Kashkari testimony holds key to improving schools, but it's not a constitutional amendment

Source: Kashkari testimony, E-12 Finance and Policy, Minnesota Senate, March 6, 2020

Author's note: This blog post was queued up to publish in March, then the COVID-19 pandemic hit us full force, disrupting the Minnesota Legislature and the rest of the world. I am publishing it today for the record and in the name of academic freedom.

In his testimony before the Minnesota Senate E-12 Finance and Policy Committee on March 6, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari asserted that the current education clause in our state constitution was written in 1857 to “educate the children of white land owners... It is working for well-to-do children. It is not working for low-income kids, and not working for children of color. And I don't think that is a coincidence.”

So our constitution was written by wealthy white people, for wealthy white people. There is no denying Minnesota's persistent achievement gap between whites and most (if not all) racial minority groups, but is this because of the Constitution?

Change is possible, however, said Kashkari. He showed a bar chart that shows that since 2003, education reforms in Florida schools have enabled student performance to rocket past schools in Minnesota and in almost every other state in the nation.

Kashkari was quick to clarify, “We're not just saying, do what Florida did.” But aren't you at all curious about what Florida is doing differently than Minnesota? Since Kashkari raised Florida as an example of what's possible, let's take a peek at the reforms that are improving Florida educational outcomes:

• High expectations through rigorous academic standards
• Holding schools accountable by linking rewards and consequences to an annual A-F letter grade
• Flexibility in how school districts can spend money
• Ending social promotion
• A comprehensive reading program called Just Read, Florida! to ensure every child reads at or above grade level
• Expanding school choice options
• Improving teacher quality

While Florida schools are racing to the top, Minnesota schools are still stuck in neutral at the starting line.

Lowering standards for teachers and students, integrated math, killing phonics, reducing accountability, and basing discipline on racial quotas instead of behavior have somehow not made Minnesota schools the envy of the nation.

Could local control, accountability, truly independent school districts, school choice, and funding that follows the child, instead of ever changing and proliferating state and federal mandates and lawsuits, lower expectations, and restricted parental choice, help shrink the achievement gap in Minnesota?

If the Florida Formula has produced such dramatic results since 2003, and other states are considering it, why isn't Minnesota considering the Florida Formula instead of a constitutional amendment? Kashkari challenged amendment opponents to propose a better idea. Education reforms like those in the Florida Formula would be a great place to start. Minnesota should consider what works, and listen to parents and teachers, instead of turning to the courts to “fix” our schools.

Background information:

Florida–A Model of Successful Education Reform

Evidence on the "Florida Formula" for Education Reform

Florida Department of Education: Accountability

Closing the racial achievement gap: learning from Florida's reforms

Florida's progressive education reform a model for the nation – and Obama 

Column: Florida's education reform model can unite us

New Orleans’s education success story: A model worth following

The DFL is eroding Minnesota schools 

Education: a right?

Photo by Santi Vedrí on Unsplash

You may have heard about a proposed amendment to the Minnesota constitution that would establish that “all children have a fundamental right to a quality public education.” (HF 3658/SF 3977) The amendment made headlines largely thanks to its prominent proponents, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page and Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari.

I do not believe that this amendment would result in better schools for the citizens of the state of Minnesota. This amendment is unnecessary at best, and at worst, an assault on the self-determination of the people of the state of Minnesota, and on parents' rights to choose the education (public, private, or homeschool) that they see best for their children.

I am troubled by the language that this bill would delete from our constitution:

Section 1. The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it is the duty of the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools. The legislature shall make such provisions by taxation or otherwise as will secure a thorough and efficient system of public schools throughout the state.

Why would this amendment strike the protection of our republican form of government, the intelligence of the people, from our constitution?

The amendment would install uniform achievement standards “set forth by the state” instead of established by the people (through their representatives in the legislature). In the recent past, we have seen how bureaucrats used administrative rule to enact academic standards like the Profile of Learning without consent of the people through regular order in the legislature (public hearings, debate, vote).

The amendment is widely opposed by members of the homeschool community, who fear a government school monopoly or worse, imposition of United Nations mandates on the sovereignty of our state and country. Katherine Kersten of the Center of the American Experiment says in her excellent critique, “the amendment mandates an outcome we don’t know how to achieve and doesn’t specify how we are to accomplish it.”

Ironically, the amendment is also opposed by Education Minnesota, which seems to see something quite different: private school vouchers.

Education Minnesota, the teachers union, opposes the amendment stating, “the strategy paves the way for taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools, which may discriminate against certain students.” —KSTP.com, “Proposed constitutional amendment aims to eliminate Minnesota achievement gap, gains prominent supporters,” January 8, 2020

So who is supporting the amendment, besides Page and Kashkari?

