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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See for yourself --
Documentation

This article documents our points by quoting the existing Minnesota Statutes and Laws, so you can see for yourself, straight from the horse's mouth.

Centralized control of education and economy

The following quotes from the Minnesota Statutes shows its over-reaching goals.  It aims to include "all learners" in a "lifelong" manner, which includes you and your children whether you like it or not. A new "comprehensive" system "is established" that crosses educational-employment boundaries and gives the state new types of centralized control over education & the economy.  It establishes a "unified" labor market information system with "centralized" controls and "assurances".  It includes a "statewide marketing system" to propagandize and sell this system to the public, at taxpayer expense. It includes a "comprehensive", all-inclusive development system, not just for the poor, but even for "professionals" in both the public and private sectors. It includes a "comprehensive" system to "support" — and substantially control — the boundaries between education and employment.

"Goals. To better prepare all learners to make transitions between education and employment, a comprehensive education and employment transitions system is established that is driven by multisector partnerships and takes a lifelong approach to workforce development.  The goals of the statewide education and employment transitions system are: 
....
to provide support systems including a unified labor market information system; a centralized quality assurance system with information on learner achievement, employer satisfaction, and measurable system outcomes; a statewide marketing system to promote the importance of lifework development; a comprehensive professional development system for public and private sector partners; and a comprehensive system for providing technical support to local partnerships for education and employment transitions." Minnesota Statutes 1999, 124D.46 Subd. 1, & part #9.

Minnesota Statutes now state that the planning council "must award grants" in order to implement the partnerships between education and employers.  These so-called "grants" amount to a new system of rewards (and punishments) to induce employers and schools into participating in these state-run "partnerships" and its radical new inroads into a state-run economy.

"The council must award grants to implement local education and employment transition partnerships ..."  Minnesota Statutes 1999, 124D.46 Subd. 4.

Invasion of Privacy

State law allows school districts to require all students to compile "lifework" information. The type of information is "not limited", but specifically includes the student's "goals and interests", as well as information on the student's manner of community service, all out-of-school learning experiences, and outside jobs. School personnel are to regularly review the information to ensure it is updated. These are deeply personal matters and such data ought not be the state's business. See Minnesota Statutes 1999, 120B.04

What is the definition of "Educational Data" collected by the state? Here is how the statutes recently defined it:

"Educational data" means data on individuals maintained by a public educational agency or institution or by a person acting for the agency or institution which relates to a student. ...." Minnesota Statutes 1999, 13.32 Subd. 1a

The data collection is not limited to educational data, instead it is open-ended to include personal data of virtually any kind. In fact, the statute explicitly expands the definition of "educational data" far beyond its usual meaning, to include unlimited personal health data on students, even specifically including "mental problems" and any records of school nurses: 

"health data concerning students, including but not limited to, data concerning immunizations, notations of special physical or mental problems and records of school nurses".Minnesota Statutes 1999, 13.32 Subd. 2

The uses of the data are also virtually unlimited. The collected data on your child can be used or shared with others, as necessary "to protect persons and property", or to address any need of any student or students. With this wide-open language, one is hard pressed to imagine what the data cannot be used for. 

"Uses of data.  School officials who receive data on juveniles, as authorized under sections 260B.171 and 260C.171, may use and share that data within the school district or educational entity as necessary to protect persons and property or to address the educational and other needs of students." Minnesota Statutes 1999, 13.32 Subd. 7

Pushing parents aside

Nonetheless, the personal data on students can be unilaterally withheld from parents under some conditions, and those conditions are easily pressed into service: 

"In the case of a minor or an individual adjudged mentally incompetent, ... the responsible authority shall withhold data from parents or guardians, or individuals acting as parents or guardians in the absence of parents or guardians, upon request by the minor if the responsible authority determines that withholding the data would be in the best interest of the minor." Minnesota Statutes 1999, 13.02 Subd. 8

What is the "State Information System"? It is an open-ended data collection system run by the DCFL. See Minnesota Statutes 1999, 125B.05

What does the DCFL do with the results of Statewide Tests? See Minnesota Statutes 1999, 120B.30 (Go to subd. 3)

How does this apply to the Basic Skills Writing Test for 10th graders? See Written Composition Rule 3501.0200-3501.0290 (go to 350l.0250 subp. 9)

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