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March 15, 2005

Minnesota Baby Ed Alert! Part III

1.  Corporations & Foundations Fund State Take-over of Child Care
2.  What to do!

[This is the 3rd part of our Baby Ed Alert. See Minnesota Baby Ed Alert, Part I for the Minnesota Early Learning Standards and Part II for the Early Learning Assessments and Mental Health Screening.]


1. Corporations & Foundations Fund State Take-over of Child Care
Well-funded foundations and corporations, like Cargill and Fuller, are pouring money into Minnesota to promote, lobby, and organize for this government take-over of Minnesota's kids. For example, the following invitation, signed by Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson and House Speaker Steve Sviggum, went to all legislators:

                "Several organizations in our state, including The McKnight Foundation, the six Minnesota Initiative Foundations, Ready 4 K, the Minnesota School Readiness Business Advisory Council (MSRBAC), the University of Minnesota, and others have joined together to provide an avenue to focus attention on the issues and opportunities in early childhood care and education in Minnesota.

                "We invite you to attend a special Legislative Reception & Dialogue being held during this conference on Monday, March 21st from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the Great River Ballroom, Riverfront Radisson Hotel, St. Paul.

                "During the reception, you will have an opportunity to converse with your constituents.  We, along with facilitator Chuck Slocum, President of The Williston Group, will lead an interactive dialogue from 5:45-6:15 p.m. with conference participants.

                "Over 600 people from Greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities Metro Area are expected to attend this event.  We believe this conference will be the largest assembly of participants from diverse community sectors to attend a conference focused on early care and education. Participants will represent: business, elected officials, parents, K-12/higher education, child care providers, Pre-K educators, public health, law enforcement, faith community, community volunteers, foundations, and other sectors."

Minnesota is one of the states targeted by a multi-state project, the National Build Initiative, that plans to "build a coordinated system of programs, policies and services" for children, birth through age five -- a state-run system of early care for our children. The Initiative is well-funded by 15 major foundations and endowments, including the W.K. McKnight Foundation , the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (dedicated "to promote universal, quality education and care for pre-kindergarten children), and the Kellogg Endowment (focuses on "policy reform," meaning, changes in state law). They have poured up $350,000 into Ready 4 K  to activate a network in Minnesota and promote their plan. It appears that wealthy foundations and corporations with an agenda are purchasing a state-run system of child care in Minnesota. Who will speak up for the families?

The Minnesota Early Learning Fund (SF 907 / HF 1419) is a bill that sets up a non-profit group (Early Learning Foundation) with state matching funds to create "strategies" for implementing the new system of child care in Minnesota effectively and efficiently -- the standards, the assessments, the rating system, the grants, and so on. This Fund will give Ready 4 K our tax money to fully implement their plan. Minnesota government will "partner" with the large corporations and foundations that are driving this agenda. The mission of the Fund is described as establishing "infrastructure supports and accountability measures." This puts unaccountable non-governmental organizations in charge of child care policy in Minnesota and is a major shift in governance.  It sounds a lot like No Child Left Behind for babies and toddlers.

HF 1419 has a hearing scheduled in the House Education Finance committee for 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17 in Room 5 of the State Office Building. SF 907 had its hearing in the Senate last week, and it will be included in the Senate omnibus education bill. Please call Rep. Sykora, the House chief author of HF 1419 today. She is open to some of our concerns. Please urge her to either drop the bill entirely, or to amend it, leaving foundations free to continue doing what they already do privately. At a minimum, she should amend it to put the legislature (our elected representatives) in complete control over policy developed by this foundation, since it is funded with state taxes. (See her telephone number below.)

Marc Tucker's letter to Hillary Clinton, November 11, 1992, stated: "What is essential is that we create a seamless web of [education]...that literally extends from cradle to grave and is the same system for everyone..."  Tucker would be pleased with the direction Minnesota is headed.


2. What to do!
It is up to us to protect the next generation of young people. Each one of us is needed today and in the coming weeks. This package totals $185 million in new state spending to establish an invasive and expansive government system of child care in Minnesota. These are a few ideas for you to choose from:

• 1. Call Governor Pawlenty (Phone number: 651-296-3391 or 800-657-3717). Tell him that you oppose this massive system of state early childhood control.
   
• 2. Call your state senator and state representative immediately. Tell them to oppose this massive system of government intrusion into the raising and education of our youngest children.
   
• 3. Call these key House and Senate leaders whose decisions affect everyone:
   
  • Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum, 651-296-2273
  • Rep. Barb Sykora, Chair of House Education Finance Committee, 651-296-4315 (chief author of MN Early Learning Fund bill - tell her you oppose this).
  • Rep. Mark Buesgens, Chair of the House Education Policy Committee, 651-296-5185
  • Rep. Jim Abeler, co-author of adding mental health screening (HF1513), 651-296-1729
  • Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, co-author of funding private foundations to create the state plan (SF 907) 651-296-3826
  • Sen. John Hottinger, Chair of Early Childhood Committee, chief author of funding private foundations to create the state plan (SF 907) and of increased spending for the early learning programs (SF 673), 651-296-6153
  • Sen. Linda Berglin, Chair of Health and Family Security Finance - 651-296-4261
  • Sen. Bob Kierlin, chief author of Early Learning Standards bill (SF 592), co-author of adding mental health screening and coordinating the new state early learning system (SF 905), co-author of increased spending for the early learning programs (SF 673), and co-author of funding private foundations to create the state plan (SF 907) 651-296-5649
  • Sen. Steve Kelley, Chair of Senate Education Committee, chief author of early screening bill (SF 906), 651-297-8065
  • Sen. Betsy Wergin, co-author of the early screening bill (SF 906). She is open to our concerns and possible amendments  651-296-8075
  • Sen. Sean Nienow, co-author of the early screening bill (SF 906). He is open to our concerns and possible amendments. 651-296-5419.
  • Sen. Clair Robling, co-author of Early Learning Standards bill (SF 592), 651-296-4123.
  • Any authors of these bills. (See this link for authors. Phone numbers are listed on our website.)
  • Calls are greatly preferred, but you can email your elected officials if you like.
  • If you don't know who your legislators are, call 651-296-2146 or 800-657-3550, or visit http://geo.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/districts/start.html. Also, if you make calls, please send an email to edaction@lakes.com to let us know.
     
• 4.  Use this information to urge other organizations to get involved to oppose this: political organizations, churches, family members, home school groups, and so on. Encourage people to join up for our e-mail alerts.
   
• 5.  Volunteer to help us organize. Call us at 952-361-4931, or e-mail at edaction@lakes.com.
   
• 6.  Support our efforts financially. With sufficient support we can produce information to distribute to legislators and the public.
   
• 7.  Write letters to the editor sounding the alarm to your community.

EdAction - 105 Peavey Rd, Ste 116, Chaska, MN  55318 
952-361-4931 - edaction@lakes.com - (c) EdAction - All rights reserved.