The Senate bill SF 3977 has two co-authors, Jeff Howe and Eric Pratt, both Republicans.  The House bill HF 3658 has thirty-three co-authors. As reported in February by the Pioneer Press on TwinCities.com, several prominent Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka are at least not opposed to the idea. Attorney General Keith Ellison and at least two members of the legislative People of Color and Indigenous Caucus also support the amendment.

The amendment has the strangest bedfellows I have ever seen. If the amendment passes the Minnesota House and Senate by a simple majority, it will appear on the November ballot. If the amendment is approved by at least 51% of those voting (a blank vote counts as no), it becomes the law of the land. Since 2006, Minnesota voters adopted three constitutional amendments and rejected two.

Gov. Dayton is taking Minnesota's kids in the wrong direction

Video: Minnesota Action Network

Education funding vs. education outcomes

Gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson at Global Academy, Oct. 13

Jeff Johnson needs to steer the focus of the K-12 education conversation away from "cutting funding" to improving outcomes.

The Minneapolis and Saint Paul school districts receive the most money per pupil, thanks to Minnesota's highly political school funding "formula," yet the Gopher State's achievement gap remains among the highest in the country. It doesn't matter much how Representative Johnson voted on this or that education finance bill back in the day. Why? Because Minnesota funds schools, instead of each child.

For decades, the cards at the Capitol have been stacked in favor of the teacher's union and big city school districts. Education Minnesota has the slick TV ads, a huge permanent presence in the Education Building at the State Fair, and a forward operating base across the street from the Capitol. Make no mistake, in spite of the cheerful public relations and your fondness for your child's teacher, the union exists to act in the best interests of its members.

Johnson's visit this week to the Global Academy public charter school in Columbia Heights highlighted how kids can benefit when academics take precedence over politics. Among the school's challenges:

• 98% of students are immigrants themselves or children of immigrants
• 92% of students receive free or reduced-price lunches
• 74% of students are non-white
• 10 different languages are spoken by student body
• In 2008, 88% of students were classified ESL (English as a second language)

In spite of these challenges:

• In 2014, just 46% of students are classified ESL, due to its students becoming proficient in English
• Global Academy students score higher than the state average (of all students regardless of race or income) on all three subjects tested (reading, math and science)
• On average, Global Academy students score 30-40 points higher on state standardized tests than peer students in traditional district public schools
• In 2014, Global Academy students ranked #1 in reading on the Star Tribune “Beating the Odds” list (highest proficiency among metro-area schools with at least 85% poverty)
• Global Academy ranked #6 in math in the Star Tribune list

Charter schools, even though they are still public schools, are anathema to the education establishment. With outcomes like this, don't you wonder why?

When Republicans focus on excellent education outcomes (or lack thereof in the case of those who put the "L" in the DFL), they can win. In a contest over who can outspend the other on cradle-to-grave government education programs, Republicans don't have a school prayer.

Lowering standards for teachers and academics will not close the achievement gap

 

Lowering standards for teachers and academics will not close the nation's widest achievement gap and give Minnesota and our kids a bright future. Put Minnesota's students first, not the teachers' union. Vote Jeff Johnson for Governor and Ryan Rutzick for Representative in Minnesota House District 44B.

Gov. Dayton earns an "F" in EdPolicy 101

“The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it is the duty of the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools.” —Constitution of the State of Minnesota, Article XIII, Sec. 1

When the DFL puts the interests of the teachers' union above the needs of Minnesota's public school students, we get headlines like this, year after year:

• State standardized test scores show little change; achievement gap persists (Star Tribune)
• Minnesota student performance on proficiency tests holds steady, with some modest gains (Pioneer Press)
• Achievement gap persists in statewide MCA test scores; slight improvement overall (Minnesota Public Radio)

Don't remember hearing about this? It may be because the state Department of Education released their annual report of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments standardized testing on August 26, when Minnesotans were either at the lake or enjoying the unofficial last week of summer at the Minnesota State Fair.

By doubling the number of standardized tests that middle and high school students will be required to take, Gov. Dayton and the DFL legislature have ensured that “paralysis by analysis” will preserve Minnesota's achievement gap between white and minority students for another generation.

In contrast, union interests are being well-served by the majority party in Saint Paul:

• Democrats prioritize seniority over teaching ability (one doesn't guarantee the other) when they oppose ending the state's last-in/first-out teacher layoff law.
• Democrats protect union members when they oppose introducing innovative programs like Teach for America into low-performing public schools.
• Gov. Dayton put union interests above high teaching standards when he vetoed a bill that would have required new teachers to pass a basic skills test before teaching in a classroom.

When he was a Minnesota legislator, Republican candidate for governor Jeff Johnson voted to increase K-12 funding, although some would define voting for a smaller increase than was requested as “voting to decrease funding.” Governor Johnson would advocate for genuine education reforms that would make Minnesota's students, especially those who are unfairly stuck in the gap, the top priority again.

The "Education Governor"

K-12 education consumes 41% of our state's 2014-2015 budget, the largest category by 11 percent next to health & human services. Education policy is a crucial component of how our next governor will lead, and is directly linked to the performance of our economy and quality of life in our state.

