LWVMN Positions on Education

Support:

• Correction of racial imbalance in the schools. The state should have the power to investigate, to set and enforce standards, and to give extra financial help to achieve these standards  (1967)
• Life-long access to public education for expanded job opportunities and personal enrichment to achieve education equity for all citizens  (Convention 1983) (See Social Policy section)

In 1966, in conjunction with the national study of Human Resources, LWVMN examined equality of opportunity in education in Minnesota.  LWVMN supported the consolidation of the state's 850 common school districts (those not having a high school), the State Board of Education's efforts to achieve racial balance, and increased transportation aid to achieve that goal.

In 1980 LWVMN published What's the Score in Minnesota, a project to monitor equality of opportunity for women in athletics in public schools.  In 1995 and 1996 LWVMN joined several other organizations in a letter to the Legislature opposing making danceline an interscholastic sport.

LWVMN supported the 1985 legislation which introduced student/parent enrollment choice for 11th and 12th graders, based on the League's support of equal access to education and increased state responsibility in creating equal public educational opportunities.  In 1988 we supported expansion of the program statewide and to all students providing there were safeguards to assure compliance with desegregation plans.

In 1993 LWVMN lobbied in support of maintaining measurable standards to determine racial imbalance.  LWVMN opposed the wholesale repeal of many education rules and mandates which was proposed during the 1993 session.  We urged an interim review to assure that no loss of equality of opportunity resulted.  We continued to support human relations training for school staff and programs for health and violence prevention.  Legislative rules that we advocated retaining included gender equity in sports and the Inclusive Educational Program Rule which requires each school district to create a plan for multicultural, gender-fair, disability-sensitive curriculum.  The League was instrumental in developing the latter rule.

Support:

• The concept of the foundation formula program (general education revenue).  Any revisions in the current education financing system should support:
• Provision of adequate funding to meet the real costs of education  (1983)
• The continuation of local excess referendum levies to raise additional money from property taxes until the State of Minnesota can ensure consistent and adequate funding of education throughout the state  (1991)
• State funding of the following cost differences among students: pupil unit weighting, poverty, special education, including gifted and language differences (ESL and LEP)  (1991)
• State funding of the following cost differences among school districts: scarcity, training and experience, desegregation and transportation  (1991)
• Using the income tax as the mainstay of school funding  (1983)
• Encouraging financial efficiencies  (1983)
• Requiring school districts to raise money from property taxes for building construction and debt service with local bond referendum levies approved by the state Department of Education  (1991)
• Allowing local districts to raise a limited amount of additional funds for supplemental programs through local levies, to maintain local choice and ensure local accountability  (1983)
• Reorganization of school districts with extremely low enrollments  (1983)
• The gradual phasing out of supplemental revenue  (1991)
• Maintaining most social and recreational services now offered at schools but seek alternative funding sources for many  (1983)

Oppose:

• Continuation of the current Minnesota private school tuition tax deduction  (1983)
• State funding of cost of living differences between districts  (1991)

During the 1971 legislative session, many LWV positions supported the education finance statute:  the shift from local property tax to increased state aid for support of local operating costs; change to use of average daily membership for computing state aids; increased AFDC pupil payments in districts with relatively high proportions of these children; expansion of handicapped aids to include trainable mentally retarded children.  Later, a graduated scale of payments as numbers of AFDC students rose, increased support of the cost of educating handicapped students (including the learning disabled), and the formation of the Council on Quality Education were enacted with LWVMN support.

The 1976 consensus enabled LWVMN support of legislation which helped offset the cost of enrollment fluctuation.  In 1979, LWVMN, working with a broad-based coalition, lobbied successfully for state aids for gifted and talented students.

Since the 1983 consensus on financing education, LWVMN has closely monitored changes in the school finance formula.  We supported the creation of the "training and experience index" as a way of recognizing the cost of mature and highly trained staff.  In 1989 we supported expanding the index to apply to all districts.

In 1987 the legislature combined many formerly categorical aids into a general revenue formula.  LWVMN expressed concern that attention to programs such as gifted and talented would be lost without the dedicated funds.  We have urged local Leagues to monitor the impact of the new formula on local programs.

