2019 Minnesota Education Lobbyists & Legislative Goals

The Minnesota House and Senate invited interested organizations to present their legislative goals for the 2019 session.  Sadly, every one of the following organizations are aligned with Common Core and Fed Ed-Led Reforms.  Almost all are state affiliates of a national organization as well as an international organization.  Let that sink in!

The lobbyists make up a very high percentage of who is speaking with your legislators, perhaps stopping in every week.  Because they are paid lobbyists, this is their job unlike our MACC volunteer citizen lobbyists.  Education makes up 41% of the state budget.

 

Association of Metro School Districts (ASMD)

Scott Croonquist, lobbyist.  3% formula increase; index to inflation; Safe Schools – facility expand, increase Safe Schools level; referendum passed by school board; tax equalization

 

Coalition of Teachers of Color & Native American

Kimberly Colbert, lobbyist.  Increase teachers of color/indigenous.

 

Cradle to Career Education Partnership Coalition

Julie Brock, lobbyist.  CCE located in Rochester.  They work in partnership with the Mpls & St. Paul Innovation Zone and other similar ilk.

 

Ed Allies (formerly MinnCAN)

Daniel Sellers, lobbyist.  Reshape system to meet needs of students.  Identify goals, partner to remove policy barriers.  Priorities: 1. Clear path to classroom; best teachers retained; 2. Renew alternative preparation program, wants transparent MDE school report card.  Bring the MDE website to the 21^st century.  $1,000,000.  3. Hold charter schools to high standards.

 

Education Evolving

Carol McFarland, lobbyist.  EE partners with Knowledge Works.  Student-centered learning; Competency-Based Education statute amendment; teacher prep regulations; need more teachers of color and Native American;

 

Education Minnesota

Denise Specht, president.  2018 is a crucial year for education.  Priorities: Mental health, school-based; increasing equity; hire more social workers; expand community centers; teachers of color, with deep content knowledge and training; support teachers entering the classroom with fewer qualifications; paras and support staff.

 

Educators for Excellence (E4E)

Shannon Mitchell, lobbyist.  1. Racial disparities for student discipline 2. Equitable access to funding, esp. special education 3. Teacher standards.

 

Ignite Afterschool Program

Carrie Dennison Knight, lobbyist.  Asking funding for afterschool program.

 

Independent School District 916

Dan Nadditz, Director.  School-based mental health programs; Safe Schools.

 

Literacy Action Network

Tom Hyson, lobbyist.  Adult literacy programs.  Wants funding increase commensurate with K-12 literacy funding.

 

Minneapolis School District

Josh Donnum (sp), lobbyist.  Increase monies for MN Math Corp (and Reading).

 

MinneMinds Coalition

Alberto Monserrate, lobbyists.  This is a coalition.  “90% of brain development occurs before the age of 5.”    Fund early education, Birth to 3, universal preschool, Parent Aware.

 

Minnesota Administrators for Special Education (MASE)

John Klaber, Exec. Director.  Practical, equitable funding per district.

 

Minnesota Association of Agriculture Teachers

Tom Appel, Exec. Director.  Asking for funding for existing agricultural teaching.

 

Minnesota Association of Charter Schools

Eugene Piccolo, lobbyist.

 

Minnesota Association of Superintendents (MASA)

Roy Aronson, lobbyist.  Asking for $$$ College in the Schools.

 

Minnesota Business Partnership

Jim Bartholomew, lobbyist.  Expand Parent Aware program. Ensure every student has best education possible; priorities:  1. Funding school for 3 & 4 yr olds; 2 – give educators more flexibility.

 

Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

Stacy Stout, Amy Wahlstein, lobbyist.  Workforce shortage… We need kids who are kindergarten ready! Allow families early childcare tied to quality.  Inventory of workforce opportunity.  She was asking for a new catalog of data on workforce.

 

Minnesota Childcare Association

Claire Sanford, lobbyist.   Education starts at birth.  MACS is a part of the MinneMinds Coalition.  Expanding early learning scholarships tied to Parent Aware.  Prefers investments not just tied to 4 yr olds, universal preschool.  They want all the young ages, birth to 5.  Feel it’s best to start a 4 yr and younger mixed delivery, so that all the ages are caught into law.

 

Minnesota Future Farmers of American (FFA)

Juleah Tolosky, Exec. Secretary.  Minnesota Foundation for student organizations has had no funding in 10 years.   Asking for funding.

 

Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association

Amy Wahlstein, lobbyist.  50 groups have appliced for grants. 16 – 17 yr olds into work-based programs.  Need more equipment down in the schools to train students early.

 

Minnesota School Board Association  (MSBA)

Kim Lewison, Grace Kelliher, lobbyists.  3% formula increase.  Fully fund special education.  School-based mental health program.  Fully fund remaining grant applications for Safe Schools.  School board appoints new board member upon early retirement; School boards re-approve referendums, not voters.

 

Minnesota School Counselor Association

Tom Tillberry, lobbyist.  2016 grant program gave us 77 new support staff hired across the state.  Asking to fund the grant program.

 

Monticello School District

Tina Burkholder, teacher.  Asking for special ed aid.

 

National Alliance on Mental Illness

Sue Abderhold, lobbyist.  Rewritting student-linked mental health awareness bill, telemedicine & health; school support personnel; teacher training in mental health; school safety bill.

 

PACER Center

Gretchen Godfrey, lobbyist.  PACER serves children to 26 years with disabilities. Special ed funding.

 

Parent Teacher Association (MN)

Heather Tsjarks, president MN PTA.  1. Statewide advocacy, as found on the MN PTA web page.  2. Local advocacy, as found the MN PTA web page.  She requests legislators to be creative when listening to parent input.

 

Service MN (Americorps)

Josh Donnum (sp?), lobbyist.  Advocating for more money for MN Math Corp.

 

Schools for Equity in Education

Brad Lundell, lobbyist.  Fund social workers. Grant program for Worker Association.

 

Shakopee School District

Mike Redmond, Superintendent.  Increase funding formula; fully fund special education; School boards able to renew current levees; School Safety program.

 

SIEU

Kelly Gibbons, lobbyist.  special ed funding; unemployment insurance.  Inequity between high and low property taxes in communities.  School district employees need help with unemployment.

 

St. Paul Schools  (SPPS)

Mary Gilbert Dougherty, lobbyist.  Funding for medical services; IEP for health services; school readiness and program monies needed for testing flexibility for schools; no new mandates.

 

SW/WC Service Co-op/MN Service Co-op

Cliff Carmody, Executive Director.  Need for cooperative facility (SF 7) in rural settings; Mental health; expand career-technical education; need to replace current subjects for technical ed; transportation help needed; Delivery system for expertise to deliver across the state for K-12.