We All Do Better

Education – Issues of concern.

Sep 30, 2006 Education, News

Earlier this month I attended the Alliance for Student Achievement Education Summit at the Minneapolis Convention Center. I ran into several other folks from Northfield among them School Board members Kari Nelson, Diane Cirksena, and Wendy Smith; as well as Superintendent Richardson and MASA Executive Charlie Kyte, sometimes called the voice of Minnesota education.

Much of the discussion had to do with funding for public education and what we should expect to pay for educating Minnesota’s young people.  There was not a clear answer for this – the study is still in progress, but the message was we are not investing enough at any level in our education system to create the kind of work force and opportunity we need and would like to have.   Two past Governors and three candidates for governor spoke to the attendees.  Governor Wendell Anderson, began by saying he would “like to bring greetings to the group from Governor Pawlenty, but the Governor didn’t send any.”  He then stepped back and said, “I love saying that.”  Both Governor Anderson and Governor Quie, who spoke after him talked about the importance of investing in public education.  They differed on how and where to get that money but they were united in the opinion that not enough was being spent.

Later, candidates Hatch, Hutchinson, and Pentel talked about their visions for public education and what they would do as Governor.  I mention this as a segue into comments responding to a request from Griff Wigley about his post announcing his interview with school Board Chair Kari Nelson.  I have had the opportunity to work with Kari on a few school committees and have been impressed with her concern, understanding of issues and fair mindedness.  

In his post, I thought Griff was rather hard on the district and teachers, offering a reaction to compensation increases and the Q-Comp vote. Some issues Griff raises I think he has wrong or misrepresents.  I apologize for this long post and hope you will bear with me as you read through it.

For example when he talks about a 10% compensation increase for teachers, this is misleading.  There is a difference between what an individual teacher gets and what the total cost of a salary schedule is to the district.  A 4.8% annual increase to the salary schedule means individual teachers will see a 1 or 2 % increase depending on where they are on that schedule.  Some teachers will receive an annual increment increase built in to the schedule and that almost 10% spending increase he talks about must include benefit increases; and health insurance has been increasing sometimes at a double digit pace.  This means that the district and employees see increased costs as they share in paying for that coverage.  Gone are the days when the district can afford to provide full coverage.

Inflation was reported to be at 3%, the district knows it must bargain fairly with teachers and budgets for expected labor increases.  So when Griff says he wonders why the district would give a 10% (which is not an accurate figure for what a teacher gets) “when it couldn’t afford to” he is further misleading the reader.  The district did not agree to an increase it had not budgeted for.   So it could afford to offer what amounted to a very meager salary increase for individual teachers.  But Griff further stirs the pot when he implies that teachers should have voted to take State money in Q-Comp rather than go to the local taxpayers for more money.  This simply is false reasoning on many levels.  In the first place the money individual teachers would have gotten from Q- Comp was small and in accepting it they would have had to accept numerous responsibilities above and beyond their current work load.   There would have been non-financial rewards for doing so but also costs in time, energy and money.  Teachers in the Northfield District are very hard working and dedicated and many I’ve talked to believe in honing their skills and getting better at what they do to improve student achievement.  Teachers were also concerned about whether or not the district could truly afford to implement the plan with no money of its own to add to the project. But I do wish Griff would talk to teachers about why those who did, voted against taking more money when offered.

It bothers me when others want to blame teachers and me personally for the financial difficulty at the schools.  Claims they make with out basis and without understanding of the figures or process to back it up.  Griff did not do that but what he says may give credence to that point of view which is not supportable.

Griff claims that teachers passed on:  $750,000 (and potentially another $750K the following year). $1.5 million is no small change. Richardson made the point that this money has no relationship to the operating levy referendum and that’s true to an extent. My point is that future teacher contract compensation settlements WILL BE PAID FOR by operating levy money.

The reality is there was no $1.5 million.  $733,390 was the figure.  The Board you may remember decided not to take the Governor up on his offer to allow the board to raise 1/3 of additional revenue by raising local property taxes.   The money that currently comes to the district to give teacher increases is part state money and part operating levy.  Teachers negotiate with district staff who have been part of a budgeting process and know what the district can afford.

