House Considers CTE Hike, Senate Pushes for Para Training Pay
The Universal Meals bill passed off the House floor last week after a three hour debate. This bill is a top priority for the Walz administration as well, so we can assume he will sign it into law if the Senate sends it to his desk. Republican members offered amendments that would exclude higher income families from the program, but none were adopted.
HF1547, a bill to address the compensatory aid issue flagged by schools has been introduced and sent to House Education Policy.
We are now less than one month away from first bill deadline. Lawmakers are feeling the pressure, with many still waiting on bill requests put into the revisor’s office weeks ago.
House Education Considers a Hike in CTE Reimbursement
The House Education Finance committee showed unified support for HF1080. This bill would increase career and technical revenue from 35 to 50 percent of eligible expenditures and increase equalization aid so that the statewide increase in revenue is provided entirely through state aid. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill, both majority and minority members gave the proposal full support.
House Education Policy heard proposals from PELSB, as well as several additional bills related to teacher licensure. One bill, HF1257, aims to remove barriers to licensure through various methods including:
- allowing out-of-state teachers to use out-of-state teaching experience to obtain Tier 4 licenses;
- removing licensure exam requirements for those who completed teacher prep in MN; and
- creates certain exemptions for the bachelor’s degree requirements.
HF1257 was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.
Senate Education Discusses Paid Professional Development for Paraprofessionals
A proposal to require an annual minimum of 16 hours paid orientation or professional development be provided for all paraprofessionals is making its way through the Senate committees (SF502). It was heard in Education Policy and re-referred to Education Finance. Senators from both sides spoke in favor of the concept, especially as it relates to paraprofessionals who work with SPED students.
This week in Education Committees
Senate Education Finance
Senate Education Finance will discuss the following bills:
- SF619 (Kunesh) – Teachers of Color Act modification
- SF865 (Westlin) – MCEE grants authorization
- SF1329 (Champion) – Learning with Music
- SF1036 (Boldon) – Head Start modifications
- SF1307 (Kunesh) – obsolete general education transition aid date eliminated
- SF1223 (Dibble) – Bakken Museum grant
- SF1196 (Seeberger) – MN Center for the Book funding
- SF1469 (Morrison) – ActivEd Walkabout learning program
Senate Education Policy
Senate Education Policy will discuss the following bills:
- SF620 (Kunesh) – pilot program to improve educational outcomes
- SF418 (Westlin) – suicide prevention information included on student ID cards
- SF1031 (Cwodzinski) – MSHSL governing board membership modification
- SF1462 (Cwodzinski) – PELSB obsolete language clean up
- HF1311 (Cwodzinski) – MDE policy bill
House Education Policy
House Education Policy will hear an overview from PELSB, and discuss the following bills:
- HF1268 (Hill) – teacher licensure and prep program changes
- HF1257 (Hill) – barriers to teacher licensure removed
- HF629 (Edelson) – literacy curriculum and specialists required
- HF741 (Feist) – literacy data reporting required
- HF1313 (Pryor) – PELSB obsolete language clean up
- HF1547 (Feist) – compensatory revenue fix in response to Universal Meals bill concerns
- HF1224 (Hill) – teacher tiered licensure changes
House Education Finance
House Education Finance will have a joint hearing with Higher Education Finance and Policy, and discuss the following bills:
- HF439 (Norris) – basic formula increased by 5% and linked to inflation
- HF694 (Acomb) – MN math corps funding increase
- HF806 (Youakim) – Building Assets, Reducing Risks Center
Resources
- Bill Search, Status, and MyBills – Minnesota State Legislature (mn.gov)
- MREA members are encouraged to join Advocacy Briefings to hear directly from our Advocacy team, who is at the Capitol every day advocating for Greater Minnesota education. Check your Insider Brief for the invite.
- Walz’s Working Families and Economic Relief outline.
