Their essays answered the question, “What was your best day in school?”

Whether you’re an educator or parent, I think you’ll learn a lot by asking youngsters this question at the end of the year.

Jack Wickenhauser, a seventh-grader at Cologne Academy, wrote that his best day “was every day since the end of February.” He started staying after school by choice to “help watch the little kids. … I mostly look after one kid who has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) because I know what it’s like. I try to help him to do the best. … When I look in his eyes, I see a younger me.”

De’shawnte Taylor of Excell Academy in Brooklyn Park described the day an essay he wrote for the DARE program won a first place award. “My mom came to the school to watch our DARE graduation. I felt so happy when I first saw her. I gave her a huge hug.  It was very special because it showed me that she cared about me.”

De’shawnte’s essay was a forceful reminder that some of the most important things families can do for their youngsters don’t involve spending money on them – showing up can make a huge difference.

Second grader Vincent Smith Jr., St. Paul, was a charter school writing contest winner and is shown with Sen. Sandra Pappas, DFL-St. Paul. (Photo submitted)

Another powerful essay by a St. Paul second-grader contained a surprise. Vincent Smith Jr. believes his best day in school was when “I got suspended for punching a classmate. I had not been behaving well in school. I have been rude. I have been talking and fighting instead of working.”

He continued, “Getting suspended got me thinking. My dad is in prison, but he often calls me. He is good, but he did something bad. I figured I was the same. I am good, but I do bad things. Being bad is not cool. The day I got suspended was my best day because it helped me change. Now I stay away from trouble. … It feels great to be a leader and not a follower.”

Wah Nay Moo, a sixth-grader at the College Prep Elementary in St. Paul earned top honors in her division. She described the first day she attended the school in September 2011. “Prior to this day, I had never attended school in America. I had my first experience learning with materials that were in good shape, unlike my school materials in Thailand that were over 30 years old.”

Finally, Denisse Sanchez, a Minneapolis 10th-grader earned first place among high school students. Formerly, “I hated school and that I had all F’s.” Then she and her English class read an essay by James Baldwin. It reminded her that “My mom and dad never finished high school and now are living the life of poverty. … I want something better and bigger in life. … The only way to do that is to get my education.”

TCF Foundation cosponsored the writing contest and provided cash awards for the best essays. To see humor, honesty, insight and courage, read the winning essays at http://www.centerforschoolchange.org.

Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change. Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org

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The national Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color, online at http://www.coseboc.org, has recently recognized five outstanding district and charter public schools, including one in Minnesota.

Coalition Director Ron Walker has spent 42 years as a public teacher and principal and won numerous awards. Walker wisely is not interested in which are better, district or charter public schools.

“We focus on our mission: to identify schools that are succeeding, whether district or charter, with young men of color,” he said. “We want to inspire, strengthen, support and connect school leaders who are dedicated to the social, emotional and academic development of boys and young men of color.”

The Best Academy, a Minneapolis charter, was one of the schools recognized. Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson wrote that Best “has an impressive record of educating black boys at the highest levels of achievement, outperforming all other schools in Minneapolis and across the state. … Best is a beacon of success and achievement.”

(Full disclosure – the Center for School Change, where I work, has partnered over the past few years with Best as part of a Cargill Foundation funded project.)

Attorney Jeff Hassan also endorsed the school, in part because of his grandson, Malik.
“Once he entered the public school system in the suburb where we live, he did not continue to grow and prosper.

“Malik was a distinct ethnic minority in his classrooms, and his teachers seemed to have an indifferent attitude towards him and his ability. Teachers did not appear to have the empathy that he needed to grow and develop. … He reported that his teacher often would not call on him in class, despite his raising his hand.

“In addition, (we) did not see that he was receiving the academic rigor that we expected, and homework was not being sent home despite our requests. … When Malik entered Best Academy in the fifth grade, he was scoring in the 60th percentile in statewide reading and math assessments.

“By the time he graduated from Best Academy in the eighth grade, he was … in the 90th percentile in reading and math. … His eighth grade all boys class scored 100 percent proficient on the statewide Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment reading test, and scored in the 80th percentile in math almost 50 percent higher than the statewide average. … When Malik entered high school … he tested out of ninth grade math and English, and was placed in advanced level classes.”

The Coalition also honored Jonas E. Salk Elementary and Merrillville High School, both in Merrillville, Ind., a suburban and rural area about 45 miles south of Chicago. Salk enrolls about 650 students, grades K-4. About 60 percent of its students are from low-income families, 46 percent are African American, 25 percent are white and 18 percent are Hispanic.

Salk Principal Kara Bonin, a 22-year public education veteran, told me that “culture and climate are key” to the progress that the school has shown. “We model and encourage students to be respectful, responsible and safe.” The school uses videos to help students understand what expected behavior looks like.

The principal noted that 97 percent of students are passing the state’s tests. But “character also is very important. … Every Monday we have a schoolwide meeting where we celebrate student achievements.” The school promotes community service.

Students have, for example raised money for a children’s hospital and held food drives.
The two other schools of the five total honored are Devonshire Elementary School in Charlotte, N.C., and Thurgood Marshall Academy in Washington, D.C.

Congratulations to the schools that were honored, and thanks to the Coalition for recognizing and sharing their success.

Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change. Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org

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Seems that some coaches claim they are being let go because too many parents complain about their coaching and how they handle their players.

Don Heinzman

To protect their jobs, the bill in the Legislature would require that the school board could not dismiss a coach on the basis of parental complaints only.

These coaches do not need this protection; rather, frustrated parents need some avenue so that unworthy coaches are taken off the playing field.

Don’t get this wrong.  Almost all coaches are qualified, do a good job and should never lose their jobs.

These are the coaches who put the welfare and development of the character of their players above winning.  These are the coaches who know the techniques of coaching the sport, who know how to assemble a team, develop team chemistry and bring out the best in their players, win or lose.

These are the coaches who strictly follow the rules, know how to teach, how to develop a player, bring him and her into the starting lineup, reward the players when they do well and counsel them when they make mistakes.

These are the coaches who respect the players, their fellow coaches and the parents who put their hearts and souls into developing their children, believing that sports develop teamwork, character and relationship-building.

Parents who try to get these coaches removed should be ashamed of themselves, and school boards should have the spine to ignore unworthy parental complaints and keep these coaches.

But, let’s face it: There are a few coaches who don’t deserve to be on the field, the  ice and the courts.  Getting rid of them is not easy for parents when they have a legitimate complaint.

These are the coaches who put winning above the athlete’s welfare, who berate the players in front of the public, who play favorites, sometimes with their own sons and daughters, who bend the rules of the game, who recruit players outside the district, displacing those who gave their all for starting positions.

Yes, these are the coaches who have no time for the parents who have honest questions and don’t get answers.  Parents don’t know where to turn for fear that objecting would only make matters worse for their youngsters.

Athletic directors tend to over protect even the bad coaches, for, after all, they appointed them.  High school principals want to back their athletic directors, because that’s the way the system works.

School boards are the last resort for parents, because they, after all, are the elected representatives of the public.   Alas, school boards too often take the easy way out and follow the administration’s recommendations and hide behind privacy rules for their actions.

School boards do not need a law that would essentially make it harder for parents to be heard and to remove coaches who have no business teaching and coaching  students.  Already, coaches are notified they will not be rehired for the next year and have a chance to appeal.

There’s a reason no state has a law like this. It’s unnecessary.

Don Heinzman is a columnist for ECM Publishers and a member of the ECM Editorial Board.

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The college professor surveyed the class for a few moments, allowing his words to linger. He was waiting for the timid to look away, perhaps fidget or slip out the back door.

It was the first step in preparation for one of the most rewarding careers available in this country.

Of course, that was nearly three decades ago. Long before any of us ever thought we’d see the job of newspaper reporter listed as the No. 1 worst job in America.
Thanks to the Internet, every major media outlet has been airing that piece of trivia for the last couple weeks after it was released by an online job search resource.

As a reporter, no matter how thick your skin, just knowing that somebody else considers your job to be the worst in the entire country is a bit unsettling. Then again, those of us in this field never thought we’d ever see the industry savaged with massive staff cuts or that major dailies would simply go out of business and multiple others would be forced to reorganize through bankruptcy.

It’s been a tough row, to be sure, but the worst job in America . . . newspaper reporter?

Yes, the stress level is high. The competition in a smaller pool of jobs is fierce. And the pay is often paltry. But the worst job . . . really?

I never agreed with the college professor about having thick skin. I always thought it would make me less sensitive to the world, something that would prevent objective reporters from doing their jobs. Who wants to be cynical?

As somebody who has been doing this for almost 30 years, rest assured this is not the worst job in America. And here’s why:

It’s easy to find everything that is wrong in this world, our industry and among journalists. But there few other careers where the careful assembly and presentation of words and images can create positive change. That alone makes this one of the greatest careers for anyone who wants to help improve the world and give voice to others who have the same goal.

