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Jerry Von Korff

Jerry Von Korff's picture
St. Cloud, MN
Commenter for
2 years 3 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 05/19/13 at 01:16 pm in response to Conferees try to build state's education funding structure, despite 'mismatched' House, Senate 'lumber'

Pre-K advocates are absolutely right to point out that the legislature should correlate the cost of early-childhood scholarships to the true cost of delivering what the legislature seeks to deliver. But that's not the Minnesota way. In Minnesota, the legislature totally ignores the cost of delivering a public education service when it commands that it be delivered. Why would we consider the cost of delivering early childhood education when we ignore the cost when we fund all aspects of K-...

Posted on 05/01/13 at 05:15 pm in response to Education-reform debate puts spotlight on institutional racism

Let us assume, for the sake of argument, that part of the success of KIPP-like schools derives from self-selected families... families or children who can be convinced to enroll in schools with high standards, extended school days and years, and a culture of success. How would that be an argument against these schools? Don't those children and families deserve an option that harnesses their willingness to work hard and to succeed? Here we go again, with the same old debate. If these...

Posted on 04/27/13 at 04:58 pm in response to Speaker Steve Perry provokes heated exchange on education reform

For me, the tipoff in the RESET agenda is that it there is nothing in the agenda about adequate resources. Its symptomatic of reform efforts sponsored by the business community. Lots a great ideas about making needed change in education, so long as not a penny more of resources are provided. Yes, we need to make some fundamental and sweeping reforms in the way that teachers are evaluated. Yes, we need to make better realtime use of data. Yes, we need expectations not excuses, Strong...

Posted on 04/15/13 at 09:02 pm in response to Minnesota education advocates applaud Senate funding approach

Nine million directed towards the special education cross subsidy. That must be a typographical error. The shortfall in cross subsidy is measured in the hundreds of millions. I may be misreading the Senate "Runs," but it appears to me that the Senate is counting the restoration of integration aid as an increase in funding, even though it merely keeps integration aid constant. In 2014, Minneapolis, for example, is counted as receiving a $400 increase per student, in 2014, but that "...

Posted on 04/27/13 at 11:47 am in response to Minnesota education advocates applaud Senate funding approach

The Legislative Auditor delivered a set of recommendations to the legislature. Those recommendations included a list of reforms that could significantly reduce the cost of special education in Minnesota. If it is really true that "we don't have enough for that," then the legislature's failure to act on those recommendations is inexplicable.

In this time when fidelity to our constitutions is increasingly demanded, it seems strange that the legislature fails to recognize that...

Posted on 01/29/13 at 02:24 pm in response to Education advocates laud Dayton's proposed funding, but worry about sustainability

If Governor Pawlenty had submitted this budget, the education community would be howling bloody murder. But perhaps be cause we are grateful that it isn't the budget that we would have seen had his opponent been governor, we feel that it is entitled to a free pass. This budget is brutal to public education in the first year of the biennium. $100 million of the budgetary increase is for new programs. If you already have all day K, the reimbursement provides for some relief. In the first...

Posted on 01/17/13 at 07:34 pm in response to Legislative wish list crafted to better help schools' most challenging students

The difference between the annual cost of providing special education in Minnesota and the revenues provided by the State to cover those costs is about $700 million per year. That difference is covered by taking money out of regular education programs. These costs are mandated by state law. The failure of the legislature...democrats and republicans alike, and the failure of the governors, both Pawlenty and now Dayton, to even submit a request to budget for these costs, is indefensible...

Posted on 01/15/13 at 10:34 pm in response to The safety zone: Inside a school where no student's needs are too tough

Great Article. Well done. What will the DFL majority do this year to address these issues. Provide appropriate funding for public schools to close the 700 million dollar annual shortfall in special education funding? Give these teachers the support and tools that they need? Or pander to the public with "property tax reform" by removing operating levy support from school districts that now cover the special education deficit in most school districts? Or pretend to help school...

Posted on 09/06/12 at 09:23 pm in response to Education bloggers offer issues and approaches to ponder

Ravitch's book is thoughtful, literate, well-researched and compelling. It is a must-read for anyone who is interested in education policy. If you are pro-charter, you should read it. If you believe in charters, if you have confidence in the wisdom of your position, why should you be afraid that others will read this book. You ought to be able to combat her ideas on the merits. This idea, that you can resolve a policy debate by attacking a person, as opposed to responding to her logic...

Posted on 05/23/12 at 07:14 pm in response to What Charles Krauthammer thinks about Obama and the election

This may be unfair, but I feel as though there are pundits on the left and the right who make their living by regurgitating talking points that are sent to them by Republican or Democratic, or labor or chamber of commerce folks in D.C. and Khammer is one of those. For balance, count Ed Schultz as one on the labor-left. Or perhaps they are just playing a role: pro labor pundit; pro republican right winger, and they have been paid to stay in the role religiously.

What if, when...