Legislative

(Updated April 2010)

Parents United Network

“Parents United Network is a non-partisan statewide organization bringing together parents and other Minnesotans in an effort to support quality E-12 public education.” For information about their efforts, upcoming events, and signing up for e-mail notices, visit Parents United Network



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Eden Prairie (District 42) Legislators

Senator David Hann (R)

District 42A (Northwest part of EP)
Representative Maria Ruud (DFL)

District 42B
Representative Jenifer Loon (R)



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Governor

Governor Tim Pawlenty
Room 130, State Capitol
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-3391

E-mail: tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us

Website: www.governor.state.mn.us



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Minnesota Department of Education

Commissioner Alice Seagren
Minnesota Department of Education
1500 Highway 36 West
Roseville, MN 55113-4266
(651) 582-8200

Wendy A. Behrens
Gifted & Talented Education Specialist
Minnesota Department of Education
Academic Standards & Professional Development
1500 Highway 36 West
Roseville, MN 55113-4266
(651) 582-8786

Website: http://education.state.mn.us

E-mail: go to website above and choose Contact MDE link.



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Minnesota Legislature

www.leg.state.mn.us

Television coverage of the Legislature in the Twin Cities: Channel 2.2
Live coverage of floor sessions and committee hearings is provided throughout the day, and taped coverage is played between live proceedings.

How a bill becomes law in Minnesota
Check out this helpful section, including flow chart, of how bills become law in our process: www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/howbill.asp

The legislative website has access to both the Senate and House web pages; statutes, laws, and rules; a process for tracking bills of interest; committees, their memberships, and a process for getting updates on meeting dates and agendas; publications; etc.


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Minnesota Senate

Senate Information Office
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 231
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
(651) 296-0504
www.senate.leg.state.mn.us

Newsletter available online only: Senate Briefly

Majority Leader
Senator Larry Pogemiller (DFL)

Minority Leader
Senator David H. Senjem (R)

Senate committees on education issues


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Minnesota House

100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-2146
www.house.leg.state.mn.us

Weekly newsletter available via mail or online: Session Weekly

Online daily news updated during the legislative session: Session Daily

Speaker of the House
Rep. Margaret Kelliher (DFL)

Majority Leader
Rep. Anthony "Tony" Sertich (R)

Minority Leader
Rep. Kurt Zellers (R)

House committees on education issues



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Votetracker

You can see how your legislator is voting on issues, follow key legislation, read background information on issues, and see related Minnesota Public Radio stories at Minnesota Public Radio’s website, http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker>



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Visiting the Capitol

For directions, parking and tour information, see

www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/Cme2Cap.pdf

or go to the house website and select Come to the Capitol.

For your first stop, you might want to visit the House Public Information Office, Room 175, State Office Building (just west of the Capitol). You can pick up a number of publications and check daily and weekly committee schedules.

If you wish to personally meet with a legislator, please call ahead to schedule an appointment and let the legislator (or legislative assistant who answers the phone) know your topic(s) of discussion and size of group.



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Our Legislators in Washington, D.C.

Senator Amy Klobuchar (DFL)
United States Sentate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Senator Al Franken (DFL)
United States Sentate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Congressman Erik Paulsen (R)
126 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515



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Other Information Sources


Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD) – www.amsd.org

For legislative updates, position papers, bill summaries, parent lobbying resources (including an explanation of how K-12 bills differ from others), statistical data on member districts, calendar and events.


Education Minnesota (EM) – www.educationminnesota.org

This teachers’ organization site has legislative information of interest under Policy/Politics and also tracks news articles of particular on education issues.


Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) – www.mnmsba.org

Check out the Governmental Relations link and especially Capitol Compass, to get assessments of legislative activity.


Minnesota PTA – www.mnpta.org

In particular, check Advocacy Resources and Resources and Links.


National PTA – www.pta.org

Through the Issues & Action link you can sign up to receive the online newsletter “This Week in Washington.”


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Minnesota Gifted & Talented Statutes

Minnesota Department of Education: http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Academic_Excellence/Gifted_and_Talented/index.html

Legislation
Minnesota Statute §120B.15 GIFTED and TALENTED STUDENTS PROGRAM sections (a) and (b) permit school districts and charter schools to identify students who are gifted and talented, develop and evaluate programs to serve them locally and provide staff development to ensure that they have access to challenging educational programs. The legislation also provides guidance for districts to adopt procedures for assessing and identifying students.

Section (c) directs school districts and charter schools to adopt procedures for the academic acceleration of gifted and talented students that include an assessment of students' readiness and motivation for acceleration and a match between the curriculum and the students' academic needs. (Districts may wish to implement policies that reflect gifted and talented best practices, consistent with Minnesota Statute §120B.15.)

Gifted and talented revenue (Minnesota Statute §126C.10 Subd. 2 (b)) provides school districts and charter schools with $12 times a district’s adjusted marginal cost pupil units (AMCPU). Uses of this revenue:
1. Identify gifted and talented students.
2. Provide education programs for gifted and talented students.
3. Provide staff development to prepare teachers to best meet the unique needs of gifted and talented students.

 

120B.15 GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS PROGRAMS.
    (a) School districts may identify students, locally develop programs, provide staff
development, and evaluate programs to provide gifted and talented students with challenging
educational programs.
    (b) School districts may adopt guidelines for assessing and identifying students for
participation in gifted and talented programs. The guidelines should include the use of:
    (1) multiple and objective criteria; and
    (2) assessments and procedures that are valid and reliable, fair, and based on current theory
and research.
    (c) School districts must adopt procedures for the academic acceleration of gifted and
talented students. These procedures must include how the district will:
    (1) assess a student's readiness and motivation for acceleration; and
    (2) match the level, complexity, and pace of the curriculum to a student to achieve the best
type of academic acceleration for that student.

126C.10 GENERAL EDUCATION REVENUE.
Subd. 2b. Gifted and talented revenue. Gifted and talented revenue for each district equals
the district's adjusted marginal cost pupil units for that school year times $12 for fiscal year
2008 and later. A school district must reserve gifted and talented revenue and, consistent with
section 120B.15, must spend the revenue only to:
    (1) identify gifted and talented students;
    (2) provide education programs for gifted and talented students; or
    (3) provide staff development to prepare teachers to best meet the unique needs of gifted
         and talented students.

120B.20 PARENTAL CURRICULUM REVIEW.
Each school district shall have a procedure for a parent, guardian, or an adult student, 18 years of age or older, to review the content of the instructional materials to be provided to a minor child or to an adult student and, if the parent, guardian, or adult student objects to the content, to make reasonable arrangements with school personnel for alternative instruction. Alternative instruction may be provided by the parent, guardian, or adult student if the alternative instruction, if any, offered by the school board does not meet the concerns of the parent, guardian, or adult student. The school board is not required to pay for the costs of alternative instruction provided by a parent, guardian, or adult student. School personnel may not impose an academic or other penalty upon a student merely for arranging alternative instruction under this section. School personnel may evaluate and assess the quality of the student's work.




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Eden Prairie School District

Link to: Eden Prairie School District Gifted & Talented Program description.



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