Some may actually think being a janitor is a worse job than a reporter. But as a former janitor, I can tell you there are aspects to that job that are rewarding (keeping a building clean makes people happy and leads to a better work environment).
Maybe the worst job is the individual who empties Porta Potties, unless that person knows that his/her role is essential to each and every one of us who attends an outdoor activity and depends on clean facilities to prevent the spread of disease.
Perhaps another “worst job” headliner is the person who cleans up road kill. Awful job, right? Unless you consider that if all the carcasses that end up on our highways were not removed, we’d have serious transportation issues, accidents and potential loss of life.

Worst of lists are little more than minor distractions in a world where entertainment often trumps real news. In this case, the worst jobs list serves no purpose other than to make anyone who is not in the Top 10 list feel better about his lot in life, I guess. It offers nothing to the enhancement of society.

Truth be told, there is a level of pride that can be achieved in all work and it plays a huge role in one’s own opinion of his value to society. You will not find this in any top 10 worst list.

Not everybody necessarily sees their job as the most fulfilling aspect of their life. But every person can do his best no matter what their job. We can all gain satisfaction and peace of mind when we know we have given our best at work. When we do that, it truly does make a difference in some form or fashion to somebody else that is affected by our jobs.

So, perhaps the worst job in the world is not a job at all, but a point of view. It is that frame of mind that compels an individual to survey the landscape, point a crooked finger at another, and suggest they have a meaningless job and that their life is being wasted.

For that person, for that kind of mindset, we can all be truly sorry.

But as a journalist, and I will speak for all of us, we really do want to make the world a better place. We don’t always succeed, but we try. And for the record, we don’t have thick skin, but that’s what allows us to be compassionate and connected to our world.

Keith Anderson is ECM Sun Newspapers director of news. Contact him at keith.anderson@ecm-inc.com .

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When ground is broken on the Metrodome site in Minneapolis this fall, the public will know for certain that the $975 million stadium will be built.

What is less certain, however, is the funding piece for the stadium that was approved by the Legislature in 2012. For stadium fans, it will take patience to wait until July of 2016 when the facility is slated for completion. It will take an equal amount of patience on the part of the public and legislators to feel comfortable that funding is available.

Much discussion has emerged over the lack of tax dollars flowing to the state from electronic pulltabs, one of the key pieces in funding the stadium. The second vital funding source from charitable gambling venues is electronic bingo. E-bingo is just now coming on line.

There is good reason for funding fears. E-pulltabs have not generated the funding once predicted by the Minnesota Charitable Gambling Board and the board admits it. The state did not anticipate the snail’s process of establishing charitable sites for sales of electronic pulltabs. Electronic bingo almost became a forgotten partner in the funding piece.

For various reasons, many smaller charitable gambling sites have said no to electronic pulltabs. Some have identified start-up costs and fees, in addition to state taxes, as major roadblocks. Other say e-pulltabs wipe away the social fun a group of friends may have sifting through a stack of paper pulltabs. It may not be such with e-bingo.

The state was remiss in not identifying the electronic pulltab concerns early on. Such action may have helped lawmakers a year ago as the legislation was crafted. For stadium opponents, the door is now open for a barrage of criticism, including calls by lawmakers to redo the agreement with the Vikings. Fool’s errands of the like serve no good purpose. Those taking shots at the Vikings seem to ignore that the NFL club will pay an estimated $15 million a year to the sports facility authority, including $8.5 million in rent alone. Other user groups will contribute $2 million throughout the year.

State leaders from Gov. Mark Dayton on down have long preached patience as the funding mechanism for the stadium unfolds. We would agree that patience is needed, but faced with many unknowns it is worrisome to just assume the tax dollars from charitable gambling will somehow magically appear in the future.

But we give state leaders the benefit of the doubt that patience is needed through the balance of this year. As stated in interviews with this editorial board, officials of the gambling board and the sports authority remain confident that the funding picture will see major improvements. The number of active charitable gambling sites offering electronic pulltabs is growing and more game manufacturers and distributors are being approved by the state.

The same holds true for electronic bingo. The impact of e-bingo linked to hundreds of sites could be a game changer.

And patience must be the rule based on the unknowns. It is still uncertain the extent of the first bond sale slated for late summer or early fall. The state continues to crunch numbers to determine if all or part of the financing bond is issued this year. That decision will determine the actual debt service and the amount the state will need to re-pay next year. Early state estimates said debt service payment could be as high as $30 million a year.

Make no mistake about this. The bonds are backed by the state’s general fund and any shortage in stadium debt service must come off the top. By law, it will be the Legislature that must each year appropriate dollars from the general fund to address any debt service shortage. Failing to do so would result in the state defaulting on its obligation.

The legislation approved last year includes back-up funding sources. A Minnesota State Lottery game earmarked for the stadium is projected to provide $3 million a year for bond support. Once the stadium is open, a tax on luxury suites would bring in another $2 million a year. A proposal removed from last year’s bill that called for a sales tax on sports memorabilia could have produced as much as $19 million a year depending on the extent of the tax.

The memorabilia tax is again being considered this session and should be passed if lawmakers want to hedge their bet. It amounts to a user fee that is paid by those closely associated with professional and Division I collegiate athletics.

Another factor that has received little attention is that state charitable proceeds are growing by 6 to 7 percent this year. The electronic games are certainly a factor here while paper pulltabs continue to sell well. While tax income from electronic pulltabs is now projected to pull in an estimated $1.5 million this year, the total tax contribution from all forms of charitable gaming could well top $7 million. And with the e-games likely to grow, this estimate would seem conservative.

State officials and lawmakers must remain vigilant in monitoring this process over the remaining months of 2013. By year’s end, there should be clear picture of the funding levels that can be expected from charitable gambling.

If red flags continue to fly, more serious action will be needed from legislators. If serious funding holes are evident, racino backers are ready to plug that hole with tax revenues generated by slot machines at Running Aces Harness Park in the north metro. We taxpayers may not be off the hook yet.

It is not surprising that the funding picture for the stadium has become a hot button issue. It was controversial a year ago and will remain so. With the general fund potentially at risk for a financial hit in 2014, now is no time for state officials to relax as revenue streams for the stadium are rolled out. They need to make sure the projections work.

What should not be forgotten is the many benefits from three years of a huge construction project that will produce 7500 jobs and pump huge amounts of money into the economy. The end result will be a multi-purpose stadium with all the bells and whistles that will serve Minnesota well every month of the year and not just in the fall when the Vikings call it home. – An opinion from the ECM Editorial Board

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ANSWER: Wow, this is a great comment and a great idea for an article, thanks! Since passing lanes are one of the only places a motorist can legally pass on the right—besides a multi-lane highway)—we should make sure we are leaving those passing lanes open for their intended purpose. I see drivers stopping in turn lanes as well, probably for the same reasons they are stopping in passing lanes.

I never want to sound like I am lecturing, but I honestly don’t know what people are thinking when they stop their vehicle in lanes of traffic like that. I believe people just are not thinking about turn lanes and passing lanes as being used much, or having light traffic. In some areas that might be true, but it is still unsafe and not lawful to stop there. As officers, we hate citing people all the time for things that are completely preventable, but sometimes a citation is what it takes. We need to do something, because a serious injury or a fatal crash could be the result in situations like this one. I hope all the readers will take this issue seriously and pass this information on.

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The first is an interactive map answering questions parents, students and other family members have asked over the last several years.  This Minnesota map allows you to click on each public or private non-profit college or university in the state.  You’ll learn:

•    which institutions offer Post Secondary Enrollment Options courses
•    whether the institution offers college credit for Dual High School College Credit courses such as AP, IB,  College in the Schools, “CLEP” – a test that determines whether students have mastered college level material or Concurrent Enrollment.

Joe Nathan

Because credit policies vary, the map also provides links to the colleges’ or universities’ websites.  The websites explain each institution’s policies on various Dual Credit options.  For example, some colleges limit the number of credits they will accept.  Some award credit for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate only to students who achieve a certain score on the final examination.  This can help students decide which Dual Credit programs they will enroll in, and where they will apply after high school graduation.

The map was created primarily by Jordan Lim, a sophomore at Macalester College who served as an intern at the Center for School Change (CSC), where I work. CSC staff member Marisa Gustafson also helped. The map is on CSC’s home page, http://www.centerforschoolchange.org

The CSC website also hosts 16 90-second to three-minute You-Tube videos, in which students explain the value of various forms of Dual Credit.  These videos are in English, Arabic, Hmong, Karen, Somali and Spanish.   Students at Neighborhood House, Migizi Communications and High School for Recording Arts designed and developed the videos.  PACER did another video showing a young man on the autism spectrum who used PSEO.  Funding for these videos came from you – taxpayers – via the Minnesota Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education.

