Our objective is to: SUPPORT MINNESOTA LATINO STUDENTS IN ACHIEVING SUCCESS IN SCHOOL AND LIFE

Legislative Agenda: MCLA supports legislation that will reduce the education achievement gap for Latino youth, from birth to higher education, which affects their future wellbeing in all areas of life. 

Issues closely tracked by MCLA in 2017 Legislative session: Shortage of teachers of color and American Indian Teachers, data disaggregation, dual credit access for high schoolers, teacher licensure restructuring. 

Important Related Legislation in 2017: To address the shortage of teachers of color and American Indian Teachers, MCLA co-drafted and lobbied for the comprehensive Increase Teachers of Color Act in E-12 (Senate File 1555/House File 2077) and Senate File 1585/House File 1409 in Higher Education. Also advocated for related provisions in the Teacher Licensure bill, House File 140/Senate File 4. 

Why should there be more teachers of color in Minnesota schools? Currently, 32% of the state’s students are from communities of color or American Indian communities, while only 4.2% of public school teachers are from these communities. Research shows that teachers of color in the classroom improves the success of all students, especially students of color and American Indian students, including: improving standardized test scores, attendance, retention, advanced-level course enrollment, graduation rates, and college-going rates. Addressing the shortage of teachers of color and American Indian Teachers could have great impact on the state’s nation-leading achievement gaps for students from these communities, including Latinos.   

What did the bills propose? The Increase Teachers of Color Act and Higher Education comprehensive bills aim to address the teacher pipeline or pathway to teaching, program completion for teacher candidates, and retention of teachers of color. While the state has taken some steps in the past to address this issue, the goal was to have a comprehensive effort to address these three aspects in these two bills in order to significantly move the needle on the percentage of teachers from these communities, as we currently have a severe shortage.  

What actions has MCLA taken on this issue this session?

• MCLA co-drafted the two bills along with the Coalition to Increase Teachers of Color and American Indian Teachers, as well as worked closely with other education groups, lobbyist and Education Committee Administrators in finalizing the bills. 
• MCLA closely collaborated with the Coalition, the Indian Affairs Council and with the two other state Ethnic Councils—the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage and the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans—to actively advocate for the inclusion of provisions from these two bills into the education omnibus bills.
• MCLA met with legislators throughout the process and wrote letters of support for the bill provisions to the Governor’s Office and members of the Education Conference Committees who determine the parts of the bill that become law and how much funding they receive. 
• MCLA brought Latino community members to testify at Senate and House committee hearings and legislative liaison Violeta Hernandez also gave various testimonies on the bills.

What was the outcome? A number of provisions included in the E-12 (SF1555/HF2077) and Higher Education (SF 1585/HF1409) bills MCLA co-drafted and others we advocated for in relation to the shortage of teacher of color and American Indian teachers were included in the final education omnibus bills (Special Session HF2 & SF943) signed into law by Governor Dayton on May 30, including*:

