EdAction
Maple River Education Coalition PAC
 105 Peavey Rd, St 116 
Chaska, MN  55318 
952-361-4931
http://www.EdAction.org
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May 5, 2003

ACT NOW!  DFLers in Senate Pass Profile Clone                 
     It is now obvious that the DFL in the MN State Senate have no intention of repealing the Profile of Learning. They are fully committed to passing nothing more than a "fix" of the Profile of Learning, not a repeal. The Senate voted 35 to 31 to defeat a genuine Profile repeal and to pass its Profile Clone.

     The DFL-controlled Senate has attempted to pass a Profile make-over since the 2000 legislative session.  In their fix, they have tried to make the Profile easier to impose, less of a burden to teachers. They have always ignored the number one objection to the Profile -- it replaces knowledge with indoctrination, and it requires performance-package-type learning in all classes.

     The DFL "fix" has been stymied by the House when they have passed a genuine repeal of the Profile, year after year, since its 1998 debut.

     This year, the Senate is doing it again.  On Friday, every DFL Senator rejected a genuine repeal of the Profile in an amendment offered by Senator Michele Bachmann.

     Last month DFL Senators also rejected a real repeal on a Party line vote. At that time, DFL opponents to the Profile knew they would have another chance to vote right.

     But Friday they did it again!  The Bachmann amendment would have inserted the language of the House repeal -- HF 2.  HF2 was passed by the House on a vote of 118 to 10 last February.  Many Minnesotans actually believe that House repeal has become law. But it has been defeated in the Senate. (View Senator Bachmann's amendment) 

     The Kelley Profile Clone then passed with the support of all DFLers present plus Senator Kiscaden, leaving in place the radical reinvention of education that replaces knowledge-based learning with process -- that is, learning how to learn, learning what to think.  Process learning is a radical education philosophy that undermines genuine education in favor of values and beliefs that government determines students "shall" understand.  (See, "Kelley's Monster Mother-of-all Profiles")

     Kelley's Senate plan was developed last year as a "fix" to the Profile, a friendlier package to an ugly curriculum.  The Profile fix was developed under former Commissioner Jax.  While the House was voting to eliminate the Profile of Learning last year, Commissioner Jax was adjusting implementation to make the Profile more palatable.  The Senate standards are the Profile "fix" that the House has rejected every year.

     Now there's talk of "negotiating a deal."  Senator Kelley, in Saturday's Pioneer Press: "Hopefully, this will enable us to kick off the discussion of bringing the two plans together.''   The Star Tribune reported, "Kelly said Friday's vote was necessary to give
the Senate a true say in the crafting of the new standards." Sunday's Star Tribune called for legislator to "blend the best of two working proposals."

         That has been the plan of Profile advocates from the beginning of this session --  to make the Profile implementation easier, to put in some nice sounding words, but to keep the radical curriculum intact with its process learning mandates.

     Blending the two philosophies of education means keeping the Profile of Learning. The two different approaches to education are like oil and water -- they do not mix.

     The Star Tribune editorial says it all. That editorial board has been one of the most avid proponents of the Profile from its inception. They know that it has been rejected by the public. They, and the other Profile advocates in the Senate, want to have their cake and eat it, too. "Blending" means keeping the Profile substantially in place. What a great ploy and what a mean trick on the Minnesota public!

     "Blending" Kelley's Profile of Learning into the House repeal essentially throws out the entier Academic Standards Committee process with the intense work of hundreds of citizens. The statewide meetings and the publicly sought input is ditched, just like that.

     The roll call vote: all DFL Senators voted to oppose the Bachmann real repeal of the Profile, with the exception of Senator Chaudery, who was absent.  All Republicans voted to support a true repeal.  Senator Kiscaden of Rochester, who left the Republican
Party last summer, voted with the DFL.

     Unfortunately, DFL Senators who have voted in the past to repeal the Profile were whipped into line by their leadership. Each one of them was convinced to oppose every Republican amendment to the Education Omnibus Bill, believing they were serving some greater purpose.  They were "had" by their leaders. They have held on to the Profile of Learning.

Act Now:
Please act now!  The Legislative session ends on May 19th. Get everyone you know to help us to oppose this last ditch effort of the Senate to KEEP the Profile of Learning:

1) Call or e-mail the Governor (651-296-3391 or 800-657-3717  e-mail ) and the Commissioner (651-582-8200  e-mail)  Tell them:  

2) Call the DFL Senators.  Tell them:

3)  Call all legislators in the House and in the Senate. Tell them:

If they must compromise, let them compromise on other issues, such as bonding issues, not on the language of the Profile Repeal. 

The legislature can do this.  But they must have the will to do it. Only you will provide them that will.  Now, more than ever, it is truly up to you.

4) Call Minnesota House of Representatives Leadership. Tell them:

Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum
651-296-2273
rep.steve.sviggum@house.leg.state.mn.us

Majority Leader Erik Paulsen
651-296-7449
rep.erik.paulsen@house.leg.state.mn.us

Majority Whip Marty Seifert
651-296-5374
rep.marty.seifert@house.leg.state.mn.us

Assistant Majority Leader Jeff Johnson
651-296-5511
rep.jeff.johnson@house.leg.state.mn.us

Assistant Majority Leader Tony Kielkucki f
651-296-1534
rep.tony.kielkucki@house.leg.state.mn.us

Assistant Majority Leader Karen Klinzing
651-296-1147
rep.karen.klinzing@house.leg.state.mn.us

Assistant Majority Leader Philip Krinkie
651-296-2907
rep.phil.krinkie@house.leg.state.mn.us

Assistant Majority Leader William Kuisle
651-296-4378
rep.william.kuisle@house.leg.state.mn.us

Assistant Majority Leader Doug Stang
651-296-4373
rep.doug.stang@house.leg.state.mn.us

Assistant Majority Leader Barb Sykora
651-296-4315
rep.barb.sykora@house.leg.state.mn.us

Speaker Pro Tempore Ron Abrams
651-296-9934
rep.ron.abrams@house.leg.state.mn.us

Speaker Pro Tempore Lynda Boudreau
651-296-8237
rep.lynda.boudreau@house.leg.state.mn.us

Speaker Pro Tempore Mark Olson
651-296-4237
rep.mark.olson@house.leg.state.mn.us