The Minnesota Department of Education and CSC will present several free webinars in the next few months, discussing Dual Enrollment and answering questions. Some are for high school and college education faculty. Others will be for families and students.  Registration information is on the website.

The Minnesota Department of Education has created another free resource, providing district by district data about use of various Dual Enrollment options.  Their “Rigorous Course Taking” report is available at http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Welcome/Legis/LegisRep/index.html.

The report also shows how much each district in the state received, of the more than $4 million available, to help train teachers for either AP or IB courses.  MDE also shares good news – the number of students participating in these courses has grown steadily over the last five years.  The number of students taking AP, for example, has increased from 23,164 to 37,363.  PSEO participants increased from 5,852 to 6,353.

Many young people are ready for additional challenges while in high school.  Whether it’s an academic class or an applied career-tech course, Minnesota is among the nation’s leaders in recognizing this, and allowing high school students to earn college credit.   Students can save thousands, even tens of thousands, of dollars and be better prepared for college and career, by taking these courses.

Joe Nathan, formerly a public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change.  Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org

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ANSWER:  I spoke with a friend about this who is a driver’s license examiner.  He told me that someone moving here that has a valid license from another state only has to take a written test. Also, they are going to require another form of primary identification in addition to a driver’s license (e.g., a passport or certified birth certificate). Depending on the situation, there may be other documentation required too, but it does not seem to apply to your situation.

Sometime during the application process, the current status of the driver’s license is checked in all states.  If the person moving here from another state has any other state driver’s license issues, like revocation, then Minnesota will require that to be taken care of first before allowing the application for a Minnesota driver’s license to go through. If their license from the other state is expired for more than one year, then a road test will be required in addition to the written test. You can get a lot more details by visiting http://www.dps.mn.gov and looking at the online driver’s manual.

Thanks for asking, and I hope your relatives get through the process quickly and easily. Just a reminder that Minnesota law requires a driver’s license to be in the driver’s possession, and officers do ask for it on traffic stops.

For you snail-mailers out there, the old P.O. Box some of you were using is no longer valid. So, if you want to mail me a question the old fashioned way via the U.S. Mail, the current address to use is: Sgt. Curt S. Mowers, Minnesota State Patrol Headquarters, 7694 Industrial Park Rd., Suite 2, Baxter, MN  56425. You can always email me at Curtis.Mowers@state.mn.us

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Acts of horror often have the reverse impact of what was intended by those who produced them.  No one should defend anyof these horrible acts, committed by cowards.  They are terrible tragedies.

Joe Nathan

But  look what happened after the first Boston Massacre, In March 1770.  According to Wikipedia, “British army solderes killed five civilians and injured six others.”  People throuhgout New England were infuriated.  This helped bring the colonies together, eventually resulting in our freedom from England.

We found a Civil War with huge losses on both sides. But one result was the end of slavery.  As Lincoln told us at Gettysburg, “These dead have not died in vain.”

Not quite 50 years ago, in September 1963, a Birmingham, Ala. church was bombed.  Four innocent little girls died, and many were injured.  Horrible!  But this helped unify millions of Americans to support civil rights legislation.  Again, quoting Wikipedia, “The explosion at the African-American church which killed four girls, marked a turning point in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and contributed to support for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

American history is not just names and dates. It’s also about the successful struggle to expand opportunities and freedom.  Sometimes it’s been difficult.  Sometimes we’ve had to deal with tragedy.

But we have moved ahead.  The remarkable American poet Langston Hughes reminded us of the American spirit in “Mother to Son.”  In it, the mother tells her son, and the reader that she’s “still climbin” though her life has not been, “no crystal stair.”

Finally, there’s the wonderful Carl Sandburg book length poem, “The People Yes.”  Written during the Depression, Sandburg points out, “The people yes.  The people will live on…In the darkness with a great bundle of grief the people march. In the night and overhead a shovel of stars for keeps, the people march. ‘Where to, what next’”

Hughes and Sandburg are right about Americans.  Life is not always “a crystal stair.”  But we’ll keep marching on.

Joe Nathan, formerly a public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change.  Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org

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The young man attends Edina High School. Every morning he would take several buses to the Southdale Mall, and then walk more than three miles to get to school. He is like many homeless youth in Minnesota. They work hard to stay on track with their lives, but the challenges are significant.

Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek

Homeless young people generally are not “runaways” or “homeless by choice.”  Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) have experienced an out-of-home placement. Thirty-four percent of the homeless youth surveyed by Wilder Research said they have experienced parental neglect; 42 percent are past victims of physical abuse; and 27 percent have been sexually abused.

The Homeless Youth Act, a bill now being considered by the Minnesota Legislature, will give hope and help to the 2,500 Minnesota youth who, on any given night, are without a safe and stable place to call home. The crisis is growing in communities all across the state.  According to an analysis of Wilder Research figures, the number of homeless youth increased 33 percent between 2006 and 2012.

These young people are trying to keep their lives together against tremendous odds. Many are trying to stay in school, hold down jobs, and grow into successful adults. All too often, however, the instability and unpredictability of their lives drags them down. They find themselves couch-hopping (i.e., sleeping wherever they can for short stretches of time) because of the lack of transitional housing and supportive services. As a result, homeless young people are at significant risk of physical/sexual abuse, poor health, and suicide.

As Hennepin County Sheriff, it is my job to make our communities safer. The Homeless Youth Act will help the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies throughout the state get our homeless youth out of harm’s way. This is an important and attainable goal. I’m not supportive of this legislation just because I wear a badge. A decade ago, as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, I advocated for programs with similar goals to help homeless youth in Minnesota.

I’ve seen first-hand the good that can be done by assuring young people have access to a safe place to sleep, the support to stay in school, and the support to both obtain and hold a job. I serve on the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities.  Each year, the Boys & Girls Club of Minnesota recognizes one club member with the Youth of the Year Award.  Over the years, I’ve heard many compelling stories about overcoming obstacles like: living in a car, turning away from chemically-dependent parents, and doing everything they can to simply get to school at the start of the day.

All Minnesotans have a stake in helping homeless young people become successful adults. We know the alternatives. Wilder Research estimates a return of $4 for every $1 spent on supportive housing for homeless youth. Homelessness and housing stability are clearly linked to lower high school and college graduation rates. Economists at the University of Minnesota estimate that each child in Minnesota who fails to graduate from high school is estimated to cost his or her community about $750,000 in a combination of lost wages, lost tax revenues, and additional costs for health care, social services, and incarceration.

There is a lot of competition this year at the Minnesota Legislature for funds, but the budgeting process is all about priorities. We need to look at investments like this that simultaneously improve public safety and reduce future costs.  The Homeless Youth Act complements the investments in Early Education, K-12 Education, and Higher Education proposed by both Democrats and Republicans.

About the author: Rich Stanek is sheriff of Hennepin County, an office he has held since 2007. Previously, he served in the Minnesota House of Representatives and was commissioner of Public Safety under Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

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Experts say that at the age of 5,  a child’s brain is 90 percent developed, enabling them to learn numerical concepts, good behavior and how to get along with other children.

Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius and Gov. Mark Dayton are urging legislators to approve more dollars for pre-kindergarten scholarships and for all-day-every-day kindergarten.

Last month, this newspaper’s editorial board, in keeping with its year-long educational agenda, endorsed full funding for all-day-every-day kindergarten for all students in Minnesota.

We also favor the need for more pre-K funding, because half of Minnesota’s children are not prepared for kindergarten, according to the Department of Education.

Dayton wants the Minnesota Legislature to fund $44 million to allocate 10,000 pre-K student scholarships intended for children from families in poverty. These scholarships would be run through the popular Parent Aware program in which parents rate the providers of pre-K programs. Parents would select from a list of providers rated four and above.

We are concerned, however, that scholarships in the governor’s bill are intended mainly for children living in communities where there are concentrations of poverty, possibly excluding poor students living in middle-income communities across the state. We urge the Office of Early Learning at the Minnesota Department of Education to distribute the scholarships equitably across the state.

Economists Arthur Rolnick and Rob Grunewald have drawn national attention, particularly from the business community, with their claim that for every dollar invested in early childhood education for low-income children in high-quality early education programs, there is a return on the investment of $16.

Some critics question spending state dollars on programs studies say don’t work. They also claim that students who do not have early childhood education usually catch up with those that do by third grade.

A study by Nobel economist James Heckman found that children from higher-income families who were tested from ages 3-18 scored much higher than students in lower-income families.

What’s stunning is that children from families living in concentrated poverty areas that miss the pre-K education step never catch up with children from higher income families who have pre-K.

As reported in the New York Times, Heckman and others confirm that investment in early education of disadvantaged children pays high returns down the road.