Say what you will about former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, but I will always harbor some loyalty to him for his part in replacing the process-centered Profile of Learning state education standards, which were put into place largely by administrative rule under the Jesse Ventura administration with little or no input from the Legislature. Pawlenty's administration replaced The Profile with knowledge-based academic standards, and enabled school districts to use the Q Comp pay-for-performance system for teachers instead of the "steps and lanes" system favored by the teachers unions, which rewards seniority and continuing education.

Jeff Johnson, candidate for the Republican endorsement for governor, published a challenging blog post Monday, "We Are All In This Together," in observance of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. He challenged us all, Democrats and Republicans, and everyone else, to not be satisfied with just having a diverse cast "at the table." He challenged Minnesotans to pursue education policies that have shown actual results in closing the achievement gap, instead of policies that simply follow party or ideological orthodoxy.

As Ronald Reagan famously observed, when government expands, liberty contracts. So it is with the so-called Common Core standards, like No Child Left Behind, yet another attempt to impose curriculum and standards onto local school districts. The State of Minnesota and its school districts have plenty of experts in curriculum and instruction to ensure world-class academics in our public schools. We do not need Common Core. I will be calling on all of the candidates for governor to earn my vote in the primary election by saying "no" to Common Core.

Wayzata school board candidates vie to fill three open seats

The philosophy of the schoolhouse in one generation is the philosophy of the government in the next generation. —Abraham Lincoln (attributed)

On November 5, voters in the Wayzata School District will choose from nine candidates to fill three open seats on the district's board of directors. School board elections typically do not attract line-out-the-door numbers of voters, so your vote will have a greater influence over the outcome than statewide or national elections. But for whom should you vote?

The school district is accountable to the community through its elected board of directors. So I sent three rather pointed questions to each of the candidates. I will share any responses I receive. I think that these responses (or lack thereof) will provide you with more information than the standard "why are you running for school board" type of questions. Here are the questions I asked:

1. The Wayzata School Board is considering approval of a February referendum to provide bonding (debt) for a new elementary school, additions to the high school, and other infrastructure improvements. If the school board approves the referendum, will you be supportive of it? Why or why not?
2. In an apparent contradiction with state statutes (123B.09), the Wayzata School Board has delegated full authority for curriculum matters to the Superintendent. He, in turn, has delegated this authority to the curriculum and teaching staff. Curriculum issues presented to the school board (such as integrated math, state standards, International Baccalaureate, and Common Core curriculum) are directed to non-elected curriculum and building staff, without action or discussion by the board. Do you think this is appropriate? Why or why not?
3. During its most recent session, the Minnesota Legislature removed the requirement that high school students pass a minimum skills test (known as the GRAD test) in order to graduate, and removed the requirement that teachers pass a basic skills test in order to become licensed. In light of these changes, what can local school districts including Wayzata do to ensure the high academic outcomes and teaching standards that residents have come to expect?

The nine candidates are:

• Andrea Cuene, www.andreacueneforschoolboard.com
• Derek Diesen, www.derekdiesen.com
• Dan Haugen, www.danhaugen.org
• Sarah Johansen, www.votejohansen.com
• David A. Lloyd, www.davidlloydwayzataschoolboard.com
• Chris McCullough, www.vote4mccullough.com
• Phil Napier (no known website)
• Bill Pritchard (no known website)
• Ted Victor, www.tedvictor.com

Check the Lakeshore Weekly News, Plymouth Patch, and Sun Sailor for more candidate information between now and election day

Refer to the school district website for complete election information, including polling locations. Your polling place for the school board election may be different from your general election poll. This page also includes the broadcast schedule for the October 21 candidate debate moderated by the League of Women Voters, and hosted by the Wayzata High School Parent-Teacher Organization.

What have you learned about the candidates? Who do you plan to support and why? Let us know in the comments.

You can influence the direction of the Wayzata Schools with your vote on November 5. Get informed, and get out and vote.

"Free" all-day K!

Twin Cities media outlets are trumpeting a provision of the state education bill on its way to Gov. Mark Dayton with the headline "free all-day kindergarten."

Well, it is "free" — to everyone but the taxpayers.

We can debate the efficacy of early childhood education for all, but there still is no such thing as "free" all-day K, and it's actually worse than that. The Legislature's appropriation for all-day K doesn't fully fund it. The rest of the tab for "free" all-day K will fall on local school districts.

The DFL and the media will spin the $15.7 billion education funding bill as a windfall for "Minnesota's kids," but unfunded or partially-funded mandates like all-day K, anti-bullying programs, and special education are a hidden burden on local school district budgets. The Legislature is acting like a state school board that doesn't have to worry about how to pay for its lofty agenda. Yet as any weary school board member knows, the money has to come from somewhere.

