to replace the Profile of Learning with local accountability tests. Bachmann authored the same provision in the Minnesota Senate. However, the Chair of the Senate Education Committee refused to hold hearings on any legislation affecting the Profile. When offered as an amendment on the Senate floor, Bachmann’s proposal received bipartisan support including that of Senate President Don Samuelson (DFL-Brainerd), but it was defeated.

In the letter to the House-Senate Conference Committee, the Governor stated his support for further advancing the Profile and that a repeal is unacceptable. The bill that the repeal is contained in passed the House on May 3rd.

“What makes the Ventura Administration’s position inexplicable,” said Bachmann, “is that every independent review of the Profile has pointed out its fatal flaws. The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation gives Minnesota an ‘F’ for math standards because they are ‘windy’ and ‘typically indefinite.’ Achieve, Inc., which was paid for its work by our own state department, found that important topics such as algebra and geometry are insufficiently detailed or sometimes completely missing. Evaluations of the Profile’s English requirements are of a similar negative nature.”

In a letter of her own to the Governor (see below), Bachmann pointed out that recent disappointing scores on math and reading tests, and a survey showing that one-third of high school graduates need remediation when entering a public college, demonstrate the Profile’s shortcomings. “Far from being a solution,” according to Bachmann, “it is much more likely that the phase-in of the Profile over the past several years has helped to accelerate a trend toward lower academic expectations and achievement.”

The House-Senate Conference Committee on Education Finance has less than a week to decide whether or not to include a repeal of the Profile of Learning in its compromise funding bill for schools. Because of a Constitutional deadline, the Legislature must adjourn its regular session by midnight on Monday, May 21st.

Senator Bachmann's letter to the Governor

The Honorable Jesse Ventura, Governor
State of Minnesota
St. Paul, MN 55155

Dear Governor Ventura,

I am writing in response to your letter of May 10 that was sent to conferees from the House and Senate on the K-12 education omnibus bill. In that letter, you stated that a repeal of the Profile of Learning is "not acceptable."

I urge you to reconsider this position. For the third year straight, the members of the House of Representatives have passed either a Profile repeal or moratorium. And the Senate has been narrowly divided on the same issue. There is clearly no positive consensus on the state Profile of Learning mandate. A rule that affects every public school student, their parents, and teachers, and that is driving curriculum and assessments from kindergarten to high school, should have widespread, near-unanimous support. The Profile does not and, in fact, has not from the moment the State Board of Education ordered it to be adopted by local school districts.

Every independent review of the Profile has pointed out its fatal flaws. The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation gives Minnesota an 'F' for math standards because they are "windy" and "typically indefinite." Achieve, Inc., which was paid for its work by our own state department, found that important topics such as algebra and geometry are insufficiently detailed or sometimes completely missing. Evaluations of the Profile's English requirements are of a similar nature.

Recent scores on Basic Skills Tests in math and reading have been disappointing, more seniors than ever are not expected to be able to earn their diplomas, and, as you are probably aware, it has been reported that one-third of Minnesota's high school graduates now need remediation when entering a public college. I believe this demonstrates the Profile's shortcomings. Far from being a solution, it is much more likely that the phase-in of the Profile over the past several years has helped to accelerate a trend toward lower academic expectations and achievement.

Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter. I look forward to a successful completion of the Legislative Session.

Sincerely,

Michele Bachmann
State Senator District 56

The Governor may be reached at:
651-296-3391
800-657-3717

130 State Capitol
75 Constitution Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55155
FAX: 651-296-0674

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