May 17, 2005
Urgent: Senator Dismisses Parents
Objections to Nanny State
Within the
next day or two, decisions will be made at the legislature that will
affect every one of our families, children and grandchildren. Please
read this report and act today. You can make a difference in the
direction our state takes. This is an urgent alert. Action items are
listed below.
Yesterday,
Senator Hottinger (DFL - St. Peter), Chairman of the Senate Early
Childhood Budget Division, dismissed the objections of EdAction lobbyist
Dr. Karen Effrem to Senate plans for sweeping Nanny State legislation for
pre-schoolers, suggesting that her data is insignificant, isolated, and
contrived. The Education Finance Conference Committee took up the Nanny
State provisions in the omnibus education bill (HF 872) on Monday.
(See our alert of May
11.) The differences between the House and Senate versions are
profound.
Hottinger
is not a member of the conference committee, but he testified to the
committee as Chairman of the Senate of Senate Early Childhood Committee
responsible for the elements that are now included in the Senate omnibus
education legislation. Sen. Stumpf (DFL - Plummer) chaired the conference
committee yesterday. He allowed numerous, repetitive statements from the
well-heeled Nanny State lobby, while opposition to this massive new
system from EdAction's advocate for parents was ignored until the very
end. Dr. Effrem insisted, however, on also testifying before the
committee. Reluctantly, Sen. Stumpf recognized her, but not before
admonishing that she was keeping them all from dinner.
Dr. Effrem
testified to the committee that the Senate version of HF 872 would adopt
controversial Early Learning Indicators (curriculum standards) like
the rejected Profile of Learning that define for all parents in
Minnesota what their infants and toddlers -- birth through five
should be taught, including indoctrination into the political
agendas of gender identity, diversity training, vocations,
environmentalism, and social activism. She
presented
evidence that the "crisis" of children not being
"ready for kindergarten" is largely manufactured by those with
financial and political self-interests.
Dr.
Effrem's testimony proved too much for Sen. Hottinger, who suggested that
she should not have been allowed a "forum" at the committee
hearings. He ignored her position as lobbyist for EdAction, the largest
statewide grassroots citizen-lobbying organization. Unlike other
organizations present, EdAction has no financial interests at stake. Sen.
Hottinger then personally attempted to discredit her information, flatly
denying that the Early Learning Indicators contain any of the
controversial content Dr. Effrem highlighted. She was given no
opportunity to respond to Sen. Hottinger's misrepresentation of
EdAction's position.
The Senate
defenders of the Nanny State displayed an arrogance of power unmatched to
date in their drive to impose a new, expensive, and controlling
government system on all Minnesota children. They are not content to have
the corner on money and power to impose this system on an unsuspecting
public. They also expect to silence the opposition just at the moment
when the the conference committee is deciding which version to
accept.
The early
childhood curriculum standards, which are titled Indicators, are
unequivocally full of controversial, politicized Profile-or-Learning-type
mandates on our very youngest children. The public thinks early learning
standards are minimal cognitive and physical expectations. Instead, they
are filled with "social and emotional" directives, while
cognitive and physical expectations play a minor role. They contain
numerous controversial issues that are unrelated to being ready for
kindergarten. (See
our
update.)
The
Indicators are also an action manual for children, families, teachers,
community groups and policy makers to lobby for even more government
intervention in the lives of families and children. Despite protestations
that the Indicators are "voluntary guidelines," the Senate
language requires their distribution to every childcare center and
preschool in the state, and they will be required for any program that
wants to receive the economic advantages of being rated as a
"quality" program.
The
lobbyists for mass mental health screening for toddlers were also present
in force. The Senate version includes mental health screening as an
integral part of their Nanny State program.
(See our
alert.) Even with parental consent provisions, the potential for
over-labelling, over-referring, and over-drugging of children is very
high.
Ironically,
the many hours leading up to the Early Learning discussion were filled
with testimony about K-12 education being inadequately funded. Both the
House and Senate financing proposals were continually described as a
"good start" but not enough.
If K-12 is so desperately short of funding, why is the Nanny State even a
serious proposal? What insanity leaves both demands on the table? Why is
the Senate intent on launching a new state education expenditure with
spending tails as far as the eye can see, which are expected to mushroom
every biennium into the foreseeable future? Is the Senate trying to gain
more members and clout for the teachers' union? Are they responding
to the desire of the large corporations to have the public pay their
childcare expenses by calling this education?
Action #1
Legislators must hear from you immediately.
Do not let the pharmaceutical industry, wealthy foundations, and large
corporate interests speak for you.
Tell these conferees to say no to the Nanny State
- its curriculum standards for all,
- its mental health screening for toddlers,
- its rating system for child care centers based on the curriculum
standards, and
- its unaccountable foundation to implement the new system.
| House conferees: |
|
651- |
| Barb Sykora |
rep.barb.sykora@house.mn |
296-4315 |
| Denise Dittrich |
rep.denise.dittrich@house.mn |
296-5513 |
| Mark Buesgens |
rep.mark.buesgens@house.mn |
296-5185 |
| Sondra Erickson |
rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn |
296-6746 |
| Bud Heidgerken |
rep.bud.heidgerken@house.mn |
296-4317 |
| Senate conferees: |
|
651- |
| LeRoy Stumpf |
sen.leroy.stumpf@senate.mn |
296-8660 |
| Steve Kelley |
sen.steve.kelley@senate.mn |
297-8065 |
Dan Sparks |
sen.daniel.sparks@senate.mn |
296-9248 |
Gen Olson |
sen.gen.olson@senate.mn |
296-1282 |
| Linda Scheid |
sen.linda.scheid@senate.mn |
296-8869 |
Action #2
Stand with EdAction and Dr. Karen Effrem at the conference
committee hearings!
Will you be one who will show up when the meetings are called? We need
you there. Let us know that we can contact you when the conference
committee is called to meet. It may be today, tomorrow, or any day this
week. It may be early or late. Maybe you can be there at some times and
not others, but we will notify you as soon as a meeting is scheduled.
Please
respond to this e-mail or call our office that you can be there at the
conference committee to stand up for our children. You won't need to
testify. You just need to be there.
Thank you for taking the time from your busy day to make a difference for
our future.
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