LWVMN opposed a limited demonstration voucher plan which could be used for private or independent schools because of our concern that use of public money for private K-12 education erodes the financial support of public education.  In 1996 the LWVMN actively opposed school vouchers for K-12 education; the League believes the focus of state resources should be on continuing to improve the system that serves all children.

During the 1989 session LWVMN supported the Alliance for Commitment to Education in their proposal for school funding.  We opposed shifting more of the burden for the cost of special education onto the local districts as proposed in the Governor's budget.  During the Special Session called in September 1989 to consider property tax reform, LWVMN supported the increased state responsibility for school funding as a way to assure less reliance on local property wealth for school programs.

Financing education was restudied in 1991 and the consensus updated.  During the 1991 session the LWVMN's goal was to support funding at an adequate level.  We also supported supplemental funding to correct racial imbalance.  We opposed funding alternative education in non-sectarian schools.  In 1992 we supported the American Indian post-secondary grants and the school breakfast program.

The League lobbied in 1997 in support of legislation to expand programs for reading readiness.  The bill required early reading instruction to be a mandatory part of curriculum for teacher candidates and provided challenge grants to schools for early intervention reading instruction.  The legislation was rolled into the Omnibus Education Finance bill.

The 1997 bill was vetoed by the Governor because it did not include his requested increase in tax deductions and tax credit for education expenses.  The League contacted the Governor urging him to sign the bill.  A special session convened in June 1997 passed a bill including tax credits and doubling deductions for private school tuition.

In 1998 LWVMN opposed a proposed voucher plan for students in K-12.  The plan did not pass.  The 1999 legislative session considered abolishing the Profiles of Learning.  LWVMN cautioned that this would be a retreat from meaningful statewide standards.  The proposal failed.

Support:

• Collective bargaining for teachers, with changes in Minnesota's collective bargaining law to:
• Require that teacher bargaining agents and school boards publish first offers and all subsequent written offers during the negotiations
• Require that arbitrators hearing teacher contracts know school law and procedures
• Allow a limited number of school board bargaining strategy sessions that are closed to the public
• The present bargaining law provision that allows parties to negotiations in each district to determine for themselves which items they consider negotiable.  If necessary, the district court would make the final decision
• The school board as the representative of the public in the negotiation process. Neither parent-community advisory committees nor representatives on the negotiation team should be required by the state.
• Tenure/Continuing Contract laws for teachers, with changes in the current state law to:
• Require periodic review and evaluation of tenured teachers’ performance, leading to remedial help when indicated
• Retain teacher probationary periods, but lengthen the probation period of Continuing Contract teachers (Continuing Contract does not apply to first class cities)
• Require school boards to consider factors in addition to order of employment when making staff dismissals due to reduction of positions, including recent teaching experience in the field of certification, program needs of the district, and special expertise
• Retaining state laws defining fair dismissal procedures  (1978)

Oppose:

• Extension of the right to strike
• mandatory negotiation of procedures for reducing staff

Support:

• Increased funding of Minnesota public libraries by means of a combination of substantial local funding, an increase in state funding, and a moderate increase in special-purpose federal funding. LWVMN considers the 1978 funding proportions--85% local government, 6% other local funds, 6% state, 3% federal--to be inequitable in that funding depends predominantly on the local property tax
• Substantial local funding (more than the 30% proposed by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science [NCLI]) in the belief that local control ensures sensitivity to local needs
• An increased level and greater proportion of state funding for public libraries (but not to the 50% proposed by NCLIS), based on the belief that public libraries, like public schools, share significantly in the education of the state's citizens
• An increased level and moderately increased proportion of federal funding for public libraries (but less than the 20% proposed by NCLIS)
• Distribution of state and federal funds to Minnesota public library systems according to a formula based largely on population, but also taking into account square miles of area served and the inverse of assessed adjusted valuation, so as to achieve the most equitable and satisfactory distribution of funds
• Four goals of the Minnesota Long Range Plan for Library Service, ranked as follows:
  1. making services accessible to all citizens;
  2. fostering a system of shared resources;
  3. developing multi-county regional systems;
  4. establishing libraries in areas without them.
• The sharing of resources using trained and supervised volunteers; and charging fees for time-consuming research and special materials, programs, equipment and services

LWVMN opposes cutting services and/or hours.  (1979)

In 1985 LWVMN supported increased funding for public libraries in Minnesota and supported the four goals of the Minnesota Long range Plan for library services.