Let me quote something I wrote when this came up last December:

The only year available to Northfield to apply for Q comp funding is the 2006-'07 school year. It must be implemented in 2006 – '07 in order to access the funding.  There is no money available to do the planning.  Teachers who have been involved so far have volunteered their time or have gotten release time paid for by union funds.  If the legislature was serious about making this reform work I do wish they would have thought about the time and effort it would involve to make it work.  The only funds available to Northfield through Q Comp at this point is the $733,390 we have been talking about.  We don't know what the legislature will do in 2006 or 2007 that might impact Q Comp funding.

Griff complains that there have been staff increases in this time of budget hardships. There may have been some increases in mandated Spec. Ed. services and some add backs as the financial picture improved, but I understand in the first round of cuts every dept. took a 5% decrease.  The ALC took a 30% cut and a complete restructuring.  Essentially it was demolished and a new program put in its place, with the hope it could make money for the district.  Please get data first and then make your claims.  I don't think it's responsible to make these kinds of claims with out better documentation.

Griff claims that the district’s pointing the finger at the legislature is unfair.  First, claiming that all districts struggled with the same limited allocation from the state and yet not all of them had the same financial hole.  This is true but it ignores the reality of the many differences from district to district, which includes the time table in which cuts were made, local tax base, local expectations, and when levies were passed.  In 2002 Anoka Hennepin was in deep financial difficulty for example.  

Then Griff argues that the state was deep in debt and infers the reason was 9/11.  Certainly 9/11 had something to do with it; but history did not start on September 11, 2001.  There were events prior to Sept. 11th that contributed in large part to the State's budget difficulties.  I made attempts to talk about these in both the 2002 and the 2004 elections but people weren't terribly interested.  Both sides were content to blame 9/11.   You may remember in the 90s there were tax cuts given to the top income brackets in Minnesota and in the late 90s we had a surplus in the State of Minnesota.  It was suggested by some that we should hang on to it for a rainy day, but others insisted, "give it back."

 It has been reported that well over half of the budget deficit in 2002 was caused by the decision made during the Ventura administration to shift education funding away from local property taxes to the state general fund.  However, Democrats and Republicans could not agree on how to pay for it.  A decision was made to spend down the surplus rather than find a revenue stream.  The result was a large portion of the State’s deficit.  What did Governor Pawlenty do?  Did he find a revenue stream to cover this cost?  No.  He had made a pledge not to raise taxes.  So he cut services and state funding wherever he could and raised fees wherever he could.  The end result was he had to push the cost of education funding back on to property taxes.
 
Since I have gone on long enough rather than say more, I would like Griff to ask Kari Nelson to explain how, contrary to what some have said, relying on property taxes and renewing operating levies is not always the best plan for funding schools.  From what I understand there is a problem with being forced to ask for what you need now and not being able to predict what you will need in three years because of increased costs and inflation.  This method of funding creates a roller coaster effect where it seems you can never catch up and you always must go begging for more.  I think this creates in the public suspicion that the schools whether they are run efficiently or not are bottomless pits and can never get enough money.  Whatever solution we come up with for funding our schools the formula needs to be adequate, sustainable and provide for equal funding.  

I do support the current levy proposal because the cuts without it will be deep.   But I believe we need to find a better way to invest in public education.  

Rice County DFL Beanstock

Sep 29, 2006 News

September 30th the Rice County DFL will host a bean feed
Democrats of all stripes, friends and others are warmly invited to

Come join:

for an old-timey DFL bean feed.

With musical performances by:

and members of

Lady Bird Johnson's Texas Chili, a spicy vegetarian chili, Ken Beck's famous baked beans, some hot dogs, buns and charcoal for the grilles will be provided by us.
Please bring yourselves! Plus anything else you may want to eat & drink (no glass containers, please), your friends and family, your memories of the late, great DFLer Jim McDonough and your passion for Democratic politics. A silent auction of DFL-related & other items will take place during this kid-friendly event and the music is going to be great.

Appropriate donations for local campaigns will be gratefully accepted.

See you there!

www.ricecountydflers.org
ricecounty.dfl@gmail.com

"In beano veritas."

Brought to you by the Rice County DFL, Erick Sommers, Chair.

“Eyewitness to Global Warming” Event

Sep 20, 2006 News

Will Steger and J. Drake Hamiltion of Fresh Energy spoke Tuesday night at Bethel Lutheran Church to a packed crowd of several hundred. The subject, “Global Warming and What you can do about it.” This event was Co-hosted by Congregations Caring for Creation and organized locally by Connie DeGrote of Bethel Lutheran.

