Education Commissioner Brenda Casselius and DFL leaders met with parents and community members at a school in St. Paul Wednesday evening, where one question seemed to be on everyone's mind: What's the budget endgame?

During the hour-long session, legislative leaders focused largely on the contrast between the GOP education bills and Gov. Mark Dayton's proposal -- more importantly, how they will be resolved.

"[Gov. Dayton] will not compromise on pitting one group against another group, one group of students against another group of students, or one city against another city," Casselius said. "He is absolutely not going to do that."

Reps. Norah Slawik and Mindy Greiling both addressed what will happen as we approach May 23 and a possible special session. Without an agreement, legislators would have until June 30 to avoid a government shutdown.

"If we're not going to cut health and human services, and we're not going to raise $3 billion in tax increases like the governor's proposed, then education will be on the chopping block," Greiling said. "So we need the governor to hold out for that revenue."

Greiling remarked that Gov. Wendell Anderson called a special session in 1971 that lasted five months to pass the "Minnesota Miracle." "We have to back the governor up and he will need our help," Greiling said to applause.

"How many of you would rather stay if we can work out the best deal for education?" Slawik said. "You want us to get out on time or stay longer? Stay longer, right? We need to stay, we need to get it done. We don't like going into overtime, but every once and a while we have to do that because we want the best things for our students and for our schools."

On Dayton's tax plan, Casselius noted, "I'll pay my $100. I'll pay it if I could have a better quality system and a better future and a better Minnesota."