Charter School Day at the Capitol

Learning about government from a book is one thing, but being here and being a part of it is a learning experience that will stick with us for much longer! We started out our morning in suits and ties, and after a bumpy van ride and some wrong turns we made it to the Kelly Inn, near the capitol. We took a quick briefing on the upcoming issues that are soon to be affecting charter schools all over Minnesota. Then, we hustled promptly to our first meetings in the State Office Building, or SOB. Part of our group split off to have our first meeting with Representative Sanders. We discussed the bill, H.F. 134 or Charter School Authorizer Approval Extension Bill, with him and how this bill will affect 64 schools in Minnesota. These schools could be shut down if they don't have an approved authorizer by June 30th, 2011. The bill is currently stalled in the House of Representatives.

So far, the senators and representatives we've met with have responded positively and have listened to our opinions on the issues. One representative mentioned accountability and supporting charter schools that get results. We feel that there is so much more to learning and showing what we've learned than by just judging results by our test scores. What we've been trying to show them is that we're more than just numbers in a system. We're real people that are actually affected by these bills and laws.

Part of our group met with Senator Wolf --- cool name, huh? She welcomed us openly, being a teacher and having a lot of knowledge about education. The Charter School Authorizer Approval Extension Bill was already passed in the Senate, so we thanked her helping get it through.

By Katie Blenkush and Sara Snaza
Stay tuned for updates from our other students!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Comments

[Jamie Steckart]

That second to the last paragraph was amazing. I sent it out on another blog. http://coopcatalyst.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/voices-of-students/

Way to go girls!

[Margaret Uttke, MACS Membership & Communications Director]

Thanks for attending the Charter Day at the Capitol and making your voices heard last week! We always appreciate seeing you there.

I also wanted to pass along how impressed I was with your responses to Representative Peterson's questions during your large group meeting with him (I was the mysterious gal listening in the back).

Hope to see you again next year.