Weekly Advocate empower,educate,engage
Special Edition- March 2, 2021
Action Alert -
Request the Legislature to act NOW to fund declining enrollment, summer school and more.
Advocacy Opportunity - Take Action
The Government Relations team is dedicating March to Advocacy Month. We have several things planned and encourage you to watch email for events and opportunities to advocate with the MSBA Advocacy in Action - At Home Edition.

Today is an opportunity to advocate!

We know you need answers now from Governor Walz and the legislature regarding funding for declining enrollment, summer school and more. 

The attached letter requesting expedited legislation was sent this morning to key legislators, Governor Walz and Commissioner Ricker. It was signed by 11 Minnesota education organizations on behalf of school districts and the 850,000 students returning to school. 

We hope our combined effort accelerates the legislative process on key funding pieces. We need your assistance! Please use the letter below to contact (call or email) your representative, education chairs and leadership (Speaker Hortman, Majority Leader Gazelka, Commissioner Ricker and Governor Walz.

________________________________________________________________________________


March 2, 2021


Rep. Jim Davnie             Rep. Ron Kresha
443 State Office Building         207 State Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155             St. Paul, MN 55155

Sen. Roger Chamberlain         Sen. Chuck Wiger
3225 Minnesota Senate Bldg   2219 Minnesota Senate Building
St. Paul, MN 55155             St. Paul, MN 55155

Dear Education Chairs and Minority Leads:

We are writing to urge you to pass legislation addressing key COVID-19 recovery issues prior to the legislature’s spring recess which begins on March 26. As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions for students, parents, teachers, school district administrators and board members.

School officials are working to develop summer learning opportunities to address the disrupted and lost learning opportunities many students have experienced. In addition, school districts are dealing with the significant impact of the pandemic related enrollment decline as they work to develop budgets for the summer and the 2021-22 school year. While many students and parents are thrilled to be returning to in person learning, some have expressed safety concerns and are requesting distance learning as a delivery model option for next year.

To help school boards, administrators, teachers and families meet the challenges of the pandemic and properly plan for the summer and the 2021-22 school year, we respectfully ask that you pass legislation addressing at least the following issues prior to leaving for the spring recess on March 26:


•   Mitigate the impact of the enrollment decline related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
•   Provide funding for summer programming opportunities to address unfinished learning as well as student support services to meet the mental health needs of students.
•   Increase flexibility in extended time programs to serve more students and expand opportunities.
•   Extend authority for school districts to offer distance learning through the 2021-22 school year to students and families who desire that option.
•   Streamline the process to obtain a short-call substitute teaching license to align with the Tier 1 licensing requirement to teach a class in a career and technical education or career pathways course of study.

Thank you for your consideration and we stand ready to assist you in any way we can over the next three weeks to pass legislation that meets the needs of our students and our communities.

Sincerely,

Association of Metropolitan School Districts   
MN Administrators for Special Education   
MN Association of School Administrators   
MN Association of School Business Officials   
MN Association of Secondary School Principals   
MN Community Education Association   
MN Elementary School Principals Association   
MN Rural Education Association   
MN School Boards Association   
MN Service Cooperatives   
Schools for Equity in Education   


CC:   Governor Tim Walz
         Speaker Melissa Hortman
    Majority Leader Paul Gazelka
    Minority Leader Susan Kent
    Minority Leader Kurt Daudt
    Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker