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Editor's ViewpointMeditations Of A Minnesota Mossback |
Norman Rockwell.The science education myth.And the real enemy.
I am uneasy when individuals in our communities steal school levy campaign signs, whether they be against the levy - or levy supporters.
Not only is it definitely not Minnesota "nice," but it indicates that these ne'er-do-wells believe in their cause so strongly that they are willing to step across one of those lines separating the civilized from the uncivilized.
It's the same feeling that came over me when a friend told me that after she and her husband published a letter to the editor against the Iraq war in the Pioneer Press, they began to receive threatening phone calls.
Call me an idealist, but my favorite Norman Rockwell painting is the one honoring "Freedom of Speech," in which a working man stands to address his Town Board at the annual meeting. He has tucked his meeting agenda in the pocket of his well-worn jacket so he can grip the pew in front of him with both hands. It is probably not easy for him to speak in public, but he knows it is his obligation - and his privilege.
I saw this in action last week at the Town Hall meeting in Hugo, where various opinions were respectfully received by legislators Dean, Dettmer, McFarlane and Seifert.
Rep. Matt Dean made an interesting comment at the meeting about what he sees as growing levels of mistrust between parents and some school boards. According to his constituent surveys, it seems "parents feel they are not being communicated to, accurately."
A lack of trust can certainly kill a levy.
And that would be a terrible thing.
According to BusinessWeek magazine's article "The Science Education Myth," [Oct. 26, 2007], the doom and gloom spread nationwide in recent years about our education system is a bunch of baloney.
A new report by the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, says that "U.S. student performance has steadily improved over time in math, science, and reading."
Contrary to reports that have said the U.S. is falling behind in math and science education, the Urban Institute's report states emphatically that U.S. students are now close to the top of international rankings.
Clearly, something is going very right with our education system, and to abandon our students now is not the answer.
We are paying teachers higher salaries. Excellent teachers must be paid.
We have learned that students do better in smaller classrooms. In a smaller classroom, voices can be heard. And we are getting results.
In a global economy, a well-educated workforce is what we need to stay on top. A balanced and broad education ensures that our students are ready to meet life head-on when they leave our high schools.
But that doesn't mean there isn't something very wrong with Minnesota's K-12 funding formula.
According to the Minnesota Department of Education, taxpayers in Stillwater got $75 million less in state support for local schools than they would have at Minneapolis rates. A classroom of 25 children in White Bear Lake reportedly gets $214,025 less in state funding than a similar classroom in Minneapolis.
Does this make sense? I don't think so.
These inequities can be addressed if our legislators have the political will to do so.
At the Hugo Town Hall meeting, one citizen suggested lawmakers "shelve the special interests for a couple of years."
Another said our elected representatives must "move beyond politics and work together."
The enemy isn't the Democrat or Republican next door. That kind of vilification has a trickledown effect, the kind that encourages constituents to steal campaign signs.
The real enemy is ignorance: the kind you get when schools and students are left by the wayside-and when school boards can't clearly explain their yearly budget reports.
I vote for logic and transparency in school funding.
And I vote to continue a tradition of excellence in education.