The bill does fund urban (read: DFL) public school districts with over $13,000 per pupil, while rural (read: Republican) districts receive about $9,900 per pupil. If the Legislature and governor were more concerned with educational outcomes instead of the status quo, they would allow education funding to follow the student to the school that best meets his or her needs, and they would relieve our independent school districts of paying for mandates designed to help get the DFL reelected.

History: who's story?

"The philosophy of the schoolhouse today is the philosophy of the government tomorrow." —Abraham Lincoln (attributed)

Minnesota's academic standards in social studies, created in 2004, are nearing the end of their year-long review cycle, and will likely be adopted pending a hearing before an administrative law judge on Thursday, December 20.

As a member of the Academic Standards Committee that created the 2004 standards, I recognize some improvements to the process and structure of the standards, but I am troubled by how the U.S. history standards were rewritten to tell a story of European oppression of native and minority peoples, while suppressing or deemphasizing American values of liberty, inalienable rights, and the best that America has to offer.

For example, here are some of the standards that will be considered at the December 20 hearing.

Standard 16 Rivalries among European nations and their search for new opportunities fueled expanding global trade networks and, in North America, colonization and settlement and the exploitation of indigenous peoples and lands; colonial development evoked varied responses by indigenous nations, and produced regional societies and economies that included imported slave labor and distinct forms of local government. (Colonization and Settlement: 1585-1763)

Standard 18 Economic expansion and the conquest of indigenous and Mexican territory spurred the agricultural and industrial growth of the United States; led to increasing regional, economic and ethnic divisions; and inspired multiple reform movements. (Expansion and Reform: 1792-1861)

Standard 19 Regional tensions around economic development, slavery, territorial expansion, and governance resulted in a civil war and a period of Reconstruction that led to the abolition of slavery, a more powerful federal government, a renewed push into indigenous nations’ territory and continuing conflict over racial relations. (Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1877)

Standard 20 As the United States shifted from its agrarian roots into an industrial and global power, the rise of big business, urbanization and immigration led to institutionalized racism, ethnic and class conflict, and new efforts at reform. (Development of an industrial United States: 1870-1920)

Yes, our country's mistakes must be acknowledged, or we are doomed to repeat them. Still these new standards raise the question: what is the story that our public education system will inculcate into the next generation? Is the United States an oppressive and racist society where most people are victims of economic injustice with a future of despair? Will American exceptionalism be replaced by "leading from behind" and "apology tours?"

Or is the United States like the city upon a hill, looked to by the rest of the world as a land of opportunity? When the torch is passed to the next generation, will our public schools prepare them to "pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty?"

Here is the official notice of the hearing.

See Education Liberty Watch and this blog for updates on the new social studies standards, and the Minnesota Department of Education for detailed information on the standards.

The Dayton education agenda's pre-K obsession

"Instead of talking about how to spend more money and finding ways to spend more money, we ought to be talking about how to focus the resources we have on something we can measure." —Sen. David Hann (R-Eden Prairie), Star Tribune, February 5

Do you get the point that Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton really believes in early childhood education? The governor's seven-point education plan is not content with dedicating one or two of these points to early childhood education, he embeds "ready for K" goals into five of them:

• Invest in Early Childhood and All-Day Kindergarten
• Target All-Day Kindergarten
• Expand existing K-12 system into a comprehensive pre-K-12 system
• Adopt pre-K - 3 reading standards
• Support early childhood teacher observation and development
• Reauthorize Statewide Early Childhood Advisory Council and reestablish Children's Cabinet
• Charge Commissioner of Education with leadership of early childhood initiatives

Considering the state's barely ten-month old kindergarten-readiness study, this obsession with pre-K seems odd.

The Minnesota School Readiness Study found that between 91 percent and 97 percent of Minnesota five-year-olds were In Process or Proficient in five developmental areas necessary for school success: physical development, the arts, personal and social development, language and literacy, and mathematical thinking. This compares to last year’s study with numbers between 87 percent and 96 percent. The increases are within the margin of error between the two years.

When you couple these findings with national empirical studies on Head Start and other preschool programs that show little if any benefit to pre-K programs, you may wonder why Governor Dayton is so bent on a significant expansion of government pre-K and all-day kindergarten.

"There's nothing terribly new in here," said Rep. Mindy Greiling (DFL-Roseville) in the February 5 Star Tribune article, "Dayton renews pledge to raise school funding." "We're going to have more commissions and more advisory councils. I think we've been there and done that," remarked Rep. Sondra Erickson (R-Princeton), chair of the House Educationn Reform Committee in the February 5 Star Tribune article.

Dayton's myopic focus on pre-K and kindergarten to the exclusion of other education reforms such as streamlining the process for sponsors of successful charter schools to open new sites, and education tax credits is a missed opportunity for much-needed education reform for Minnesota students and families. Dayton's omissions provide an excellent opportunity for the Republican majorities in the Legislature to display some leadership in state education policy initiatives.

