K-12 Bill ups pupil payments, cuts vital programs

The per-pupil payments to the public schools have been increased because of an education funding bill which was passed on the Minnesota House. This bill will make some major changes to the operation of the schools like banning teacher strikes and at the end the current teacher tenure. After the six hours of continuous debate, the bill which was sponsored by the Republican was passed. In the debate the democrats assured that the measure should be rejected by the Gov.Mark Dayton because it contains the policy changes which didn’t support. The bill scraps the teacher tenure for the K-12 schools in the state in favor of an evaluation which is based on the approach that will make the student test scores a major factor. It will include the strike ban and other multiple curbs on the brighter side which are bargained by the teachers. It will also create a system that will award additional state funds to those who perform well in the grading schools. The disagreement on another area was created by the bill between the democrats and republics by granting vouchers to help the families having low income at failing public schools pay to private educations. It also eliminates aid aimed to freeze special education funds and to promote racial integration in twin cities schools which are having large minority populations.
Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington the sponsor of the bill said that there is a lot of stuff to be proud and there is lot of great reforms in this bill. He also said that the kids are in the first priority and no exceptions and no excuses can be made. The house democrats said that the policy changes and the cuts on the bill will fall hardest on the poorer districts and their criticisms are same. Rep.Mindy Greiling, DFL-Rosevile said that there are a lot of ugly and bad aspects in the bill. Breda Cassellius the education commissioner wrote a letter to Garofalo telling that she and Dayton are not supporting the legislation. She also said that it is inherently harmful to students at risk because it passes early before they hope to find common ground with republicans. Cassellius said that she and Dayton has taken the issue with the special education freeze, the voucher provision and the elimination of racial integration. She said the efforts will be undertaken in the separate bill to promote better teacher performance.

By: Teni Sow | Senior Editor at Tambapress.com and Regular Contributor to Presspresser.com

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