Presentation given 11/2/2012 by Mary Cecconi (Parents United for Public Schools) for Minnesota Literacy Council AmeriCorps VISTA members.

2. Parents United
 An independent, Minnesota grown statewide grass-
roots organization committed to Minnesota’s
leadership in quality E-16 public education.
 Believe in public schools and believe those schools
need to be supported by the public—philosophically
as well as financially

3. Education is a constitutional mandate
Minnesota Constitution, Article 13,
Section 1
…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.

4. The state provides the lion’s share of district
funding
Per pupil formula (Set by State Legislature)
x AMCPU (Adjusted Marginal Cost
Pupil Unit)
= District Operating Funds

5. E-12 General Fund State Aid /ADM
Adjusted for Inflation
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
-5%
-10%
-15%
-20%
FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11
Unadjusted Using CPI Using IPD

6. Percent Change in General Revenue/ADM, FY 2003 to FY 2011
Excluding Referendums Adjusted For IPD
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
-10%
-9.7% -13.0%
-20% -15.2% -14.9% -15.1% -14.0% -14.1%
Mpls& St Paul Other Metro Other Metro Nonmetro Nonmetro Nonmetro Charter
Inner Ring Outer Ring >=2K 1K-2K < 1K

8. Minnesota school districts respond
350
• 1990 47% of school 300
districts in the state of
Minnesota had levies in
250
place 200
# of schools with
levies
• By 2011 that number rose 150
to 90% 100
50
0
1989 2008

9. Change in Per Pupil Funding Since FY 2003
State Total*
$1,500
Levy
$1,000
Revenue
State Aid
$500
Change Since FY 2003
$-
$(500)
$(1,000)
$(1,500)
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
*Change dince FY 2003 in per pupil operating levy, Fiscal Year (FY)
aid, and revenue in constant FY 2011 dollars Minnesota 2020

10. Our New Normal
Minnesota Miracle Every District for Itself

11. Requirements for public schools grew
while revenue did not
• Testing
• Standards
• Special education mandates
• Transportation
• English Language Learning
• Health and safety mandates
• HIV/AIDS Sex Education
• Drug/Alcohol Abuse Education
• Bus Safety
• Title 1 programs
• 100% Rule

12. 100%

13. Our 21st century students
• Are digital natives
• Live in the world of Google, Wikipedia, Facebook
• Live in a global world—getting flatter each day
• Use “just in time” learning, not “just in case”
• Respond best to relevant learning and assessment
• Have an expectation of differentiated instruction

14. Minnesota’s new K12 majority
Source: AMSD

15. Minnesota Students living in Poverty
40%
37%
35%
35%
33%
32%
30% 31%
30%
30%
28%
27%
25%
20%
15%
10%
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

16. AND our kids are poorer
Kids Count findings
Most recent data shows:
– Between 2000 and 2009 child poverty increased by 62% in Minnesota
– Minnesota is the only state with a significant increase in uninsured children
between 2008 and 2010
– The number of children living in poverty in Minnesota is at the highest level of
the decade
– 75% of children in poverty have all parents in the workplace
– 39% of Minnesota jobs pay too little to afford basic needs for a family of four
even with two parents working
– Children under 5 live in poverty at a higher rate than any other age group
– 20% of Asian children, 26% of Hispanic/Latino children and 45% of African
American children live in poverty
– Three states had higher poverty rates among Black children than Minnesota--
Mississippi, Louisiana and Oklahoma
Source: Children’s Defense Fund

17. And it matters because? Kindergarten
Readiness
Brookings Institute
Language Mathematical
thinking

18. Our gaps start early…
% of Minneapolis Kindergarteners Ready for School
Source: oneMinneapolis: Community Indicators Report, October 2011, The Minneapolis Foundation and the Wilder Foundation

19. Minnesota 2010 Earnings By
Education
2010 ACS

20. Unemployment Rates Are highly
Correlated With Education
Unemployment Rates For Minnesotans Age 25-44
2010 ACS PUMS

21. Special education students

23. 100%

26. Failing System or
a Design Problem
And the question?
Who is designing
the new one?

27. 100%

28. 80%/20%

29. Budget Pressures Will Change
More 65+ Than School Age by 2020
Census counts & State Demographer projection, revised Jan 2012

