All About Charter Schools inMinnesota: Charter Legislation and Law, Charter School Numbers, Enrollment and Academic Achievement, and Charter School Resources and Support Organization Contacts, as well as Minnesota Department of Education Charter School Offices

Charter Schools in Minnesota

Law:   Passed in 1991

Rank:   2nd strongest of the nation's 40 charter laws

CER Grade:   A

Schools:   87

Students:   12,269

POLITICS:

HURDLE THIS: The Department of Children, Families and Learning (CFL) in Minnesota have decided to severely curtail the usefulness of the Federal Charter School Program Grant for that state’s charter schools. Despite guidance from the U.S. Department of Education to the contrary, the CFL has told charters that grant money can’t be used for most of the unavoidable start-up expenses that go with navigating the bureaucratic maze a school is asked to complete before it begins to serve students. The CFL’s unnecessarily restrictive guidelines make it seem like the department isn’t really focused on helping charter schools get off to healthy starts. From the June 2002 Monthly Letter.

800-POUND GORILLA: While crisscrossing the country on charter visits, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige showed his commitment to educational alternatives and excellent schools ... including in St. Paul (MN), where he addressed parents and local leaders at the Academia Cesar Chavez charter school. This last visit was none-too-soon, as opponents there are pressing to reverse the charter trend that started in the land of 10,000 Lakes. The unions have proclaimed a dismantling of charter school as part of their legislative agenda (see below, for more), and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune newspaper has gotten into the act with a series of misleading and error-laden reports on charter schools.

The following quote was "Worth Repeating" in the February 11, 2002 issue of the Education Intelligence Agency's report:

"I've never seen two more arrogant people. Their attitude was: ' We call our own shots and you're powerless against us and you'd better not take us on because we're the 800-pound gorilla,'" reported Minnesota Gov. Jesse Venture, discussing a meeting he had last year with the then-co-presidents of Education Minnesota, the state's teacher and staff union.

ANTI-CHARTER AGENDA: Minnesota school employees unions (the two of which united last year under the misleading name of "Education Minnesota"), have put on paper and in practice its anti-charter school agenda for the year, despite the great evidence of success and public-private collaboration in most of Minnesota's charter schools. The state's - and the nation's - first charter school, City Academy, was founded and designed by a union member, Milo Cutter, whose disenfranchised students have gone on to graduate for nearly 10 years and boast achievement statistics that are the pride of well-intentioned educators. Even so, the unions have no part of their state's robust charter movement, so rather than join 'em they've decided to fight 'em.

First, they are going to push to make sure that: "These entities [charter schools] … operate under the direction of locally elected officials with union representation. [Currently, charters can be sponsored by any school board in the state, universities and colleges, or large non-profit organizations.] . . .

The union also wants to reinstate the cap on the number of charter schools in Minnesota." [Even though 70% of current charter schools have waiting lists.]

Minnesota lawmakers need to be aware that they stand to lose federal funds if they amend their law in the way recommended by the unions. Federal charter funds are allocated by priority to those states whose laws not only allow for multiple sponsoring authorities, but that allow for a high number of quality charter schools. (From CER Newswire, January 22, 2002.)

DEVELOPMENTS:

AWARD WINNING: Minnesota's charter school law was selected as one of ten winners of the 2000 "Innovations in American Government Award" and received a $100,000 grant from the Ford Foundation. The law was authored by State Senator Ember Reichgott June (Democratic-Farm Labor Party), who accepted, noting "This is a tribute to the Minnesota Legislature for its collective vision and political will to take risks and create new opportunities for children." CER Newswire, October 17, 2000. Check out the award at www.innovations.harvard.edu.

MONEY MATTERS: In 1999, the Minnesota legislature moved to provide additional support for charter schools. Charter schools in their first two years of operation may receive grants in the amount of $50,000 per school or $500 times the number of students served, whichever is greater. The state’s Department of Children, Families and Learning must provide the grant within 45 days of the first day of school. Solving the Charter School Financing Conundrum

FIRST IN THE LAND: The first charter law of the land was passed in Minnesota in 1991, and City Academy, the nation's first operating charter school, opened in St. Paul in September 1992. National Charter School Directory 2000

CAP'S OFF: Minnesota's charter law is among the strongest in the nation and has gained additional ground recently for lifting the cap on the number of schools and for adding university sponsors. CER Charter Law Rankings, April 2000

RESOURCES:

SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS:

New Twin Cities Charter School Project
H. H. Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Contact: Nancy Smith, Director
Telephone: (612) 626-1834
Email: nsmith@hhh.umn.edu

Website: www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/school-change/newtwin.htm

Minnesota Association of Charter Schools (MACS)
1295 Bandana Blvd., #165.
St. Paul, MI 55108

Contact: Steve Dess, Exec. Director
Telephone: (651) 644-0031
Fax: (651) 644-0433
Email: stevedess@mncharterschools.org

Website: www.mncharterschools.org

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:

Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning
1500 Highway 36 West
Roseville, MN 55113

Contact: Traci Laferriere, Charter School Coordinator
Tel: 651-582-8200

Website: http://cfl.state.mn.us/charter/

Minnesota State Department of Education
712 Capitol Square Building
550 Cedar Street
St. Paul, MN 55101

Contact: Bill Allen, Charter School Administrator
Tel: 612-296-4213