Week Winds Down. It was a quiet end to the weekend in terms of education-related hearings at the State Capitol. The only meeting held today was that of the House Education Reform Committee, which dealt with two bills: HF 2127 (Myhra-R-Burnsville) and HF 1510 (Erickson-R-Princeton).

HF 2127 makes several changes to on-line learning policy in Minnesota. At the top of the list of changes is the requirement that all students take at least one on-line course in order to graduate. The bill also requires teacher preparation colleges to prepare teaching candidates to use technology effectively in their classrooms, includes effective use of curriculum as an approved staff development activity, and requires the Minnesota Department of Education to approve or disapprove a technology provider that has applied to provide on-line course material to students. Today was the third hearing that the bill has received and the bugs have been pretty thoroughly scrubbed out.

HF 1510 would allow principals to participate in the alternative compensation program. While the bill isn't controversial, it hasn't met with universal approval at this point and I imagine there will have to be some changes if it is to become law.