30. If State Health Care Costs Continue Their Current
Trend, State Spending On Other Services Can’t Grow
9% 8.5%
Annual Ave Growth 2008-2033
8%
7%
6%
5%
3.9%
4%
3%
2%
1% 0.2%
0%
Revenue Health Care Education & All
Other
General Fund Spending Outlook, presentation to the Budget Trends Commission,
August 2008, Dybdal, Reitan and Broat

31. We hear a lot about REFORM

32. Direction of current reforms
• Accountability
– More testing
– Teacher/principal evaluation--35% based on test scores
• Competition
– Grading schools A-F
– Vouchers, tax credits and scholarship programs to deal with
challenged students
• Changing Governance
– Parent trigger laws
– Expansions of charter schools
– Mayoral control of schools

33. The right direction?
Are these the levers that provide for the
creation of a new system?

34. 2013
• A funding year
• $1.1 B deficit + still owe schools $3 B
• Current school funding shift 64%/36%
• An ever increasing reliance on local levies
• And always, always policy

35. What Parents United is doing to keep the
public engaged in “the work” of public schools
• Work with parents, foundations, educators and media around
the state drawing attention to the impact of federal/state
funding and policy decisions on local schools
• Keep a website current with articles, events and Capitol
hearing schedules
• Build relationships with the Governor’s office, MDE, majority
and minority leadership
• Collaborate with other education advocacy groups
• During session:
– Monitor all education committees
– Track and analyze proposed legislation
– Provide this information in weekly updates during session

36. What you can do to be part of the
conversation
1) Sign on to Parents United’s E-list
2) Read the Updates each week, talk with others
3) Help your community understand the impact of schools
4) Ask your elected officials to meet with a small group at your school
5) Visit an education committee meeting at the Capital
6) Attend a Parents United event

37. “Somebody has to do
something, and it’s just
incredibly pathetic that
it has to be us”
Jerry Garcia
Learn
Network
Act
www.parentsunited.org

38. 100%

39. What works
Student -centered schools
Authentic learning, diagnostic and relevant testing
Rigorous academics that prepare for college and career
Schools designed around student need with a variety of models, schedules and calendars
Systems that see bilingualism and multiculturalism as assets
Excellent educators
Preparation and support of great teachers and principals
Research and evaluation to improve teaching and learning
Engaged communities
Research-based family engagement models
Policies and investments to assist communities in ensuring healthy students
Investment
Invest in early education
Predictable and dependable school funding

43. 43

44. 2012 Signed Education Bills
• HF2244 School Trust Lands
• HF2506 CPR training required and staff development elimination
• SF 1073 Strongly encourages school districts to assist students to develop transition plans
into postsecondary education or career - The bill also strongly encourages school districts to
have an adequate student-to-counselor ratio beginning in the 2015-16 school year
• HF2078 Nonpublic pupil textbook aid use expansion
• HF1524 Substitute principals continuing education requirements clarification
• HF2376 School food service fund equipment purchase approval process simplified
• HF392 School bus crossing control arm requirement
• HF300 Student school entrance comprehensive eye examinations parental recommendation
requirement
• HF1770 Teacher candidates required to pass basic skills exam
• SF1213 Adult education performance tracking system modifications
• HF1585 Interscholastic conference membership state high school league arrangement
requirement exception authorization
• SF946 School district pilot project established to examine joint operations to provide
innovative delivery of programs and activities and share resources.

45. Vetoed Education bills
• SF 2183 Prohibiting the Commissioner of Education from enforcing unadopted rules
• HF1766 Related to the deduction of union dues from Child Care Assistance Program payments
• HF2083 Omnibus education finance appropriations Using state reserves to accelerate school shift payback.
• SF1656 A bill which would require legislative approval of state academic standards and graduation
requirements
• HF1870 LIFO bill

46. Parents United for Public Schools
“What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that
must the community want for all its children.” –John Dewey
Learn
Network
Act
www.parentsunited.org