Cassellius says plenty of research supports investment in young learners as a critical way to close the achievement gap and improve student outcomes. She points to a North Carolina study in which low-income students who attended pre-school had higher math and reading scores in third grade than their peers.

A study in Michigan traced two groups of low-income students, those who attended pre-school and those who didn’t. The study found that at age 40, those who attended pre-school had higher levels of education, earned more money, were more likely to own a home and were less likely to be incarcerated.

Minnesota already has a pre-K program that’s offered through 300 public school districts and is funded by local and state funds. Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) works with parents and their children from birth to kindergarten. It is based on the belief that the family provides the child’s first and most significant learning.

President Obama proposes to expand early childhood education to provide high quality pre-K for 4-year-olds from families whose incomes are at or below 200 percent of the poverty line.

Through a Race-to-the-Top federal grant of $10.7 million, more pre-K scholarships for poor children in Minnesota are being awarded from 2012 to 2015. A special committee designates the families who should receive the scholarships.

We believe spending money at the state level for 10,000 pre-K scholarships targeting children living in poverty areas is a necessary investment in view of the fact that today half of Minnesota’s children are not ready for kindergarten.

We urge people who agree with this view to let their legislators know that funding for pre-K education is a necessary first step to narrow the achievement gap between the have and have-not students. — An opinion of the ECM Editorial Board.

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The young man works in a suburban public school.  He’s a first-generation college graduate, and grew up in a “single-parent” home. He’s done what he’s supposed to do – graduate from high school and college, earn a master’s and obtain a job at a school.  He sees a lot that needs improving.

Joe Nathan

The first person I talked with about him is Mary K. Boyd.  Boyd has been a teacher and administrator in the St. Paul Public Schools, worked for Ramsey County, served as interim dean at the Hamline University College of Education, and directed St Paul’s “Street Academy. “  She suggested:

•     Make sure you have a group of support that will keep you grounded, inspired and supported
•    Constantly read and look for others who are being successful. Gain a greater understanding of what’s going on around the state and country?
•    Don’t give up!

Then I talked with Dr. Samuel Yigzaw, director of an award-winning, “Beat the Odds” K-12 charter school, Higher Ground Academy. Yigzaw also teaches at St. Mary’s University, and serves as a mentor in a Leadership Academy our organization runs.   He recommended, “Know your resources, human and financial well.  Who can you can you count on, and for what?   You can’t do it all!”

Boyd and Yigsaw’s advice reminded me of a one-page document in the publications area on our website, http://www.centerforschoolchange.org.  It’s called  “Reminders for Reformers.”  Here are a few of the suggestions you’ll find there:

•    Set priorities for the next week, month, six months and year.  You can’t do everything you want, immediately.  Every successful person I know sets some priorities, both personal and professional.
•    Look for, read about and visit schools open to all that that are succeeding.  Doesn’t matter whether they are district, charter or private.  You want to be, as Mary K Boyd suggested, “a life-long learner.”
•    Look for ways to share what you’ve learned.  Write to local newspapers.  Offer to make presentations to service groups.
•    Make your school a community resource.  Don’t just ask for help.  Your students can help improve the environment.  They can provide singing, drama or dance to senior citizens and other community groups. Having youngsters provide service is valuable for them and their audience.
•    View families as allies and partners.  While some will disappoint, many will be very helpful.
•    Be prepared to be betrayed.  Sometimes someone you trust will do this.  It’s impossible to know why people do some things.
•    Acknowledge mistakes and apologize.  No one is perfect.
•    Exercise.  Stay fit.  You are engaged in an ultra-marathon, not a sprint.
•    Retain a sense of humor.   While some of us are funnier than others, we all should laugh and enjoy our blessings.
•    Stay positive.  It is possible to make a difference.  Creators ultimately accomplish more than complainers.

What’s on your list?  What would you suggest to educators who want to make a difference?

Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change.  Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org

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He dumped the “business-to-business” sales tax that generated a snowstorm of opposition from Edina to Elk River, from Caledonia to Little Falls, and all parts in between. Business-to-business sales taxes hurt a company’s bottom line because in most cases, the extra expense needs to be swallowed and cannot be passed on to the purchaser. The uproar was well deserved. A business-to-business sales tax is not good for Minnesota’s business community. The idea must not be revived.

The proposed property tax rebate to each homeowner has also been dropped. While it’s hard to complain about a check for $500 with your name on it, this too was not a good idea. Rebates are not based on need and on tax burden. Many of us have legitimate complaints that our property taxes have risen dramatically and are just too high for our modest homes and small businesses. Property tax reform should be on the table but the rebate is not sustainable and therefore not a real solution.

The governor has proposed a tax increase on the state’s top two percent of wage earners, raising about $1.1 billion total. Even if he didn’t intend to, Dayton has quieted his critics by dropping the onerous sales tax. Now arguing against the fourth tier tax makes critics appear unwilling to compromise. He might get his additional taxes anyway, losing the battle but winning the war.

Senate and House Democrats have also introduced their budget plans. They are similar to Dayton’s version, but they have proposed additional spending and added taxes. The Senate DFL plan includes property tax relief of $400 million, full funding for all-day kindergarten, but no specific tax increases. Some support Dayton’s added tax on the state’s top two percent of wage earners. Others have hinted at revisiting the sales tax extensions.

In the House, DFLers have suggested adding a temporary income tax surcharge to the top level, creating a fifth tier on top of the Governor’s fourth tier tax increase. They would use the extra money to pay back the school districts, and fund all-day kindergarten, among others.

While we support spending $170 million to fund all-day kindergarten for all children, we urge our state leaders to go slowly on any tax increase or additional spending.

The governor and the DFLers in control of the State House and Senate need to listen to Republicans when they sound alarms over tax increases. Our economy is growing. The unemployment rate is going down. More workers mean more income tax paid into the state’s coffers. That means more money is coming in without tax hikes.

Legislative leaders need to make every effort to keep any tax increase to a minimum. We’d encourage them to continue to put plugs into tax loopholes that give unfair advantage to certain sectors, which might raise a few extra dollars. It is likely that some tax increases will be necessary to cover extra funding for education programs. However, any tax increase should be approved after other options are exhausted and then, only to the extent that is absolutely necessary.

When it comes to the overall budget picture, a few matters bubble to the top in any discussion. These should be on the legislature’s 2013 To Do list:

• Education funding for preschool and all-day kindergarten is a priority. Funding needs to be fair to all school districts and equitable to all students.

• The State Capitol building needs dollars for essential structure repair and internal improvements. The Capitol is a state treasure and needs to be preserved for generations of Minnesotans yet to come. This one bonding project must pass this year. Cass Gilbert’s masterpiece, built in 1905, is crumbling. Some $110 million is needed this year to protect and restore the building.

• The Mayo Clinic’s offer to spend $3 billion to make Rochester a world-class destination needs to be accepted, after proper oversight and accountability has been established. We have an unprecedented opportunity to ensure our state has the finest in medical care. While extensive details need to be worked out, we need to make it very clear to Mayo that we are your home base and we intend to work closely with you for the next century or two.

• Money the state owes the school districts in the “shift” needs to be paid back as soon as possible, either under the current payback plan or an accelerated one.

• The proposed quarter cent sales tax for metro transit projects has merit. While it deserves a thorough debate, in the long run, this is probably in the region’s best interest.

As these and many other topics are debated, we ask our legislative leaders to LISTEN to each other, not just talk at each other or worse yet, ignore each other. We ask they drop every political cliché about conservatives or liberals, Democrats or Republicans. We’d rather each elected official ask, “What’s best for my constituents” and “What’s best for Minnesota” 10 times over before asking ONLY  “What is best for my political party.”

We are buoyed that the economy is recovering. We see the jobless rate dropping well below the national rate. We see houses being built down the street. We see Wall Street reaching new highs. On the whole, the state economy is very healthy.

Still, we need to temper our exuberance. Let’s keep our state spending in line, and any tax increases to a minimum. Let’s carefully prioritize our needs versus our wants.

Minnesota has a bright future. May intelligence and compassion take the lead in this legislative session.  – An editorial from the ECM Editorial Board.

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“We have a 10th grader who has amazing abilities in music and guitar, but he has pace and reading issues and Asperger’s. He had help in  public schools from third  grade on…  he was successful, had friends, and a good attitude. This was through eighth  grade.

Joe Nathan

“The minute he stepped into a large suburban high school, everything started to slowly go south. Due to his learning problem, he was forced to take a social skills hour, to help with homework… That took his elective. He never could… take a music course because this had to be his elective with an IEP (individual education plan). High school became  read a book, take a test. Even with an IEP…he got him SO far behind….

“He gave up on school, teachers, adults, us, even though I spent most of this school year doing homework with him, emailing teachers, reminding them he has an IEP. Meanwhile, he found the “I hate Life” crowd at school, and started having panic attacks three times a week, finding him crying on the bathroom floor.  …we didn’t know what to do.

