ST. PAUL -- Senators voted to abolish Minnesota's controversial Profile of Learning on Friday, nearly 11 weeks after the House decided to get rid of the show-what-you-know graduation standards.
Bill sponsor Sen. Steve Kelley, DFL-Hopkins, said the bill repeals the profile, but Republicans disagreed. Republicans said the bill just sets up a different-looking profile.
"Senator Kelley reinstates the Profile of Learning hook, line and sinker," Sen. Michele Bachmann said. "It is a wink and a nod."
Bachmann, R-Stillwater, and Kelley engaged in a heated debate on the Senate floor.
Senate File 1528 establishes six learning areas -- reading-writing, mathematics, science, social sciences and arts-literature -- to replace the 24 "content standards" required by the profile. Profile "performance packages" and paperwork teachers called excessive are scrapped.
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Bachmann tried to amend the bill to match what the House passed 118-10 on Feb. 17, when it replaced the profile with standards drawn up by a 77-person committee that met earlier this year.
The amendment failed 35-31, leaving it up to a House-Senate conference committee to decide the matter. Majority Democrats stuck together in opposing it.
The standards committee established new reading and math standards for the next school year. Standards in science, history and geography would be implemented later under the House and Bachmann plan, but only after legislators approve.
Bachmann was critical that the Kelley bill requires students to learn, for instance, perspectives of people involved in significant historical events. "I think it is pretty important about how the Bill of Rights came about," Kelley said, adding that is one of the events about which his bill would encourage learning.
Senators also tacked on a requirement that public and charter schools recite the pledge of allegiance at least once a week. The amendment by Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, also require civics lessons, and allows students or school board to opt out of the pledge requirement.
The overall education bill passed 36-28, but a measure funding education does not come to the Senate floor until next week.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Don Davis at (651) 290-0707
