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June 21, 2005

Backlash Brews on MN Nanny State
Unaccountable Foundation Still Alive in HF 2

It is clear to EdWatch supporters that the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF) is not designed to measure the effectiveness of the state early learning programs. The millions of outside private-interest dollars in MELF are being used to 'buy' control of 0-5 early education.
-- Renee Doyle, EdWatch President.

        The Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF) is still alive in the House/Senate special session education conference committee. It needs to be terminated.

        MELF is a component of the omnibus education bill (HF 2, formerly HF 872) now being discussed in the ongoing special session education "working group." MELF proposes to give taxpayer funds and statutory authority to an unaccountable private non-governmental organization (NGO) in order for them to establish an early childhood "system" in Minnesota. The system would include radical curriculum standards and assessments, and a child care rating system based on implementation of those radical, outcomes based, Profile-like curriculum standards. As a totally private entity, MELF would be independent of the kind of public oversight that accompanies public agencies. (See our update on the new unelected governance of "public-private partnerships.") It would be dominated by outside special interests and their agendas.

        Rep. Barb Sykora (R-Excelsior), House Chair of the conference committee and chief author of MELF, is clinging to it as a means to measure success of state funded early childhood programs and to leverage outside funding in these tight budgetary times. While these are laudable goals, the ends absolutely do not justify the means. Minnesota parents and citizens want MELF removed from the bill, and a backlash against it is growing. The public is against granting special interest groups statutory governing authority to push their political agendas on Minnesota pre-schoolers.

        The dangers of MELF were vividly exposed Monday in conference committee when its advocates rejected Sykora's proposal for MELF to comply with state open meeting laws. MELF proponents insisted they want the public involved, but they wouldn't want to "get caught up" in the messy rules of open meeting laws.

        Rep. Mark Buesgens (R-Jordan), one of the conferees and Chair of the House Education Policy Committee, was disturbed that meetings of a publicly-funded foundation would be closed to the public. How would the public be involved with MELF without knowing what's going on? Both he and Rep. Sondra Erickson (R-Princeton) thoroughly and correctly established that the private entities involved in MELF could do what they propose to do without state funding or statutory authority.

        Despite her good intentions to hold state preschool programs accountable via MELF, Rep. Sykora's modest proposal to rein MELF in went nowhere yesterday. Sykora eyes the millions of "outside" foundation and business interest group money that would be added to the pot of the House-proposed $1.5 million of state tax money, and she concludes the state can't afford to turn that "revenue" down.

Expectations of up to $10 million in outside money isn't exactly free, however. The state kicks in a small percentage of state money, and MELF gets statutory authority to control the state's early learning agenda. It exerts that control with massive outside special interest money to fund slanted research to recommend and promote these radical programs.

"It is clear to EdWatch supporters that the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF) is not designed to measure the effectiveness of the state early learning programs," states Renee Doyle, EdWatch President. "The millions of outside private-interest dollars in MELF are being used to 'buy' control of 0-5 early education."

        Transferring legislative authority to an unaccountable outside special interest organization, just to measure the success of early learning programs, is both unacceptable and unnecessary. Proposed House language, authored by Rep. Erickson, already requires school districts to measure the success of early learning programs, free from public-private entanglements. However, the Senate opposes that kind of accountability. Whatever Ready4K, business interests, or wealthy foundations want to do independently with their special interest resources, they already can and should do without legislative authorization. Allowing them to commandeer state government destroys elected representation.

Time is short.
        If MELF is to be stopped, it must be stopped in the House. It was never part of the Governor's early childhood proposals. Many state legislators oppose it. Please call Rep. Sykora. Thank her for her efforts to hold public preschool programs accountable, but tell her there is no support for MELF. The $1.5 million for MELF can be used for K-12 spending and to close the budget gap.

Rep. Barb Sykora

rep.barb.sykora@house.mn 651-296-4315

Then call your own House member and Senator. Make sure they hear from you what is at stake for our children.Tell them to let Rep. Sykora and the Senate conferees know that there is no support for MELF. Explain to your legislators once again that there will be a backlash against legislators who transfer governing authority over our youngest children to well-heeled special interest groups. If they don't want MELF to be their legacy, they need to act now!

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