“He lost Hope, he felt stupid, he told us he can’t learn. He also had a stigma problem , wanted to fit in so bad…nobody could help him,.  He ended up with no hope or sense of accomplishment.

“We checked out Main Street in Hopkins.  Some of (his)  friends went there…He wanted to as well.

“Now he has hope, we have hope.  Music is his ’major’ at Main Street. He plays his guitar in the middle of the day. He gets up an hour earlier… without complaining. The school has 300 students compared to thousands.  Staff is so friendly, they knew my kid by name week one.

“Whatever your Major is, say guitar, it can be incorporated in every class, even math. Each teacher has options for projects to use your major.

This week (he) has a project in Forensic science. He has to give a report on a real solved case. If he presents it in an artistic form, there is potential for more points than a traditional form.  (He) is going to write a song telling the story… this is more engaging for my son than typing up a report.

“(He) has had a school attitude change, in a good way. The way school operates there is so much better for him.   He was having 2-3 panic attacks/week last semester…not one since he started at Main Street.”

Here’s a second story:   “I dropped out of public high school (with my parents’ permission) in 11th grade due to the emotional stress of peer pressure and being harassed by your typical mean girls.  When I defended myself, the principal punished me. I did not feel good about myself.”

“One of my best friends graduated (from) Blue Sky Charter School.  She told me about her success, so I enrolled.

“Blue Sky has literally changed my life.  I can get online any time of the day or night. My schedule is much more flexible so I can work part time, do school and still have time for my family and friends…My books are always home or where I have internet access, not left in my locker at school.  My grades are great.  No drama, no mean girls, and teachers that care.”

Over the years, hundreds of students/parents have written to me. Some succeed at district schools, some at charters.  They’ve convinced me that no single school is perfect for everyone.

Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change.  Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org

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Sgt. Curt Mowers

ANSWER:  By law they are not a pedestrian anymore if on a golf cart unless there is an ordinance or some other special allowance set by local or state officials.  Minnesota State Statute 169.212 talks about electric personal assistive mobility devices and how the person operating one has the rights and responsibilities of a pedestrian but this does not include golf carts. Generally, golf carts need to wait for traffic to clear.  Anytime I see a pedestrian or anything actually in a crosswalk, even if it’s not marked — I stop and stop far enough back so drivers in other lanes can also see in time to stop.  Also, do not block crosswalks while stopped, and don’t pass other vehicles stopped in these areas.

For anyone using a crosswalk, don’t assume you have the right of way and don’t count on drivers paying attention — make eye contact with motorists. Continue to be alert and check for vehicles when walking in a crosswalk. A little common sense for drivers and pedestrians can go a long way.  I will do an article on the golf cart operation rules and laws in the near future.  Thanks for asking. – Sgt. Curt Mowers

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“It” is the encouraging, growing collaboration between high schools and colleges providing greater challenge for students, while saving them and their families thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars.  Before graduating from high school, students earn free college credits, even a one-year career/technical certificate or two -year “Associate Arts” degree.

Bob Wedl, former Minnesota commissioner of education, recently recommended in a newspaper commentary  that we should:  “Abandon the 20th-century goal that high school graduates must be ready for postsecondary. The 21st-century goal must be that students will be well on their way to what they intend to do next with their lives when they exit high school. A redesigned system will have many students already completing a year of postsecondary learning or even an associate degree. Others will have completed their one-year career certifications.”

Joe Nathan

Last year I described a collaboration between Central Lakes College in Brainerd and the Long Prairie/Grey Eagle School District.  Students can earn enough credits in the high school to receive an A.A. degree before graduation.  Principal Paul Weinzierl explained: “This not only  helps us retain the funds, but also the leadership that some students take with them if they participate in Post-Secondary Enrollment Options.”

That 1985 law allows Minnesota 11h and 12th graders to take courses on college campuses, or “online” courses, full or part time, with state funds paying their tuition, books and lab fees.  Last year, PSEO was expanded.  Tenth graders now may take a career/technical course on a college campus.  Sophomores earning a “C” or higher, may take additional career/technical courses during their second semester.

Last year U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited and praised Irondale High School, which built on Long Prairie/Grey Eagle/Central Lakes collaboration.   Scott Gengler, Irondale principal, told me “the biggest takeaway so far is that we have far more kids capable of college level rigor than have participated (in dual high school/college credit courses) in the past.”

Some Irondale ninth graders take Advanced Placement courses. Doing well means earning college credits.  The school also has students taking “foundational classes” that help prepare them to take college level academic and or career technical classes.   Their primary partner is Anoka-Ramsey Community College.

Richard Rosivac, in his 15th year of teaching, helps coordinate Irondale’s program.  For him, “this is not just about access, it’s about results.”  He reported that approximately 53 percent of the school’s 1,631 students are enrolled in one or more Dual Credit courses. “We expect that percentage to grow,” he said.

Meanwhile, at Kingsland High School, Superintendent John McDonald says about half of the high school’s 102 juniors and seniors are in one or more Dual Credit courses.  Starting fall, 2013, juniors can take enough courses to earn an A.A. Degree before high school graduation.

Mindi Askelson, Riverland’s director of placement and K-12 relations, explained the partnership with Kingsland, and a growing number of other high schools.  Riverland faculty members are training and mentoring high school teachers to offer the college level courses.  Riverland faculty also offers college level courses “on-line” and via television.  She explained, “Providing a seamless transition between high school and college is one of the strategic values of the MnSCU system…for those academically and socially ready, we host Post-Secondary Options students on campus.”

Askelson is right.  These are win-win-win collaborations.

Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change.  Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org

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The funding is intended to cover 70 percent of the state funding formula for a full day and the district would have to come up with the other 30 percent.

Traditionally, public school education covered a half-day kindergarten program followed by the traditional all-day programs for grades one through 12.  For many decades the value of kindergarten learning as well as pre-school learning has been recognized as critical for future school success.

While there is some challenge to the value of public paid schooling for students five years old or younger, we agree that the all-day kindergarten experience is of value, should be publicly funded and available to parents who choose that learning for their children. We favor state funded all-day kindergarten.

There are two key elements to all-day kindergarten in Minnesota’s public schools that need to be addressed.

First, all-day kindergarten comes in various models, different levels of finance and different degrees of accessibility. Even, with the governor’s proposal, some Minnesota families will be paying for an additional half-day of kindergarten and those costs will vary by district.  Some families may not be able to access either paid or unpaid, simply because it isn’t available.  For a Minnesota parent the question is simple:  why do I pay for my child’s full day of kindergarten when others don’t?

This is a “hit or miss” approach to access.  It isn’t fair, wise and doesn’t provide a “uniform system of education” as noted in the Minnesota State Constitution.

There are bills in the Legislature that would fund all-day kindergarten for all students immediately but the funding source for these fully funded proposals isn’t clearly identified.  The cost goes beyond the provisions of the governor’s proposal by at least another $100 million.

We recommend fully funding all-day kindergarten for all parents who want their children to participate as a basic part of the Minnesota public education system. We also recommend a financial plan with a specific timeline for implementation and a clearly identified source of funding. It may take more than one school year to implement but not much more.

There is a second issue that goes to the substance of the kindergarten experience: it must be of consequence and there must be accountability to the investment. All too often we enter into a public investment with a clear understanding of what we expect but with little or no follow-up on what we receive. The funding of all-day kindergarten should be accompanied by a set of expectations that parents can easily understand and that can be measured, documented or observed at the end of the kindergarten year by both the parents and the state.

Proposed legislation should be accompanied by a funded assessment to determine if expectations are being achieved. The assessment should include a follow-through or assessment that documents the impact of all-day kindergarten on third grade reading and math levels. Please note our perspective: parents should be able to assess and affirm the value just as the state evaluates the benefits.

We need to leverage every year of growth and learning for our Minnesota children. Just as early savings for college pay greater earnings over time, so too, will early learning pay strong dividends as our children mature.

An editorial from the ECM Publishers Editorial Board.

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Mounds View Superintendent Dan Hoverman and former Irondale High School Principal Colleen Wambach have helped demonstrate what’s possible.  They, and teachers in the district, created a program that allows a wide range of students at Irondale to earn an Associate Arts degree, while still in high school.

Joe Nathan

Last year U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited Irondale to praise and promote their efforts.  Mounds View received no federal, state or foundation grants to redesign their high school.  They used internal resources more effectively.

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has hired Wambach to help other public school districts and a charter public school do something similar.  She’s working with Fred Easter, a deeply committed, insightful urban educator/community activist.  (Full disclosure: MDE has asked the Center for School Change to work with them.)

They are working with, among others, Austin, Anoka, Brooklyn Center, Bloomington, Cook County, Mounds View and St. Paul districts, the  Bug-o-nay-ge-shig school, and El Colegio charter.  Each recognizes that  many high school students are ready for more active engagement, and challenge.