Look for the union label

 

Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka) has presumably worked hard to earn the many union endorsements he touts on his campaign web site: AFSCME, AFL-CIO, SEIU, Teamsters, Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (although no part of the Minneapolis Public Schools district is within the suburban district he represents, SD43B!). Benson is a former president of his union local in Edina.

In his latest campaign literature piece, Benson's opponent in this election, Brian Grogan, has documented precisely how hard Benson has worked to earn these endorsements:

• Benson voted to shift $80 million from the classroom to union penson plans (HF3281 - 2010)
• Benson voted against improving high school graduation standards, aligning with the union position (HF2 - 2009)
• Benson voted for union-favored bills that did not establish teacher accountability standards (HF4178-2009 and HF2-2010)

In his retirement speech last year, Bob Chanin, general counsel of the National Education Association, was surprisingly candid in admitting what the first priority of the union is (hint: it's not the children):

...we have power because there are more than 3.2 million people who are willing to pay us hundreds of millions of dollars in dues each year because they believe that we are the unions that can most effectively represent them, the unions that can protect their rights and advance their interests as education employees.

This is not to say that the concern of NEA and its affiliates with closing achievement gaps, reducing dropout rates, improving teacher quality, and the like are unimportant or inappropriate. To the contrary, these are the goals that guide the work we do. But they need not and must not be achieved at the expense of due process, employee rights, and collective bargaining. That simply is too high a price to pay!

Grogan, who serves on the board of the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation and the Special Education Advisory Council, puts issues such as redesigning the K-12 funding formula for more fairness and transparency, eliminating unfunded mandates including No Child Left Behind, and rewarding teachers for performance at the top of his education policy priorities. When push comes to shove on K-12 education policy and finance, which candidate do you think would be in a stronger position to represent SD43B students and their families?

Race To The Top: same song, different tune

In case my last post left you with the impression that this blogger and conservatives in general are swooning over the Obama education initiative Race To The Top because it throws us a few reform bones, our friend Dr. Karen Effrem, M.D. of EdAction and EdWatch reminds us that the thing about federal education funding is that ultimately, who pays the piper calls the tune.

As Effrem explains, Race To The Top (RTTP) is pretty much an encore of No Child Left Behind, with a quieter, more pleasing melody:

With the nearly one trillion dollars spent for the stimulus as well as the trillions spent or proposed for the federal budget, health care, and cap and trade legislation one might reasonably wonder why a few billion dollars for more federal education spending is any big deal. The answer is that federal government is using this program to bribe states to accept even more federal control of education, a constitutionally and traditionally state function.

This dangerous trend of more federal control of education was greatly accelerated by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. However because of the intense opposition engendered by NCLB from all points on the political spectrum and the difficulty that the Obama administration has run into trying to implement its expansive and statist domestic agenda, RTTT is accomplishing more of that same federal control without having to go through the messy process of reauthorizing the controversial NCLB.

This most recent education bill follows the same big-government statist tune that has been sung by Democrats and Republicans for decades. The parties may change, but the song remains the same: as government expands, liberty contracts.

Pawlenty challenges Minnesota to lead rather than "get dragged"

On Tuesday, Governor Tim Pawlenty simultaneously stood up for meaningful education reforms and tried to position the state to win second-round federal Race to the Top education reform dollars.

"The only question in this room is going to be 'Do you want to get dragged there, or do you want to lead to that point?'" said Pawlenty. "I suggest we lead because this is going to happen. It will happen some time in the next 3-10 years."

Sometimes politics makes for truly odd bedfellows. The Pawlenty administration and education reform advocates are finding themselves supporting some of the significant aspects of the Obama administration's Race to the Top initiative, while many Democrats and the teachers unions, strong supporters of candidate Obama in 2008, oppose them, including:

• Alternative teacher licensure - allowing non-traditional candidates like mid-career professionals alternative paths becoming licensed teachers
• Pay for performance - linking teacher pay to student performance, even more than Minnesota's current, optional Q Comp program

Conservatives generally and the Pawlenty administration in particular have been advocating for these types of reforms since at least the late 1990s. From the nation's first charter school laws to replacing the process-oriented Profile of Learning with knowledge-based academic standards, to Q Comp, Minnesota has often led the way in education reform, rather than let itself be dragged by Washington, D.C. educrats to improving its public school system.

There is no reason for Minnesota to wait for yet another federal subsidy before implementing more nation- and world-leading education reforms. According to the U.S. and state constitutions, education is a function of the various states, not the federal government. With the right leadership, Minnesota can close the achievement gap, lower costs, and put more control of the schools in the hands of local school boards and parents. That would be change we could all believe in.

Radical idea: live within our means

When the amount of money going out exceeds the amount coming in, many households and governments alike delay short-term pain by going (further) into debt, or by spending from savings. While both measures have their legitimate uses, neither is sustainable — in either a household budget or a government budget.

