Category: SD48

Rep. Laurie Pryor Update: April 21, 2017

Rep. Laurie Pryor (48A) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

After being on recess last week, we are back at the State Capitol for the final five weeks of the legislative session. With both the House and Senate passing their versions of the major budget bills, conference committees have been appointed to iron out the differences between them. Governor Dayton will also be very involved in the process as we seek to reach agreement on the final budget.

EDUCATION BILL

Wednesday, Sen. Steve Cwodzinski and I sat in on the conference committee for the Education Finance Bill. With each of us serving on our respective body’s Education Policy Committees, Steve and I are both quite interested in these deliberations. The House’s version of the finance bill underfunds our public schools. By not keeping pace with inflation, the bill essentially is a cut in funding which would result in possible teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, and fewer resources for students. I hope the committee, with Gov. Dayton’s input, will reach a compromise that improves opportunities for all learners and gives our local schools the resources they need. Continue reading “Rep. Laurie Pryor Update: April 21, 2017”

It was a sad day for public education

The following column by Sen. Steve Cwodzinski was posted on the Eden Prairie News website April 19, 2017:

One of the saddest days of my teaching career was having to walk through the doors of Eden Prairie High School the day after the community defeated a referendum. The defeat told me that as a teacher, I wasn’t valued. That feeling permeated the classrooms of the school that week.

And, recently, that feeling has come back after seeing the lack of investments in the Senate education bill. While there were a lot of good items in the bill, such as language on suicide prevention and streamlining teacher licensure, I still chose to vote no.

Minnesota has historically valued public education — and the Legislature has put its money where its mouth is by making important investments that have helped our state achieve great things. Even our state constitution explicitly states that it is the duty of the Legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public education.

Continue reading “It was a sad day for public education”

Sen. Cwodzinski pens bill mandating high school civics courses

The following article by Sean Miner was posted on the Sun-Current website April 15, 2017:

Each Minnesota state legislator brings a unique set of experiences and proficiencies to St. Paul, and it’s not uncommon for a lawmaker to focus on what they know best.

In keeping with that, District 48 State Sen. Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie) introduced a bill very much in his wheelhouse. The measure, which came before the Education Policy Committee and sent back for revisions, would mandate that all state public schools students take a certain number of credits in classes that teach civics.

Before embarking on his freshman term in the Senate, Cwodzinski taught primarily American government courses at Eden Prairie High School for more than three decades. He gleaned from that experience how valuable civics courses can be for high school students – particularly juniors and seniors. Continue reading “Sen. Cwodzinski pens bill mandating high school civics courses”

Feds: Southwest light-rail funds cannot be diverted to roads, bridges

The following article by Janet Moore was posted on the Star Tribune website March 1, 2017:

Republican legislators introduced a measure at the State Capitol last week asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to funnel $929 million intended for the Southwest light-rail line to a “block grant that can be used for other transportation projects” in Minnesota. Continue reading “Feds: Southwest light-rail funds cannot be diverted to roads, bridges”

Sen. Cwodzinski Commentary: School counselors are essential to the pursuit of happiness

The following commentary was posted on the Eden Prairie News website February 23, 2017:

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These three well-known words were written down by our county’s founders as examples of “unalienable rights” in the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration also states that governments are created to help protect these rights. I bring up this brief history lesson because lately I think we as a society have dropped the ball when it comes to allowing our children the pursuit of their own happiness.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five children in the U.S. shows signs or symptoms of a mental health disorder. That means that in an average class, five of them could be struggling with some very grown-up issues – anxiety, depression or even substance abuse. Our kids are in crisis, and our schools simply aren’t equipped to handle all of their problems adequately. They’re not equipped because the average student-to-counselor ratio in Minnesota is 748 students to 1 counselor. That’s outrageous. Continue reading “Sen. Cwodzinski Commentary: School counselors are essential to the pursuit of happiness”