Several years ago, Long Prairie Grey Eagle High School Principal Paul Weinzierl, and Central Lakes College President Larry Lundblad created a program called “4+2.”  This collaboration already has produced  30 high school students who earned “A.A” degrees before graduating high school.

Former Little Falls, now Eden Prairie, Superintendent Curt Tryggestad recognized the incredible, daily-growing knowledge available “online.”  So he reallocated some of Little Falls’ “textbook” dollars to purchase “i-Pads” for secondary schools, and helped arrange training to help students and teachers make effective use of that money.

Farmington Superintendent Jay Haugen and his colleagues have created a brief, You-Tube video using cartoons to help explain the need for and possible features of  “A New Design.”  You can find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1bOIcnVI3g&feature=youtu.be

John Benson, for more than 30 years a public school teacher, former president of the Edina Federation of Teachers, now is a Minnesota state representative.  Benson, who represents Minnetonka and parts of western Hennepin County, was the chief Minnesota House author of one of the nation’s first “Self-governed/site governed “school laws.

Benson knows about the creativity and commitment of many classroom teachers.  He’s glad that Minneapolis teachers and parents created a “Site-governed” French Immersion elementary school.   Benson hopes many more school systems will encourage teachers and parents to create research-based, distinctive site-governed schools.

Cam Hedlund and Linda Madsen defy what some believe – that district and charter educators are competitors, and, as one district superintendent told me, “enemies.”  Hedlund, director of Lakes International Charter, Forest Lake, and Madsen, superintendent in Forest Lake, recently received a statewide award from the Humphrey School and the Bush Foundation.  It honors their collaboration.  Madsen told me, “It was an honor to receive this award.”  They deserved it.  They recognize each other’s strengths, and are using them to serve students.

Sometimes I’m told, “They won’t let us…”  “They” might be a school board, a superintendent, a union or a state department.  Folks like those named above spend more time creating, less time complaining.  They move things ahead.

Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change.  Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org

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I often see young children under age 12 riding them on easements and county roads.  If you say something to their parents, they say that the law says that as long as they can reach the peddles then they are legal to ride.  Please discuss the regulations on this issue.

Sgt. Curt Mowers

ANSWER:  Yes, it has been awhile.  I had a DNR enforcement officer review this information before sending to make sure it is all still valid. Check for specific and more detailed regulations at just about any ATV dealer, local DNR office, DMV office, or on the web at http://www.mndnr.gov/ohv, or at just about any police department or sheriff’s office, or State Patrol District Headquarters, and many other sources.  There are numerous regulations but here are some of them which apply directly to your question.

Anyone under age 16 now has to have a parent or guardian’s permission to ride the ATV.  All ATV operators and passengers under age 18 must to wear a helmet.

Road authorities have the right to restrict operation of ATV’s on roads under their jurisdiction, so people need to check every municipality, township, etc. before riding.  Under 10 years of age, operators can only ride on private property (with permission of land owner).

Under age 12 operators may only ride ATV up to 90 cc on public lands and frozen waters if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and may operate only on private property with permission of the owner (and must wear the helmet, and have parent’s permission).

There are specific laws for operators age 12-15, 15 and older, and ages 16 & 17.  The laws are too numerous to print them all here.

All adults should take the responsibility for their youthful operators to ensure that they are safe and obeying the laws.  This should serve as a warning that these laws are being enforced statewide by all law enforcement as many deaths and serious injuries are being reported every year. Thanks for asking. – Sgt. Curt Mowers, Minnesota State Patrol

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My daughter lost interest in sports during her senior year at Edina High School, but my son remained serious about soccer, hoping he’d get to play in college, which he did. During college visits his senior year, we carried copies of a feature story about Eric written 20 years ago by John Sherman, sports editor of the Edina Sun Current.

John is still writing stories that are being pasted into the scrapbooks of young athletes in the west metro. He is one of about two dozen sports editors at the four dozen newspapers published by ECM, my employer and the state’s largest company of weekly newspapers and community websites.

Larry Werner

Since ECM acquired the Sun papers in December of 2011, our company has claimed the distinction of sending more employees to prep sports events than anyone except, perhaps, whoever delivers popcorn to Minnesota high schools. And, many of our sports editors have, like John Sherman, been writing about prep sports for more than 20 years.

We have a few rookies, such as Patrick Slack, who covers five schools in the Little Falls area for our Morrison County Record, and Kat Ladwig, who joined the Forest Lake Times less than a year ago. But at most of our papers, those who cover the teams have seen coaches and athletic directors come and go, and they’re still telling the stories of local heroes in the suburbs and small towns we serve.

Who does the sports writing has remained the same in most of our cities, but how we do it has changed and probably will continue to change. Sherman, Mike Shaughnessy in Dakota County, Bruce Strand in Elk River and many other ECM-Sun sports journalists used to be able to cover games and interview coaches and players for stories that appeared only in the weekly paper. But the Internet’s arrival meant they had to become daily reporters who now post game stories as soon as they have results.

The Internet and the explosion of websites devoted to sports have led to discussion in our company about whether we should change the nature of our coverage in newspapers. Many of our local papers devote most of their space to feature stories rather than extensive coverage of games, while other ECM papers continue to provide the stories of games that might have happened a week before.

In this age of instant information delivered by smart phones, should we assume those who care about high-school sports know who won or lost long before the paper is delivered?

If so, should we be using our precious “news hole” for profiles of players and coaches, stories about interesting and important sports trends such as the current discussion of checking in hockey and reports on key upcoming matchups between schools?

And, more fundamentally, how important is the coverage of prep sports to our readers?

When I was managing ECM’s Thisweek papers in Dakota County, we conducted focus groups to hear what regular readers wanted in their newspapers. Rob Daves, a consultant who has been conducting reader research for as long as Sherman has been covering sports, asked our focus-group participants to rank the subjects we cover – government, the arts, crime, schools and sports.

Sports was ranked last by two groups of readers that, as it turned out, contained few parents of high school athletes. Does that mean the only people who want sports coverage are those whose kids play? I must admit that I stopped attending Edina soccer matches when Eric graduated, even though I still love the sport.

We’ll be getting our sports editors together in June to discuss how we cover what happens in the local gyms, in pools, on tracks and on fields. I’d be interested in hearing from readers about sports coverage in our papers and  websites.

Larry Werner is director of news for ECM Publishers. His email is larry.werner@ecm-inc.com.

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Times have changed, as data points to a growing number of suburban families with children who get their food from food shelves and their breakfasts and lunches at schools.

Don Heinzman

National data says one in five families with children struggles to put enough food on the table.

Since 2008, use of suburban food shelves has risen 89 percent, and while that percentage has leveled off, it’s still too high.

In the Volunteers Enlisted to Serve People (VEAP) service area of Bloomington, Richfield and Edina, of the 19,000 served, 40 percent are children who are eligible for free and reduced school lunches.

For the most part, these children come from homes where one or both parents are working, but don’t earn enough money to buy enough food.

Experts tell us that children who don’t have enough food to eat do not do well in school, are more likely to get sick and less likely to graduate.

Programs have developed across the suburban communities that deserve attention and could be replicated.

One unusual breakfast program is at four elementary schools in the Hopkins school district where every child can get a free and nutritious breakfast. The program is paid for through federal and state funds, particularly where there are higher concentrations of students eligible for free and reduced meals.  Kindergarten students have their breakfast in the lunchroom, while the other students eat breakfast in the classrooms.

The program is having results.  Where only 10 to 12 percent were eating breakfast, now nearly 40 percent of the students are doing so.

Barb Mechura, director of the district student nutrition program, will tell you how the program works by calling 952-988-4063.

Hunger isn’t just a problem for elementary students.  At North Hennepin Community college, where 67 percent of students come from low-income households, a Food Cupboard has been organized. It’s run by volunteers and stocked by donations of food and money.  School staff members support the program open to all students.

More schools are offering food to students during the school day.  At Evergreen Park Elementary school in Brooklyn Center, there’s food at the “Den,” part of a model community school program.

Students at Champlin Park high school conduct food and fund drives to feed their fellow students.

Perhaps the best community resource model is the Eagan-Lakeville Resource Center which services 45,000 individuals a year, half of them children.

This program, aided by 500 volunteers and run by a staff of six, operates two pantries and a bus loaded with food for targeted families in Dakota County.

A hundred families in need grow their own food in community gardens where the center provides the plots, seed, watering and classes on how to garden.

There are “mission gardens” grown by volunteers and employees of corporations.  Residents often bring leftover fruits and vegetables to the pantries.

Call or email Lisa Horn, the executive director, for more information at 651-688-3189 and Eaganrc.org.

So, what can you do now?

This is Minnesota Food Share month, when you are asked to donate food and money to your local food shelf. A dollar can buy $7 of food.