Going deeper in debt, and robbing Superintendent Peter to pay Saint Paul are two dubious tactics that the Minnesota Legislature will again consider this session as they face what the Minnesota Management & Budget office reports is a multi-billion dollar budget deficit for the 2010-2011 and 2012-2013 bienniums.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded the state's debt outlook rating, citing the budget deficit and "the state's ongoing financial and economic weakness as the primary reasons. The ratings agency also singled out the state government's depletion of reserves and a heavy reliance on one-time resources to balance its budget as reasons for the downgrade," according to a report in Finance & Commerce. "This leaves the state facing the challenge of addressing ongoing structural imbalance with limited resources in an uncertain economic environment."

A downgrade by Moody's often leads to states having to pay higher interest rates on debt.

Predictably, Republicans like Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) are trying to deal with the fiscal realities, while the DFL is virtually deaf and blind to them. In an e-mail to constituents, Anderson said about the DFL bonding bill, "Though some of the projects in the bill are important for maintaining Minnesota's infrastructure, many of the proposals contained in the bill fail to meet the 'project of statewide significance' standard or are not fiscally prudent given the state's deficit of $1.2 billion [in the current biennium]. We will be spending state general fund dollars to support this debt bill at a time when other areas of the budget such as our schools are facing potential cuts."

"I have authored a bill requiring the Legislature to pass a balanced budget before they pass any other bill," said Anderson.

The state is also planning to temporarily withhold aid payments to school districts, forcing many districts to borrow or spend down their cash reserve funds. Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) said, "I am very concerned by the precedent being set to borrow from school district reserves and penalize districts for sound fiscal management. Our local school boards and school administrators have worked hard to manage their budgets and secure positive cash reserves. Districts hold money in reserve for financial stability, cash flow, and to maintain their credit rating. Fund balances are often derived using local taxes paid by homeowners and businesses. It sends the wrong message to fiscally responsible school districts that the state would look to their positive cash reserves in order to manage state finances."

Messing with public school funding is highly disruptive to district operations. The state should get its runaway spending addiction under control, which would make accounting tricks like this unnecessary. The state does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.

Our schools are leaving too many minority children behind

By Brian W. Grogan

Republicans and conservatives need to do a better job communicating to the voters that the Republican Party is really the education party. Let's face it: over the last forty years, the Democrat leadership has enacted and steered education policy that has produced a slow decline in academic standards and a steady rise in "social engineering" of behavior. This social engineering has lead to an increase in violence, disrespect and the breakdown of proper conduct within our schools. The Democrats' approach has failed our children! In Minnesota, the DFL opposes meaningful academic accountability standards within the teachers union contracts.

Minnesota has the highest achievement gap in the nation between whites and minorities. In Saint Paul and Minneapolis, 51% and 45% respectively of the African American children entering high school actually attain a high school diploma. The Dropout-Unknown rate for Saint Paul and Minneapolis black students is 41% and 61% respectively*. Who knows where these kids end up — drugs, prostitution and gangs? The graduation rates are worse for Hispanics (45% in Saint Paul and 32% in Minneapolis) and American Indians (42% Saint Paul, 30% Minneapolis) where a majority of the students do not attain a high school degree and over 40% disappear from our schools. Do we really wonder why high crime rates continue unabated in our state, especially within the Twin Cities?

Additionally, among high school graduates who pursue a post-secondary education, over 50% need remedial course work in either math or reading prior to enrolling in college-level courses. Why do voters believe the DFL party is committed to education when, under their leadership for the last forty years, we have this level of failure?

What role do teachers play in these results? Our teachers receive automatic pay increases within the "steps and lanes" system based on years of service (steps) and continuing education (lanes). Even during periods of high unemployment, major budget deficits and slumping economies, when private sector employees are not receiving pay increases or bonuses, what are teachers and their union negotiators demanding? Pay and benefit increases (in the Saint Paul school system in particular) that are over and above the step-and-lane pay increases and without any accountability for testing and graduation results. And the Democrats support this position! Why is this an acceptable use of taxpayer money? Why do we allow our children's academic results to be held captive to the wishes of our teachers and their unions, especially in light of the fact that Minnesota has the highest achievement gap between white and minorities in the nation?

What reform is needed most today? First and foremost, students should know whether they have attained a high school education prior to receiving their diploma. The GRAD legislation needs to be put into law, not deferred indefinitely. Secondly, we should build upon the Q Comp program and begin gradually tying increased pay to performance for all district teachers and administrators on the GRAD test district wide. We must be bold if we are going to turn around Minnesota's education system, which is leaving far too many African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans behind.

*Source: Minnesota Department of Education, 2008 Minnesota Graduation Rates by District.

Brian Grogan, Minnetonka, was the Republican-endorsed candidate in state House District 43B in 2008.

