Tom Dooher

Feb 27, 2012

Senate approves ‘Last In, First Out’

A bipartisan majority voted to send the bill to conference committee. Teachers have blasted the bill as an attack on tenure.

Feb 24, 2012

Senate to take up ‘Last In, First Out’ Monday

Assistant Senate Minority Leader Terri Bonoff predicted Friday that the bill -- which has drawn the ire of teachers and some DFLers -- would pass and head to the governor's desk.

Feb 16, 2012

House passes ‘Last In, First Out’ bill

The House moved to eliminate state law that directs school districts to terminate teachers with the least seniority during rounds of teacher layoffs.

Feb 8, 2012

Petersen ed bill: LIFO must go

Last year the House Republican majority introduced wide-ranging and comprehensive proposals to overhaul the teaching profession and diminish the power of teachers unions to set education policy.

May 18, 2011

K-12 talks stall on teacher reforms

In the always contentious arena of K-12 education policy, the movement to create a new teacher evaluation system in Minnesota finds Republicans and Democrats, business and labor groups agreeing that changes are needed.

Apr 8, 2011

K-12: Key battles involve policy, not spending

In the wake of passing alternative teacher licensing earlier this year, Republicans have teed up more policy reforms to the K-12 education system in their omnibus school finance bill.

Feb 28, 2011

Dayton and GOP agree on alternative licensure bill

Gov. Mark Dayton says he will sign a bill into law that opens up alternative pathways to teacher licensure. In a letter addressed to Education Senate and House Committee chairs, Rep. Pat Garofalo and Sen. Gen Olson, Dayton said he and Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius do not agree with every provision in the legislation, but have worked out a bill he is willing to sign in hopes to close the[...]

Feb 1, 2011

Ed Minn e-mail: Adopt a Republican!

A copy of an e-mail from Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher to local union presidents was accidentally attached to the back of a packet in Monday's Health and Human Services Committee. It shows the union trying to reach out to its Republican members.

Jan 21, 2011

Wage freeze for school employees just one of the proposals to roil the K-12 debate

Sen. Dave Thompson has long been a believer in the principle of local control. During his years as a conservative talk radio host, the freshman Republican legislator frequently espoused his belief in the capacity of local residents to solve their own problems.

Jan 12, 2011

As promised, jobs are job one at Legislature

The public introduction of Senate File 1 by Republicans was mostly about symbolism, and GOP Sen. Geoff Michel did not seem to hide it.

Jan 4, 2011

Education Minnesota’s Dooher doles out campaign cash to Republicans

With the inauguration of the first Democratic Minnesota governor in 24 years occurring on the last full day for lobbyists to give campaign contributions to the House and Senate DFL caucuses before the beginning of the legislative session, it's no surprise Education Minnesota president Tom Dooher's dance card was full on Monday. However...

Dec 17, 2010

Teachers union may get schooled

A ferocious pushback by Education Minnesota cast the 70,000-member statewide teacher's union in the role of session bogeyman. The union and its head, Tom Dooher, fought the bill to a standstill in the end; it lost by a tight 68-65 margin in the House, and did not reach the floor in the Senate.