• Collaborative Urban and Greater MN Educators of Color Program: Amends title of current program to include “Greater MN” and state the specific purpose “Educators of Color.” Continues CUE funding for four, private colleges (St. Thomas, Concordia, Hamline, and Augsburg will each receive $195,000 in FY18 & FY19), and increases program by $220,000 each FY for competitive grants to recruit and retain teacher candidates of color and American Indian candidates at other public or private institutions throughout the state. Total appropriation is $1M in both FY18 & FY19. Adds accountability reporting requirements for all programs receiving grants. (See Special Session HF2 pp 82-83, Article 2, Sect 57, Subd 27)
• American Indian Teacher Preparation: Continues funding $460,000 per fiscal year for existing American Indian Teacher Preparation programs at four higher education-school district partnerships. (See HF2 pg 84, Article 2, Sect 57, Subd 31)
• Grants to Teacher Candidates: Appropriates $500,000 in FY18 & FY19 in addition to $2.8M one-time appropriation in 2016 that has not yet been administered for Grants to Student Teachers in Shortage Areas program 136A.1275. (See SF943 pg 9, Article 1, Sect 2, Subd 30). Amends policy to include teachers of color and American Indian candidates with the percentage of grants at least equal to the percentage of K-12 students of color and American Indian students in the state (currently 32%), and specifies that grants for student teachers shall be up to $7500 per candidate. (See SF943 pp 29-30, Article 2, Sec. 11. amending 136A.1275)
• Concurrent Enrollment “Intro to Teaching” College-in-the-Schools Courses: Creates new grant program to expand concurrent enrollment with the development of “Introduction to Teaching or Education” courses offered in high schools for college credit in order “to encourage students, especially American Indian students and students of color, to consider teaching as a profession…” (See HF2 pg 49, Article 2, Sect 31 amending 124D.09, subdivision 10). Appropriates $375,000 in FY18 and FY19. (See HF2 pp 81, Article 2, Sect 57, Subd 23)
• Paraprofessional to Teacher “Grow Your Own” Programs: Continues grant funding $1.5M per fiscal year (increase of $500k more than base appropriation) for districts with at least 30 percent students of color to develop nonconventional teacher residency programs that provide tuition scholarships and stipends to district employees and community members seeking teaching licensure.  (Current programs sharing $1.5M include Minneapolis Public Schools, St. Paul Public Schools and NE Metro District 916.). School districts that receive funds are “strongly encouraged to recruit candidates of color and American Indian candidates to participate in the Grow Your Own new teacher programs” and may also use funds to develop programs for secondary students to pursue teaching. (See HF2 pp 81, Article 2, Sect 57, Subd 23)
• Hiring Bonuses and Grow Your Own Programs in Alternative Pay System: Amends policy to expand possible uses of Alternative Teacher Pay System aka “Q Comp” funds to: offer hiring bonuses to provide students with equitable access to effective and diverse teachers (120B.11, subd 2, clause 3) who demonstrate skills for closing achievement gaps; “help fund a Grow Your Own new teacher initiative involving nonlicensed educational professionals, including paraprofessionals and cultural liaisons.” (See HF2 pg 45, Article 2, Sect. 23, part (c) amending 122A.414, subdivision 2)
• Teacher Shortage Loan Forgiveness: This is an existing program that provides up to $1,000 loan forgiveness per year (max. 5 years) to teachers working in shortage areas. Amends current program criteria that defined shortage area as only licensure and geographic areas, and now includes teachers of color and American Indian teachers as a shortage area with this additional definition:  “economic development regions where there is a shortage of licensed teachers who reflect the racial or ethnic diversity of students in the region as reported by the commissioner of education.” (See HF2 pg 63, Article 2, Sect. 45, amending section 136A.1791, subdivision 1, part (e). E12 bill appropriates an additional $500,000 for FY18 only. (See HF2 pg 85, Article 2, Sect 57, Subd 36). Higher Ed bill kept base appropriation of $200,000 per fiscal year. (See SF943 pg 9, Article 1, Sect 2, Subd 31)
• Not co-drafted, but advocated for: Eliminating Testing Requirement for New Tier 3 license - In the new tiered licensure system effective July 1, 2018, the skills tests in reading, writing and math are not required for a Tier 1, 2, or 3 license, just Tier 4.  If applicants meet other requirements, including completing a MN-approved teacher preparation program with a bachelor’s degree and passing the content and pedagogy exams, they can earn a Tier 3 license that is renewable every three years without limitation. (See HF2 pg 99, Article 3, Sec. 14. [122A.185] TEACHER LICENSURE ASSESSMENT). Note: The various “skills” exams (PPST, MTLE, NES) and their established cut scores have been the most significant contributor to the general teacher shortage in MN and having kept thousands of effective teachers, including a disproportionate percentage of TOCAIT, out of the profession over the past two decades. The Coalition and MCLA drafted language that wouldn’t require the skills tests for any license if alternative measures of needed skills (i.e., grades or performance) were satisfactory, but it did not get included in an authored bill.
• Not co-drafted, but advocated for - Defining “Shortage Area” and Disaggregating Data Reporting: Working definition of “shortage area” for newly established Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board includes “licensed teachers who reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of students”, and amends current policy language to require that teacher and administrator preparation programs’ accountability reports include disaggregated data about their programs by race and ethnicity. (See HF2 pg 172, Article 12, Sect 2, and pp 184-5, Sec. 13. [122A.091] REPORTS)

Thank you to the Coalition for allowing us to use the legislative summary provided to their members, which was modified, for this legislative update.