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Maple River Education Coalition PAC
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Chaska, MN  55318 
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House File 451
“Alternative District Organizations"

             Authors: Representative Alice Seagren and Mindy Greiling

•    * Read HF 451

•    * HF 451: Alternative District Organization

•    * Testimony from Vice President Julie Quist to the House Education Committee

•    * Employee Based Charter Schools

             Summary of HF451: HF451 sets up an appointed board of six people to approve the establishment of up to five "specialized sponsoring organizations" such as school districts and service cooperatives. Sponsoring organizations will be authorized to approve "new learning environments" that have an "area of specialty," as in a field of study," "type of student" or "learning method." 

            Appointed vs. Elected: Nothing in HF451 provides for elected representation of any kind for the schools that are to be established. Direct accountability to taxpayers and parents has been eliminated. 

            Small Learning Communities? HF451 makes vague references to replicating "successful models," but it does not identify what the schools are to be modeling. Since HF451 is a governance structure for schools that are organized around a particular "field of study," it appears that these "alternative school districts" will be used for implementing Small Learning Communities.  

            Solution: Changes should not happen within non-governmental organization planning rooms.  Reject HF451.

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