Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Teacher performance discussed; President Obama delivers State of the Union

Yesterday at the Capitol

The House Education Reform committee heard about Teacher Performance Assessment, or TPA, yesterday. Created at Stanford University, Board of Teaching Executive Director Karen Balmer, informed committee members the TPA is being piloted in 20 states, and Minnesota is one of six on an accelerated timeline for scaling the process statewide. "We really are leading the nation in this work," Balmer said.

Balmer expects TPA to be embedded in teacher preparation programs statewide by 2012. Assessment data will not be used to isolate teachers who do not do well, she said. Instead, aggregated data will highlight where teacher preparation programs can modify their curriculum or instruction.

Committee Chair Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, said TPA could connect the dots between the state’s academic standards and how teachers are prepared to convey that content. Balmer said TPA is aligned to the standards for licensed teacher practice and could also be a model for teacher evaluation.

Yesterday evening President Obama delivered the State of the Union speech, where he called for freezing spending at current levels. Obama did call for increasing investment in some areas, including education and said, "Maintaining our leadership in research and technology is crucial to America's success. But if we want to win the future, if we want innovation to produce jobs in America and not overseas, then we also have to win the race to educate our kids."

Congressman John Kline, Dist. 2, said about the speech, "I am pleased the President highlighted education reform as one of his priorities. As I did last week when Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and I visited Crystal Lake Elementary School in Lakeville, I am continuing to seek input from principals, teachers, parents, and students on what is working - and what is not working - at the school level and whether federal policies are supporting or hindering the work schools across the country are doing to ensure students are prepared to succeed."

Today at the Capitol

8:15 AM
House State Government Finance
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Morrie Lanning
Agenda: Panel discussion on innovation and transformation opportunities in government.

This is a follow up discussion on the December 2010 Minnesota Commission on Service Innovation Report. Details on the panel participants will be updated as available.

8:30 AM
Senate Finance
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Claire A. Robling
Agenda: S.F. 60-Robling: 2010 legislative-enacted budget reductions extended

8:30 AM
Senate Committee on Taxes
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Julianne E. Ortman
Agenda: Global competitiveness testimony and presentations

10:15 AM
House Government Operations and Elections
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joyce Peppin
Agenda: HF173 (Peppin) Sunset Commission created, and sunset and review of state agencies provided.

12:30 PM
House Education Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Pat Garofalo
Agenda: Testimony on legislative priorities:
Center for School Change
Joe Nathan, Director
Charter School Partners
Brian Sweeney, Director

1:00 PM
Senate State Government Innovation and Veterans
Room: 123 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Mike Parry
Agenda:
Department of Administration Overview
Greg Hubinger, Director Legislative Coordinating Commission
Handout - State Employee Salary Settlements
Handout- Comparison of Costs of State Labor Contracts and Compensations Plans
Handout- Executive Branch Represented State Employees
Handout- Administration Department PowerPoint Presentation

3:00 PM
Senate Higher Education Policy and Finance
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Michelle Fischbach
Agenda: Minnesota State Grant Program Overview from Minnesota Office of Higher Education and follow-up information from Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

3:00 PM
Senate Education
Room: 15 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Gen Olson
Agenda:
S.F. 55-Hann: Charter school authorizer approval deadline modification.
S.F. 69-Olson, G.: Home schools mandates and reporting requirements reduction.

4:30 PM
House in Session

Looking Ahead

Thursday, January 27


Gov. Dayton will travel to Jackson, to "announce details of new jobs and economic development efforts in southwest Minnesota." He’ll be accompanied by GOP legislators Sen. Doug Magnus and Rep. Rod Hamilton, as well as DEED commissioner Mark Phillips.

8:15 AM
House Education Reform
Room: Basement Hearing Room, State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Sondra Erickson
Agenda: Getting Prepared Report, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and University of Minnesota
HF115 (Barrett) School district January 15 deadline repealed by which a collective bargaining agreement must be reached or face a state aid penalty.
HF92 (Downey) Teacher contract deadline aid penalty repealed.

8:30 AM
Joint Senate Meeting: Committee on Finance; Committee on Taxes
Room: 15 Capitol
Chairs: Sen. Claire A. Robling, Sen. Julianne E. Ortman
Agenda:
State Demographics, Presenter - Tom Gillaspy, State Demographer
Tax Expenditure Reports, Presenter - Dr. Paul Wilson, Research Director, MN Dept of Revenue

10:15 AM
House Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Finance
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Rod Hamilton
Agenda: University of Minnesota:
Dean of Veterinarian School
Dean of Agriculture School
Dean of Extension
MARL - brief introduction and explanation

10:15 AM
House Government Operations and Elections
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Joyce Peppin
Agenda: HF110 (Kahn) Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement membership increased.
Department of Administration overview:
Acting Commissioner Ryan Church

11:00 AM
Senate in Session

12:30 PM
House Higher Education Policy and Finance
Room: State Office Building Basement Hearing Room
Chair: Rep. Bud Nornes
Agenda: Legislative Reports from the Office of Higher Education:
Achieve Scholarship Program
Intervention for College Attendance Program (ICAP)
Reducing Textbook Costs

12:30 PM
House Education
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Pat Garofalo
Agenda: HF88 (Doepke) Student health personnel set-aside removed.
HF63 (Garofalo) Teacher licensure provisions amended, alternative teacher preparation program and limited-term teacher license established, and report required.

1:00 PM
Senate Agriculture and Rural Economies
Room: 107 Capitol
Chair: Sen. Doug Magnus
Agenda:
Summary of the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership (MARL) program
Presentation from the University of Minnesota


Friday, January 28

2:00 PM
Joint Meeting: Committee on Environment and Natural Resources; Committee on Jobs and Economic Growth
Room: Hibbing Community College
Chairs: Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, Sen. Geoff Michel
Agenda: Discussion on environmental permitting/jobs and economic growth

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