The bottom line is that childhood hunger has become a suburban problem and this month you can attack it with your donations of food and your dollars.

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Whether agreeing, disagreeing or pointing to problems, you help me learn.

A column criticizing the Oscars produced the most reaction:  Fifteen people agreed, one disagreed, and some asked for help.  Unfortunately, in urging people to contact Dawn Hudson, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, I provided the wrong email.  I apologize. The correct address is dhudson@oscars.org

Joe Nathan

While agreeing that some of the Oscar host’s jokes were “tasteless,” “J” felt, “Overall… the show was pretty well produced…. I am enough of a Libertarian to worry about having people telling me what’s offensive and what isn’t.”

However, Joy wrote, “What a flop…  (While) Movies can inspire, entertain and encourage our youth, what the Oscar night taught youth was how disrespectful, cruel, and overall STUPID, adults can be.”

Two people used the word “appalling.”   Charles responded, “What a disastrous presentation.  I don’t know what or who will get through to the Academy about this, but there should be an avalanche.”

Laura wrote that the host’s “’trying to pass arrogance off as charm’ shtick was boring and infuriating.’”

Another person educated me, pointing out that the Oscars “In Memoriam” section didn’t note the passing of Lupe Ontiveros.  She was in more than 150 movies, television and stage shows.

People also responded to last week’s column about a book encouraging greater trust for teachers.  Many reacted like John, who wrote, “Definitely the way to go. Sure, some such experiments will fail, but we can learn from those, too, and figure out how to reinvigorate the educational system in the process.”

Education activist/writer Andy Rotherham felt that I had not reported accurately on the MetLife Survey of teachers and principals. I wrote that the most recent study found “growing percentages of teachers are dissatisfied with their jobs.”  Rotherham is right, for several reasons.

The percentage of teachers reporting that they are “dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied,” with their “job as a teacher in the public schools” declined from 18 percent in 2011 to 17 percent in 2012.   Small print on page 45 of the 2012 report reveals that the conclusion was based in part on a reduction in the last year of teachers reporting they are “very satisfied.”  That percentage declined from 44 percent in 2012 to 39 percent in 2011.

Dr. Dana Markow, vice president of Youth and Education Research, Harris Interactive, told me “The top end of the scale is a more sensitive measure of changes over time.”   However, the actual percentages of teachers saying they were dissatisfied declined in the last two years.

Second, as Rotherham noted, MetLife used two different, similar but not identical questions over the last 25 years. Some years, including 2011 and 2012, the question was: ” All in all, how satisfied would you say you are with your job as a teacher in the public schools?”  In other years, MetLife asked, “All in all, how satisfied would you say you are with teaching as a career?”

I contacted University of Minnesota Professor Karen Seashore, an award-winning researcher.  She responded in part, that “one question would elicit teachers’ sense of dedication to the ideal of teaching children; another question suggests a focus on the current job…they are likely to provoke a similar response (but) there is a problem.”

I agree. The MetLife summary is misleading.

Meanwhile your responses are valuable.  Thanks!

Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change.  Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org

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ANSWER:  I used to drive school bus (many years ago) so I know exactly what you are talking about.  I also know there are a lot of other things you could talk about that other drivers are doing because I have been responding to school bus stop arm violations during my whole career.   It’s unimaginable, but a lot of people say they didn’t even see the bus.  Motorists need to pay attention to their driving, especially on school days during morning and afternoon school bus routes.  School bus drivers are required to activate warning system yellow flashers at least 100 feet ahead of a stop when driving routes below 35 mph, and at least 300 feet on routes over 35 mph.  The yellow lights come on to warn drivers to be prepared to stop.  Stop means complete cessation of movement. When the bus stops, the bus driver opens the door, activates the stop arm and flashing red lights.  It is against the law not to stop, and it is against the law to get within 20 feet of the bus during the display of the flashing red lights.  Drivers must stop and stay stopped, no creeping!  Bus drivers can’t let the kids off the bus if you are still moving!

Motorists should be especially cautious as children are exiting the bus and crossing – this is the most dangerous situation for kids.  Parents and caregivers should demonstrate how to cross safely and remind their children to check with the driver to make sure it’s safe to cross. Thanks for asking about this very important issue. – Sgt. Curt Mowers, Minnesota State Patrol

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This month the annual pilgrimage by high school sports fans to sports temples will end with the celebration of the boy’s high school state basketball tournament.

They will have cheered 2,600 athletes who will have played in 120 winter sports tournaments.

Don Heinzman

These tournaments are big business for the Minnesota High School League, which rules over high school sports.

At this time last year 317,568 spectators went to the winter state tournaments and spent

Sports writers and announcers recorded every moment on paper, on line and television.

No reporter had any problem getting information on scores, backgrounds and photos of the athletes.  Coaches and high school principals were only too glad to tell all about their gifted athletes.

All this recognition is out of proportion to the athletes’ accomplishments, but that’s sports for you. High school state tournament teams give a shot in the arm to their schools and make their communities proud. That’s all good.

Sports are a character and team builder, no question about it.

Indeed, we all have played a part in building a high school sports culture, and putting these players on pedestals.

Contrast all this openness to how reporters were stonewalled by Maple Grove High School and district officials where this same sports culture helped conceal the reasons why 13 high school hockey players were suspended for two and four games.

The school administration stiffed the media, citing privacy laws. The coach would not even tell reporters if the offending players apologized to their teammates.

Never mind that the public who pays the school bill was kept in the dark.

The media, however, went to work and checked the unofficial sources and found there was a private party where a homemade sex video was produced.

All this allegedly took place in a private home, and came to the attention of the coach and school officials a month later.

An internal investigation was conducted, and it was decided the players broke a team rule and a state high school league rule.

So the athletes were suspended, some for two games and some for four games.  Why?  We really don’t know.

Let’s face it. Those suspensions were slaps on their wrists.  The offending players were back on the ice in two weeks.

Some will argue that the school board should have ended the season. That would be a life-long lesson.

One mother shrugged it off by saying, “Boys will be boys.” Another blamed the media for over playing the story. The offending team members were cheered when they took to the ice.

The Maple Grove taxpayers have a right to know from school and board officials who mistakenly decided this wasn’t the public’s business.

We understand Maple Grove school officials are in the process of using this unfortunate incident to teach students the ramifications of what happened at that private party and that there are prescribed consequences for breaking rules.  The sports culture we’ve created unfortunately protects athletes from receiving harsher penalties and idolizes them when they score a goal.

The sports culture wins again.

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A recently published, intriguing, important book urges “yes.” The book  Trusting Teachers with School Success is important in part because it has been endorsed by a variety of educators and education activists, many of whom strongly disagree with each other about other issues such as testing, charter public schools and virtual schools.

Why did a variety of people recommend the book?

First, because the authors ask, “What if trusting teachers, and not controlling them, is the key to school success?”   The authors believe that teachers should have the option to organize as doctors and attorneys sometimes do.  This puts teachers truly in charge.

Joe Nathan

The book offers 11 examples from seven states, from Connecticut to California along with Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Some attorneys and physicians organize themselves into partnerships. The attorneys and doctors decide how their clinics or law firms will operate (including associates’  pay and how they will be evaluated). They hire (and can fire) people to help with the “business side” of things.

I’ve visited some schools cited in the book, including the Minnesota New Country School (MNCS) in Henderson, Minn. and Avalon, in St. Paul.  Both schools attract a variety of students.  Both help some youngsters who had not succeeded in traditional schools graduate and go on to some form of two- or four-year higher education. Both use an array of methods, not just standardized tests, to measure and report student progress.

Avalon, MNCS and the nine other schools, both district and charter, described in the book allow teachers to determine the curriculum, budget allocations, assessment methods, staff evaluation, and in some cases pay and working conditions.  This is real teacher “empowerment.”

The authors recommend that families be allowed to choose these schools, and say that this approach won’t always work.  For example,  the Milwaukee Federation of Teachers and Milwaukee District helped create more than a dozen schools on this model. Some thrived, others did not.

A recent MetLife Foundation survey of teachers around the country found growing percentages of teachers are dissatisfied with their jobs.  While education journalist and activist Andy Rotherham pointed out that over the last 25 years, MetLife has used different questions to compare teachers’ attitudes, survey officials stress that answers to identical questions, show dissatisfaction is growing.

Empowering educators can be one important way to serve students and enrich teachers’ lives.  The book’s authors include Amy Junge, formerly a public school teacher; Kim Farris-Berg, an education policy researcher, and Edward Dirkswager, a retired health care administrator.

People who’ve endorsed the book include union leaders, including Dennis Van Roekel,  president of the National Education Association; Lynn Nordgren, president of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, and Adam Urbanski, president of the Rochester, N.Y. Federation of Teachers, along with Stanford professor Linda Darling-Hammond and educator Deborah Meier, all of whom are skeptical about the charter idea.  Tom Vander Ark, formerly of the Gates Foundation, Mike Petrelli of the Fordham Institute and Dee Thomas, all of whom support the charter idea, also praised the book.

