In our last post, Specialpalooza: Allen Quist jumps into MN HD 19A, dogwhistles culture war as key issue, Bluestem had noted that we were a bit puzzled by a claim in Allen Quist's press release announcing his bid for Republican endorsement in special election for the Minnesota House District 19A seat:
Repeal of the controversial education policy known as the “Profile of Learning” was another of Quist’s accomplishments. Quist said he won the support of Education Minnesota in that successful repeal effort.
We'd put in a call asking for the education union's response to the paragraph. Public Affairs Specialist Douglas Dooher emailed the following statement from Education Minnesota in response to the Quist press release:
It is true that Education Minnesota ultimately supported repealing the Profile of Learning, after proposing numerous changes to the law over several years. However, it is inaccurate at best to say that Education Minnesota ever supported the rationale and the proposed fixes to the Profile proposed by Allen Quist and his group, the Maple River Education Coalition.
Education Minnesota’s members called for changes to the Profile based on their experiences in the classroom and because they felt the law was not benefiting students. Quist and his allies called for replacing the Profile with something called the North Star Standard, which was an unknown and unproven “back to basics” system that required rote memorization and relied heavily on tests. Quist’s group was the only education group in the state that supported the North Star Standard.
It’s puzzling at this point why Mr. Quist would attempt to align himself with Minnesota’s educators when his views and his record have historically been opposed to what educators and students need.
MPR reported in 2000 that the North Star Standard Flunks Legislative Test. Here's a link to the House version of the bill that would have required use of the North Star Standard, H.F. 3768, authored by Tony Kielkucki.
Governor Dayton has yet to set the date for the special election in MN HD 19A prompted by the resignation of Rep. Terry Morrow, who ran unopposed in the 2012 election. Morrow has taken a job with the Uniform Law Commission in Chicago.
Robin Courrier, Clark Johnson and Karl Johnson are competing for the DFL endorsement, Tim Gieseke plans an Independence Party bid and Jim Golgart will battle Quist for the Republican nod. The winner will represent Nicollet County, Kasota, and parts of Mankato.
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