Thread by @uptakemn

House Education Policy committee meeting is about to begin. Today's agenda:

HF3242 Davnie
HF550 Jordan
HF3434 Frazier

Chair Rep Ruth Richardson (DFL) called meeting to order and clerk is taking attendance.

Quorum is present and minutes have been approved.

Apologies, the reporter misquoted. First up is HF 3243* Rep Jim Davnie (DFL) - computer science education foundational blueprint established to support statewide computer science education.

#HF3243 Amy Roberts with Code.org is presenting.

MN has enacted 2 of 9 recommended policies by Code.org. In partnership with Computer Science Teacher's Association publishes an annual report, comprehensive report on state and national trends and policies on computer science education

Said report states that MN averages over 14,000 open computing jobs with average salary of $92,000, 91% of software jobs outside of Silicon Valley... only 24% of our high schools offer computer science. Puts MN last in the nation for computer science access.

Regionally MN looks similar to regional peers. But the South (AL AR GA MS TN) is further ahead in offering computer science programs and resources in high schools.

MN students who attend rural schools or schools with higher % of economically disadvantage students have less access to computer science.

Next testifier: Jeff Tollefson, President of MN Technology Association (MnTech) - Mn was once the center of the computer industry. We're no longer home to leading tech manufacturers but are home to tehc enablers and companies like Optum, Target, Cargill etc.

Rep Davie - If we want students to be in position to take the (tech/comp sci) jobs that are in high demand in MN, we cant just focus on high school, also look at elementary school students.

HF 3243 proposes a task force, assessment of what's needed in MN schools for computer science education and creating a blueprint. -Rep Davnie

Rep Davnie renews motion to move HF 3243 to Committee on Education Finance. Clerk taking roll.

Motion prevails and bill is moved to Ed Finance committee.

Next is HF 550 - to be moved to be referred on Committee on Education Finance.

Members voted in favor of amendment to HF 550.

HF 550 (Rep Sydney Jordan DFL) - to provide climate justice education in schools.

Testifying first is Adri Arquin - MN Youth Council.

Lack of proper educational framework prevents us from being able to take action. It's imperative to teach accurate climate science in schools and center communities of color.

Current testifier - Kathleen Bacigalupi - a senior student. Speaking on not seeing education about climate change or its impacts, in school.

Current testifier - Iman Deriche - student and youth environmental activist. When younger "I felt disconnected from climate change. It was high school when I realized the impacts on humans." Talking about the disproportionate effects of climate change on her county.

Next testifier - Jennifer Garcia - high school student, also speaking about the effects of climate change on her community, the soil and environment.

She took AP environmental science - was an optional course that enriched my understanding on envit'al justice. By passing this bill = free resources to education for all K-12 students. #enviroment #climatejustice

Marie Fargo - Climate Generation - supports the bill b/c we "can't shelter children from the reality of climate change. We must help MN educators to give students what they need to contribute to these solutions."

Dozens of similar bills to educate students on climate change have moved forward/are moving forward nationwide

Climate justice can be easily adopted into the newly adopted MN science standards. But the standards don't provide a guide in addressing this complex topic #climatechange.

Rep Sondra Erickson (Republican Lead) - Would you agree climate has been changing since beginning of time?

Rep Jordan (bill author) - yes but due to human impact

Rep Erickson - Would you agree that there's a lot of research on this topic that children need to know how to read at difficult levels b/c of the way the research is written and be able to compute and math?

Rep Jordan - Yes. Great addition to the bill.

Rep Erickson - It's more important that students know how to learn. There's no equity unless our kids can read at grade level and be able to read materials published about how climate change has changed over time. It's changed dramatically over time, just read the Bible and

you'll know that's true. I dont think our schools are ready for this topic unless the children can read and compute.

Rep Jordan-Reading, math, science important; fit nicely w/ learning about climate change. Kids need to learn how to read and do basic math, + also climate change

Rep Peggy Scott R - High energy bills are what cause inequity. Energy costs are off the chart, tripling than last year. That affects communities of color, poor communities more than anyone else. All the green energy in the world won't help people to pay their heat bill.

Energy policies adopted all over the world have strapped poor people more than anyone else. Look at Ukraine. Let's think about how renewable policies affect the poor the most.

Rep Jordan - Yes climate change impacts those in poverty the most, you're right about that.

Adri Arquin testifying again. Says he sees an opportunity for trade programs to lift students out of poverty, to move into a career and lift up their communities. Renewable sectors would lift up students pursuing careers in those areas, one of the fastest growing job market now.

Committee voted. Majority ayes. Bill as amended is moving to Education Finance committee. #hf550

Rep Cedric Frazier DFL - now discussing his bill, HF 3434 which would ensure all students have access to ethnic studies in MN.

More than 1/3 of students in MN are BIPOC but we're behind in teacher and curriculum representation. Al students deserve to see themselves in their classrooms, teachers and curriculums. Sense of belonging. They become more engaged in learning + achieving when they see themselves.

Ethnic studies also benefits all students of all identities. We are in a more interconnected world. Our students need to learn how to connect with people of diverse cultural backgrounds.