Pogemiller & GOP: through the looking glass

At first read, it appears that Tim Pugmire got it backwards on his Polinaut blog post:

• Sen. Larry Pogemiller (DFL-Minneapolis), arch nemesis of the Republicans, favoring "across the board" spending cuts of 13.65 percent, which would mean a $1.5 beeel-yun cut for K-12 education.
• Rep. Marty Seifert (R-Marshall), House Minority Leader and conservative stalwart, responding with "I don't think that slashing K-12 funding and dumping quality improvement programs [Q-Comp] is the right answer to what ails Minnesota."

Democrats calling for cuts to K-12 funding? Republicans, including the governor, vowing to hold K-12 harmless? Curiouser and curiouser.

In the words of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, "You don’t ever want a crisis to go to waste; it’s an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise avoid."

Governor Pawlenty, this is not the time to let a crisis to go to waste.

Republicans should (I can't believe I'm writing this) reach across the aisle to Sen. Pogemiller in a bipartisan spirit to help him reach his bold goal of cutting $1.5 billion from Minnesota's K-12 budget. We should start by opting out from the impossible "Adequate Yearly Progress" accountability provisions of the Federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). School districts are finding that the costs of compliance with NCLB are exceeding the federal funding they receive from it.

We should continue by dusting off Republican K-12 education reform measures that increase school choice (education tax credits), increase the local control of our independent school districts, and decrease the power of the state and Education Minnesota over those districts' local decision making.

I know, only in Wonderland.

Benson's "Prosperity" record

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce has a voter information project called The Minnesota Prosperity Project. According to the Chamber, the project's purpose is "to keep all Minnesotans informed and educated on the issues that most affect our state’s jobs and economy. It provides non-partisan information on issues, legislators, candidates and elections. Our voting records represent the most important votes on the issues that impact Minnesota businesses and jobs – they are not intended to endorse or oppose any candidate for office."

How did Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka), House District 43B fare on the Prosperity Project scorecard? In 2007, Benson voted to support the Chamber of Commerce position on only 2 of 12 votes tracked. In 2008, Benson supported the Chamber position on 3 of 15 votes. They include a wide variety of issues including labor/management, education, transportation, energy, health care, fiscal policy, and taxes.

Grogan on the issues

Republicans in state House District 43B are pinning their hopes on endorsed candidate Brian Grogan to win the district, not just because the incumbent Rep. John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka) has only a 25% rating on the Taxpayers League of Minnesota legislative scorecard, but also because every seat is crucial to help sustain Gov. Tim Pawlenty's vetoes of the worst DFL legislation, and help get a Republican agenda through the legislative process, to shape the quality of life in this state for generations to come!

I asked Brian to comment on some of his legislative prorities. Here is what he wrote:

I firmly believe that Minnesota's raising health care costs are more related to our current regulations than to insurance company pricing practices. We need to bring down the anti-competitive walls and remove the HMO regulatory exemptions established by the Minnesota legislature.

Educational funding and the inadequacies of it, especially within my district, are related more to current law than the need to raise taxes. Currently, the Minnesota legislature restricts how much of the property taxes we pay can be retained within our school districts. And, the Minnesota legislature feels the Minneapolis and St. Paul districts deserve a higher per pupil fee than the suburban schools. I support legislation that would readdress the current, disproportionate school district per student funding laws.

In regard to our environment on a state legislative level, it is important we are excellent stewards of our resources but let us make sure we are making legislative decisions based on concrete scientific evidence. For example the idea that wind or solar energy will ever be able to meet a significant amount of our energy needs is false and is misleading the public debate. It can be a good alternative resource especially for homes but it is not a viable source for manufacturing plants and other type of businesses which are the largest user of energy within the state. The idea that nuclear energy isn’t a viable option is erroneous-it is being used effectively in many European nations. The key to nuclear energy is addressing the nuclear waste issue and we can address it through effective tax incentives and laws. In addition, coal can be burned very efficiently, is cost effective and our nation has enormous supplies of it. And, we can address the pollution concerns through current technology while further eliminating our reliance on foreign oil.

Lastly, the idea that global warming is scientifically proven to be related to our carbon dioxide emissions has not been scientifically established. It is plausible but not proven. Our planet is definitely going through a climate change but its cause and long term certainty has not been scientifically explained nor certified. Our state has the ability to address our energy needs in an economically viable way but not by over regulating businesses or by forcing costly alternatives on consumers and businesses.

I will propose viable solutions and bring a new vision for health care, education, job creation and energy policy. A vision to reshape government, achieve greater economic security for our citizens and enhance our schools and businesses. My vision believes and understands that our local businesses and citizens are best at solving and offering solutions to the Government and it is the legislature’s responsibility to be responsive to those needs.

Legislators: "It could have been worse"

On Tuesday evening, the Taxpayers League of Minnesota hosted an informal end-of-session meet-and-greet in one of the tony paneled club rooms at the Metropolitan in Golden Valley. (It was as close as I'll ever get to a smoke-filled room, thanks to the Minnesota Clean Air Act.)

