Minnesota Agencies

Governs state academies for the deaf and blind - the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind and the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf. Promotes academic standards based on high expectation and an assessment system to measure academic performance toward the achievement of those standards.

The Minnesota State Academies (MSA) have provided an education to students who are deaf or blind since the 1860's. The MSA Board does not expire.

There was once an advisory council on management policies at the state academies (see Minn. Stat. 128A.02, subd. 5 (1994)). This provision was eliminated in 1995 (see Laws of Minnesota 1995, 1st Sp. Sess., chap. 3, art. 11, sec. 8).

Nine members: One present or former superintendent of an ISD; one present or former special education director; the commissioner of Children, Families, & Learning or designee; one member of the blind community; one member of the deaf community; two members of the general public with business, administrative, or financial expertise; one nonvoting, unpaid ex-officio member appointed by the site council for the state academy for the deaf; and one nonvoting, unpaid ex-officio member appointed by the site council for the state academy for the blind.