Post in $60M School Referendum Proposal

May 15 21:19 UTC

So, pray tell, what is your solution?

It is easy to criticize; it is easy to say "no", and "that doesn't
work", and "you're incompetent".  It is, however, not easy to educate
children, particularly those you mention, the poor and those from
broken homes.  That is a task that requires skill and dedication,
compassion and insight, and a willingness to keep going when folks
(sometimes students, sometimes community members) call you names and
try to tear you down.

I'm here, on the front line, working to educate those young people.
I'm not in the suburban districts, where the "clientele" is far easier
to deal with.  I'm not in private industry- where my skills would earn
considerably better money.  I'm in North Minneapolis.  And I'm damned
proud of it.  I've been other places, taught other children, and I
came home to Northside, precisely because this is where the need is
greatest and the challenges are biggest.

Didn't I read in the Strib that MPS students were outperforming those
enrolled in "The Choice is Yours"?  Obviously, the Minneapolis school
system was and remains the problem for those students.  Moving them to
suburban districts really helped, didn't it?

I'm sorry you don't feel your own child(ren) received a quality
education from the Minneapolis Public Schools.  Perhaps you'd like to
expand on what brings you to this conclusion?  I, for one, think it
ridiculous that the Mayor sends his children to private schools.  I
think it reflects badly on his commitment to the CIty and to the
public schools.

Any time you'd like to come see what we do for a living, feel free.  I
am sure any school you'd like would be more than willing to show you
around, including the two I work in- I'd be glad to show you around
myself.  And any time you'd like to do our jobs better than we do,
feel free to sign up.

Do I hear crickets?