Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty and Education Commissioner Alice Seagren announced today that Minnesota would not apply for round two funding from the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) grant because the legislature did not pass the reforms necessary to strengthen the state’s application. In fact, after four months in session, they did not even pass an education reform bill.

“In particular, the DFL-led Minnesota House should be embarrassed by their refusal to consider any significant K-12 education reform,” Governor Pawlenty said. “While the rest of the country races to the top, the DFL-controlled Minnesota legislature got stuck in pit row, with the teachers union letting the air out of the tires by stopping any real reform.”

Governor Pawlenty earlier proposed a series of reforms aimed at increasing teacher accountability for school results. The Minnesota Senate included many of these reforms in a bill authored by K-12 Education Policy and Budget Division Chair Sen. LeRoy Stumpf (DFL-Plummer). The Senate bill included alternative teacher licensure, annual evaluations of teachers and administrators, coaching for educators, enhanced performance pay, and the ability for the Commissioner of Education to intervene in failing schools. After passing a key Senate education committee, the bill was sent to the Senate Rules Committee where Senate DFL leadership refused to bring it up for a vote.

The Minnesota House failed to consider any significant education reforms, passing only a watered down version of alternative teacher licensure as part of a larger bill. Another education bill was assembled late Saturday night and included few reforms. When that bill came to the Senate floor from conference committee, the full Senate rejected it and sent it back, with both DFL and Republican members arguing that it didn’t do enough.

Without changes to alternative pathways for teacher licensure, creating a statewide evaluation system linked to student achievement, defining effective teachers to place in high need schools, tenure reform and the ability of the commissioner to intervene in and improve struggling schools, Minnesota education officials said the state would likely receive fewer points in the second round than we did in the first.

“While DFL legislators and their allies were fighting against these important improvements, other states were passing new reforms and improving their position for this grant,” said Education Commissioner Alice Seagren.

• Last week in Colorado, the state legislature passed one of the strongest education reform bills in the country, linking student achievement directly to teacher evaluations and allowing districts to rescind tenure from teachers after two “ineffective” evaluations.

• Last week in New York, the state education department joined with the statewide teachers union to advance key areas in the state’s Race to the Top application. The proposal would establish a comprehensive evaluation system for teachers and principals based on multiple measures, with student test scores accounting for up to 20 percent of the teacher evaluation.

• On March 29, 2010, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire signed into law a RTTT legislative package that improves the state’s lowest-performing schools to boost student achievement, sets better evaluation criteria for teachers and principals, and creates new opportunities for high-quality teacher preparation.

• In Kentucky, the education commissioner is calling on the legislature to repeal their ban on charter schools in their upcoming special session.

• Earlier this year the Massachusetts legislature passed a RTTT package that will double the number of charter school openings and provide superintendents with new intervention powers in the state’s most underperforming districts.

Governor Pawlenty and Commissioner Seagren recognized the efforts of Sen. Leroy Stumpf, Sen. Terri Bonoff, and Rep. Carlos Mariani, who authored the Race to the Top education reform package this session. Minneapolis and St. Paul teachers’ union leaders provided significant input on the first round draft of the application and signed letters of support for the application. Minnesota business leaders, foundations and minority community leaders also supported the package because they understand the importance of improving student achievement.

“Although we had strong support from across the state, the state teachers union and too many members of the legislature remain opposed to any reforms that link student achievement to teacher evaluation,” added Seagren.