STATE OF MINNESOTA NINTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-NINTH SESSION
EDUCATION INNOVATION POLICY COMMITTEE
MINUTES
Representative Sondra Erickson, Chair of the Education Innovation Policy Committee, called the meeting to order at 8:17 AM on February 10, 2015, in the Basement Hearing Room of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
ERICKSON, Sondra, Chair
BENNETT, Peggy,
Vice Chair
BLY, David
CHRISTENSEN, Drew
DAVNIE, Jim
KRESHA, Ron
LUCERO, Eric
MARIANI, Carlos
MORAN, Rena
NORNES, Bud
PETERSON, Roz
PIERSON, Nels
SELCER, Yvonne
URDAHL, Dean
WARD, JoAnn
WHELAN, Abigail
WILLS, Anna
WINKLER, Ryan
YARUSSO, Barb
A quorum was present at 8:17 AM and the meeting was called to order.
Representative Bud Nornes moved to approve the minutes of February 5, 2015. THE MOTION PREVAILED.
Chair Erickson moved House File 2 for re-referral to the Committee for Education Finance.
Representative Jennifer Loon testified on her bill, House File 2.
Jim Barnhill from the Board of Teaching testified against House File 2 with concerns of not having high quality teachers in Minnesota classrooms because of out-of-state teachers not being licensed in Minnesota.
Chair Erickson moved the author’s amendment, H0002A3, to House File 2. THE MOTION PREVAILED AND THE AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED.
Erin Doan from the Board of Teaching testified against House File 2 with concerns of not having properly trained teachers in Minnesota classrooms because of out-of-state teachers not being licensed in Minnesota.
Kyle Swenson, a career/technical education teacher at Wayzata schools, testified against House File 2 with concerns of teachers not licensed in Minnesota not being able to teach to Minnesota standards.
David Aron, an attorney with Education Minnesota, testified against House File 2 with concerns of teachers not licensed to Minnesota standards being not as effective in the classroom as licensed Minnesota teachers. He favored alternatives to the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examination.
Cyndy Crist from Minnesota Association of Colleges for Teacher Education testified against House File 2 with concerns of out-of-state licensed teachers not being able to teach to Minnesota standards. She favored alternatives to the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examination.
Jess Glover, an attorney from Education Minnesota, testified against House File 2 with concerns of the bill abolishing the practice of factoring in seniority when school districts are forced to cut their budgets and layoff teachers.
Roger Aronson from School Principals testified in favor of creating a larger pool of teacher applicants for schools and for the state to step in if contracts are not reached in the local school districts.
Rick Heller, unofficially representing the twice exceptional and print disabled, testified in favor of the “Twice Exceptional” rule.
Eric Mahmoud from the Harvest Network of Schools testified in favor of House File 2 because it permits great out-of-state teachers to teach in Minnesota.
Tim Alexander from Minnesota Association of School Personnel Administrators testified in favor of House File 2 because it allows local control in school districts to hire the best teachers.
Jon Bacal from the Venture Academy and two students from the Venture Academy, Alexas Johnson and Noah Abdullahi, testified in favor of House File 2 because of positive experiences they have had with out-of-state licensed teachers in their classrooms.
Maggie Sullivan, the Executive Director of Human Capital in the Minneapolis Public Schools, testified in favor of House File 2 because it creates a diverse and high quality pool of teachers for schools.
Daniel Sellers, the Executive Director of MinnCAN, testified in favor of having an easier process for out-of-state teachers to become licensed in Minnesota.
Nicole Bridge, the Middle School Math Coordinator from Minneapolis Public Schools, testified in favor of a more transparent process for out-of-state teachers to become licensed in Minnesota.
Eli Kramer, the Executive Director of Hiawatha Academies, testified in favor of creating a more streamlined process for out-of-state teachers to become licensed in Minnesota.
Gary Amaroso from the Minnesota Association of School Administrators testified in favor of school districts being able to retain the most effective school teachers and for the state to step in if contracts are not reached in the local school districts.
Scott Croonquist from the Association of Metropolitan School Districts testified in favor of school districts having greater flexibility from using just seniority when placing teachers on unrequested leave.
Chair Erickson laid over House File 2 as amended for later action.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:03 AM.
Representative Sondra Erickson, Chair
Ethan Hellier, Committee Legislative Assistant