As America searches for solutions, it’s great to find strategies supported by thoughtful people who often disagree.  That makes Trusting Teachers with School Success a book with important, intriguing ideas.

Joe Nathan, formerly a public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change.  Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org

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ANSWER: Referring to M.S.S. 169.442, Subdivision 5, it talks about white strobe lamps on certain buses transporting children.  It basically says that school buses may be equipped with a flashing strobe lamp. Like you thought, there are some restrictions.  One is that the lamp must be permanently mounted on the longitudinal centerline of the bus roof not less than two feet forward of the rear roof edge.

Sgt. Curt Mowers

The law also states that, “The strobe lamp may be lighted only when atmospheric conditions or terrain restrict the visibility of school bus lamps and signals or Head Start bus lamps and signals so as to require use of the bright strobe lamp to alert motorists to the presence of the school bus or Head Start bus. A strobe lamp may not be lighted unless the school bus or Head Start bus is actually being used as a school bus or Head Start bus.”

I hope that clears it up for you.

As a reminder for everyone concerning school bus safety in general:
• Drivers must stop for buses when red lights flashing — and stay back.
• Remember, children are exiting or entering the bus when the stop arm is extended and red lights are flashing.
• Teach and demonstrate safe crossing for your children — especially when exiting a bus, which is the most dangerous of circumstances.

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Hudson, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and her colleagues gave young people and viewers around the world exactly the wrong messages about women, religion and African Americans. Educators are expected to promote respect.

Joe Nathan

Disrespect dominated Oscar host Seth MacFarlane’s  comments from beginning to end.

The Academy of Motion Pictures had a number of terrific movies to recognize.  But from beginning to end, the Academy’s recent “Oscar” night was, as former St. Paul Mayor Jim Scheibel told me, “the worst Academy Awards program I can remember.”

Stupid, silly, shortsighted jokes, songs and skits detracted from the movies and performances that the Oscars are supposed to feature. As Judy Berglund, a journalist/education advocate wrote: “The jokes were horrible.”

How do you suppose Hudson would have felt if host MacFarlane, referring to the male sex organ, led a song that proclaimed,  “We saw your p….”? In the first few minutes of the program, the host gleefully led something similar – a song that referring to a woman’s breasts, proclaimed, “We saw your bo…!”

Later he announced it was the time of the program when an attractive woman would make a presentation, “We don’t care what she says,” he explained, because she’s so nice to look at.  Great respect, right?  What an attractive woman says doesn’t matter?

Then there were lousy jokes about Lincoln.  MacFarlane  told viewers that the man “who really got inside Lincoln’s head was John Wilkes Booth!” (the man who shot Lincoln.).  Really funny.  MacFarlane tried to tease Best Actor winner Daniel Day Lewis, who is known for staying “in character” on a set.  MacFarlane wondered if Lewis, who won for his portrayal of Lincoln, would have “freed Don Cheadle (an African American actor) if he had seen him on the set.” Very clever.

An extended skit suggested that a person has to be Jewish to be successful in Hollywood.  After naming several “partially Jewish” actors, the host asked actor Mark Walberg if he was Jewish? “No,” an apparently irritated Walberg responded.  “I’m Catholic.”  Who cares what about Wahlberg’s religion?

Does Ms. Hudson wants youngsters to think this is funny, inspiring or enriching (like the best movies)? You can tell her what you think:  Her email is dhudson@oscars.com

Movies can inspire, entertain, encourage and enrich our lives.  Many movies, actors, actresses, producers, and specialized staff did that this year.

Youngsters who viewed some of the “Best Picture” nominees learned
•    About the courage, wisdom and skill of Abraham Lincoln.
•    How Canada and the U.S. collaborated in courageous, creative ways to get some diplomats out of a very hostile country, via the movie “Argo.”
•     “State of the art” technology and imagination in “The Life of Pi.”

Unfortunately, people across the political spectrum were offended and disappointed.  The Oscars made respect more difficult for educators and families to promote.

Joe Nathan, formerly a public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change.  Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org

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ANSWER: Well, it is going to depend on what type of event you are talking about, but I did find that M.S.S. 169.222 subdivision 10 talks about bicycle events.  It just basically says that, “Bicycle events, parades, contests, or racing on a highway shall not be unlawful when approved by state or local authorities having jurisdiction over that highway. Approval shall be granted only under conditions which assure reasonable safety for all participants, spectators and other highway users, and which prevent unreasonable interference with traffic flow which would seriously inconvenience other highway users.”

The statute also says, “By agreement with the approving authority, participants in an approved bicycle highway event may be exempted from compliance with any traffic laws otherwise applicable thereto, provided that traffic control is adequate to assure the safety of all highway users.”

Not knowing exactly what you all have planned for your bicycle event, I hope this was helpful. I do know of several successful bicycle events that also included training information relating to bicycle safety. Remember, follow the rules of the road when you ride and obey traffic signs. Riders should also wear helmets and bright, reflective clothing – it’s also important to use lights on both front and back of the bike. Lighting is especially important as the days get shorter. Drivers should continue to be attentive and alert for riders and share the road.

Thanks for asking, and good luck with your event. Portions of statutes were used with permission of the Office of the Revisor of Statues.

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Several years ago, Congress created a 27-member group that included two national teachers union presidents, college faculty, several lawyers and directors of education advocacy organizations.

Perhaps the commission’s most powerful words describe inequities in U.S. education opportunities compared to many other countries. It describes the current system as “unjust and unwise…we take the extraordinary diversity that should be our strategic advantage in the international economy and squander it.”

Joe Nathan

Their  50-page report has dozens of recommendations in five areas:
•    Improving school finance and efficiency
•    Teaching, leading and learning opportunities
•    Insuring access to high-quality early childhood education
•    Meeting the needs of students in high poverty neighborhoods
•    Governance and accountability to improve equity and excellence

The report notes that many other countries insure that high quality early childhood programs are available to all, that schools serving low income students have higher funding, rather than less, as in the case in many states.

The report praises other countries for doing a better job of recruiting and compensating teachers and school leaders. Commissioners call the U.S.  “an outlier” among nations.  Commission members insist we would have a much healthier economy if we dealt with these issues.

They acknowledge that, “By some measures, we spend as much as or even more as a share of our GDP than do other nations, which underscores that the amount of money spent is not the only factor affecting student achievement…it is critical to spend money strategically on things that work.”

The commission recognizes the value of research but again, nothing on how much or how to most effectively spend research funds.

The report has a single sentence referring to congressional promises regarding funding of students with special needs: “… financial support for these students (with disabilities) should meet the original federal commitment promised.”  Yes, it should!

Commission members should make that commitment a priority. Congressional funding for students with disabilities has never reached 30 percent of the overall cost, much less the 40 percent funding that Congress promised.

Here’s a link to the report:
http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/eec/index.html

As the report was released, I listened and asked two questions. Then, via email, Minnesota Commissioner of Education Brenda Cassellius and I talked.

She told me, “We did not provide input.” That’s unfortunate, because the commissioner and governor know that many of the report’s recommendations will cost a lot of money.  I asked, and commission members acknowledged that their report included dozens of recommendations but not how much some would cost, or how to pay for them.

Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposed education budget urges spending an additional $300 million on early childhood and K-12 education.  He suggests more funding for strong programs serving three-four year olds, kindergarten students, youngsters with special needs, and greater funding equity among districts, all of which the commission recommends.   Moreover, the state has identified outstanding district and charter public schools, and plans to arrange for them to help other schools.  Sharing takes some, but not a lot of money.

Commissioner Cassellius praised the report’s tone. She believes “All children deserve an equitable opportunity to succeed and excel.”   Agreed.

Give the governor and commissioner credit for proposing a budget and taking other actions that help move Minnesota in the direction the national commission recommends.

Joe Nathan, formerly a Minnesota public school teacher and administrator, direct the Center for School Change.  Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org

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ANSWER:

Karrie,

I know of no state laws that specifically address that.  If the vehicle being towed has loose parts or panels that are sticking out or any other hazards exist, then there might be other issues with legality, but as you stated the question, it should be fine, unless there is a local ordinance.

Sgt. Curt Mowers

That question reminds me of an incident (true story) several years ago where I stopped a car for speeding, and the guy asked me about a previous ticket he received a week before for unsafe equipment from another agency.

When I asked him what the unsafe equipment ticket was for so I could answer his question accurately, he said he was driving his car without a hood on it.  I told him to go to the prosecutor and explain that it is not against the law (nor is it unsafe) to drive without a hood on his car and that the ticket should be promptly dismissed.  He did, and it was. Anyway, thanks for asking.

Curt

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