21 states have intro'd bills for multicultural history or ethnic studies.

First testifier: Mouakong Vue, an educator in SPPS and member of MN Ethnic Studies Coalition. Hmong studies program at Concordia gave me a deeper appreciation of my identity. I recently taught Asian studies in high school.

Our understanding of race, ethnicity, indigineity with perspectives of POC allows for knowledge of self and differences around them. I moved halfway across the country to see my identity, our students shouldn't have to do the same.

Jocelyn Thepmontry - 5th grader, organizer with Unidos MN. Supports the ethnic studies bill. We still teach that Columbus discovered the Americans, completely erase those who were in MN and this country before us.

Now testifying Adosh Unni, MN Department of Education. The dept supports providing ethnic education to K-12 students. We should have education that allows students to value who they are, deserve to see themselves reflected in the education they receive.

We're in process of bringing a specialist to help implement ethnic studies. We support the goal of this bill but take a slightly different approach. Have met with Rep Frazier.

One area we have concern is the requirement for MNDE to create curriculum for ethnic studies. We are prohibited from creating curriculum so not something we can do. Also concerns about timelines.

Now testifying, Chong Yang - Como High School English teacher. Education excluded me, I was seen as an empty vessel. I and my community were not seen as important. I hid my identity, codeswitched. Always felt education was incomplete.

The ethnic studies course I teach this year is abt absent American history, and is the answer to my students' call. My students have expressed being cheated out of not having an education, ask "why did I not learn this before?" All students deserve to have inclusive ed experience

Rep Erickson R - isn't it most important our children read efficiently and learn to compute in math?

Rep Frazier - that's very important. Studies say when students see themselves, they perform better. It goes in tandem.

Rep Erickson - Isn't it family that first teaches a child about their background? In your bill you have a needs assessment. So a school can choose a specific ethnicity to teach+ignore the others. How will that work for students who want to be taught abt their particular culture?

Rep Frazier - The bill would allow them to focus on their local populations, local needs, all those cultural groups. Curriculum is culturally relevant. This isn't exclusive, it's inclusive.

Rep Erickson - Why a mandate? Why not offer optional ethnic studies classes at a local level instead of a statewide mandate?

Rep Frazier - We have a framework so all MN students have access to ethnic studies courses. We want a foundation that all students have access to.

Rep Erickson - It's the quality of teaching that's most important. We should focus on that.

Rep Frazier - I agree, I expect to have quality teachers teaching these ethnic studies courses.

Rep Ami Wazlawik DFL - Anything we can do to help students experience empathy will help have less discrimination in schools. A chance for kids to learn about others who are different than them. Kids notice differences really young. Important this is starting as early as it can.

Rep Frazier - Students have positive impact when they have a teacher who looks like them. We need to honor our students and give them what they need. We are in a global community now.

Rep Urdahl (R) - We should teach diversity, ethnic studies should be part of the curriculum, I commend Rep Frazier for bringing this bill forward. How much time will this course take, what is the credit intent?

Frazier - They would design it to fit into their semesters.

Urdahl - Couldn't this be taught in world history? We have 3.5 credits in social studies in MN. What course loses out?

Frazier - Not intended to cut something out. In the art of inclusion, the way it's drafted it could be included in social studies but doesn't have to be.

Urdahl - It's important to teach this but questions about how and where it'll be taught, credit implications and how it impacts other courses.

Rep Heather Keeler DFL - MN is #1 in nation of removal of Native children, removing them from their families. I think all children would love to be at home with their families to learn their culture. It's important to have representation reflecting our student population.

Rep Steve Drazkowski (R) - I struggle btwn multiculturalism which the Left wants, and those who want us to focus on being Americans and moving forward not back. There's a conflict. I'm not opposed to talking about diff cultures in schools but

when we make it a major effort to look back instead of forward, at differences instead of unifying as a country, that's an issue. Different groups are victimized, we've got to stop that and move forward as a country, American culture. How will we get to that unity we need?

Rep Frazier - I appreciate that question and understand what you're saying. When you listen to student testimony they're talking about importance of having their culture recognized. We need to be the model to show rest of the country and world how it can be done.

Rep Drazkowski - We need to focus on being one. I grew up in a white community. Grandma didn't believe Catholics should marry Lutherans. We moved on to that, we see Catholics and Lutherans getting along well today. We need to strive for that, beyond differences.

Chong Yang - Como Park Senior High teacher. Critical race theory is grounded in legal language looking at history and racism of institutions that have oppressed BIPOC especially Black people. We're not just looking at race as social construct but also our history so we understand

why we're in the predicament we're in today. Critics say this is anti American, divisive. I push back. CRT isn't CES, they're not separate, they're like cousins. How do we know where we're going if we don't know where we've been?

Vice Chair Rep Hodan Hassan DFL - I'm an American and proud to be American. Somali American. There are Norwegian Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, African Americans. America's original sin is racism. It's privilege to say we can't talk about differences.

Members are no voting on HF 3434

11 ayes, 8 neighs, motion prevails and bill is referred to Committee on Education Finance. #HF3434

Meeting adjourned.