The most common thing that people were saying about the legislative session now adjourned sine die was, "It could have been worse." The best thing that people could say about the session was, "It's over." The take-away message from conservative legislators was, "Send us some help!"

Among the notable conservatives working the crowd were former gubernatorial endorsement candidate Sue Jeffers, Hennepin County Commissioner candidate Jeff Johnson, Pioneer Press columnist Craig Westover, fellow True North founders Derek Brigham and Brian Mason, Wright County Republican's Drew Emmer, and of course the lovely Margaret Martin, co-host of the David Strom Show, heard Saturdays from 9:00-11:00 am on AM 1280 The Patriot.

The food and drink at 5:00 pm fooled everyone into staying for a wide-ranging recap of the session from some very hard-working, fiscally-conservative legislators at 6:00 pm. After consuming, as Minnesota Free Market Institute president David Strom put it, "Mike Wigley's wine" and the delish D'Amico hors d'oeuvres, the aloha-shirted chairman of the Taxpayers League Wigley opened the program by introducing League president and former state Rep. Phil Krinkie. Krinkie presented a special award to Rep. Marty Seifert (R-Marshall): the Worst Friend of the Gorillas Award, for opposing state funding of the gorilla exhibit at the Como Park Zoo.

Seifert thanked the Taxpayers League for their work, and explained that sustaining Gov. Tim Pawlenty's (R-MN) vetoes is only possible because the DFL is five votes short of a veto-proof majority in the House. He said end-of-session negotiations with the majority party leaders, notably Sen. Larry Pogemiller (DFL-Minneapolis), were particularly brutal this year.

Several legislators provided a recap of the session in their areas of expertise.

Sen. Geoff Michel (R-Edina) and Sen. David Hann (R-Eden Prairie) represented Minnesota's conservative state senators. Michel reported that 80% of the state budget reserve ("rainy day" fund) was used to balance the biennial budget, in spite of the expected November budget forecast of a $2-$3 billion deficit. Although state law requires a balanced budget, conservatives would prefer cuts in spending to depleting the reserve.

Krinkie presented Rep. Mark Buesgens (R-Jordan) with the Best Amendment Award for his amendment that would have renamed the "per diem" payment to legislators as "Walking Around Money." Longtime education reform stalwart and teacher Buesgens described the "one-time" $51 per-student grant to schools that passed this session, which will enable the DFL to claim a Republican funding "cut" if not appropriated next session. Buesgens also made the point that true reform (in the form of vouchers) is the only way to improve how education is delivered in Minnesota, rather than simply throwing more money at the current system.

Assistant Minority Whip and lead Republican on the Health and Human Services Finance Committee Rep. Matt Dean (R-Dellwood), praised the defeat of Education Minnesota's socialized medicine for teachers plan, although thousands more Minnesotans now qualify for state welfare health plans due to a raising of the maximum qualifying income. He also recommended Pat Shortridge's recent article on National Review Online, "Yes we can," on rebuilding the conservative movement in this country.

Rep. Mary Liz Holberg (R-Lakeville) received the Most Likely To Be Run Over By A Light Rail Train Award, because she is always standing in the way of light rail spending (and gas tax increases)!

Rep. Paul Khols (R-Victoria) sounded like the Son of Dr. No (former Rep. Krinkie) when he said that "no" can be a good word when voting against tax increases. He explained that the DFL was promoting twenty-five tax increases this session alone that would have cost taxpayers $10 billion in new taxes. The $6+ billion tax increase in the transportation bill was bad enough!

Rep. Tom Hackbarth (R-Cedar) explained how political horse-trading perverted the proposed constitutional amendment to dedicate a one-eighth percent of the existing state sales taxes to preserving hunting and fishing into a three-eighths percent sales tax increase to promote radical environmentalism, the arts, and parks, in addition to the original outdoors programs. He warned that special interest groups will be promoting the constitutional amendment, and that its passage would open the door to millions of dollars of grants to those groups (as the Minnesota State Lottery already does to environmental groups).

Strom concluded the program with a fundraising pitch, reminding the group that legislators and the Taxpayers League cannot do it alone. The big tip jar at the door was filled to the top with tens and twenties, a good sign, and contribution envelopes were also distributed with the League's popular lawn signs and "wanted" poster, and a session scrapbook of editorials and Krinkie op-eds. The evening's co-sponsor, AM 1280 The Patriot, also had a table with information and bumper stickers.

Conservatives need to remind the electorate that higher quality of life does not mean ever-larger government, in fact, the opposite is true. As Margaret Thatcher was quoted during the event, "First you win the argument, then you win the vote." If conservatives fail to win the argument and get like-minded candidates elected to the Minnesota House this fall, the 2008 tax-and-spend session will only be another step in our long march to the "cold Detroit" of even higher taxes and an accelerated taxpayer and business exodus from the Land of 10,000 Taxes.