Will Steger is seen here with Fresh Energy Director, Michael Noble in a photo I took of them at the unveiling of 'Fresh Energy’s' new name. Steger gave a compelling and persuasive presentation of his first hand experience of the signs of global warming and what it is doing and is likely to do to our planet. Of greatest concern is the melting of glaciers and ice shelves on both poles; and the exposure of the tundra with melting of the permafrost. The reason the latter is of such concern is that the tundra is a large double continent wide bog that when thawed will actively release great amounts of methane gas into the atmosphere. He showed dramatic photos of the ice melt and talked about what it is doing to wild life and Inuit culture. Steger will soon embark on a cultural expedition to Baffin Island to visit several villages and talk with villagers about the changes they are witnessing. The expedition will be part of the Global Warming 101 project and students and teachers will be able to follow their progress. He also hopes to create a documentary film of the event. 

J. Drake Hamilton talked about the impact of the use of fossil fuels on our environment and indicated scientists figure we have until to 2050 to reduce our 1990 level use of fossil fuels by 80% or we will have to accept life on a drastically different planet. She indicated that Minnesota summers might be more like summer in Kansas today, dryer, longer and hotter. We might experience as many as 40 days above 90 degrees. To avoid this we must reduce fuel emissions that contribute to CO2 in the atmosphere. We have to act quickly but things can be done to improve our situation. Conserve energy, use fuel-efficient cars and appliances, change incandescent to compact fluorescent bulbs in your home and workplace. Invest in renewable energy, recycle, walk, bike and carpool. Lobby the legislature to pass a renewable energy standard and carbon emission reduction measures. She also mentioned the U. S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement  that I mentioned in a previous blog. If you want to join our effort and sign the petition please send me an e-mail at david@davidbly.com

Alycia Ashburn, Creation Care Coordinator also spoke about the efforts congregations can make to educate and spread the word to ‘care for creation.’ The talk was followed a display of local and state groups who offer information about what can be done to confront this problem.

Griff Wigley was there and has posted podcasts of the speakers you may want to take a listen "Will Steger on Global Climate Change" 

Here are some of the groups present:

Cannon River Watershed Partnership

ReNew Northfield

Northland Bioneers

Fresh Energy

Congregations Caring for Creation

Minnesota Commerce Dept.

Global Warming 101 

Also check out Global Warming International for updates 

Freedom of Speech Issues

Sep 18, 2006 News

Recently, there has been some talk about a flyer that surfaced over DJJ Days and the disappearance of lawn signs.  Placing lawn signs in compliance with State, County and Municipal Rules is a complicated task and many volunteers just don’t know the rules.  I’ve learned that most of the signs I lose have to do with an error I or a volunteer has made in placement.  There are those occasional losses to vandalism but I try not to point fingers or take them personally.  The sign I put out in front of my house the first night was knocked down and tossed about, but I have no reason to accuse or suggest who or why it might have happened.  No problem since that first day.

But more serious than lawn signs is another freedom of speech issue.  I read comments form my opponent that I found disturbing.  He implied that unless someone agrees with or supports his point of view they are being negative and should not ‘attack’ him.  He went on to say very negative things about citizens expressing their point of view in an orderly and legal fashion, calling them “pathetic” and just “wanting to get their way.”  I believe our government is founded on the principle that when the people object to something they should have the right to voice their concern.  It doesn’t matter if they are upset with the actions of an influential individual or government official.  Our actions have the potential to harm people and we should be willing to hear about that harm. 

I read through the flyer that was passed out just yesterday and found it to be a fair comparison of things that my opponent has said and defended and things I have said.  This kind of comparison is useful for voters as it points out clear differences in what we believe.    

I do believe that fair and livable wages are very important issues if we are to preserve our middle class and the minimum wage rule is a way for the government to assure that we are headed in that direction.  I believe labor unions are an important factor in our society in assuring that our middle class is maintained.   My opponent disagrees.  There is nothing wrong with that disagreement.  We should not be afraid to discuss it.

Campaign Update

Sep 18, 2006 News

The last few weeks have been very encouraging to me and to all those who think it is time for a changing of the guard in St. Paul. The more I talk to voters one-on-one, the more convinced I become that people in our district are more frustrated with the way things are going in St. Paul and in Washington than they let on.

I met, this last week, with several Rice County Habitat for Humanity leaders to learn about Volunteer coordination. I am serving as the chair of the volunteer committee and we are looking for a volunteer coordinator to help us keep in contact with the many people who want to help with this great effort. RCHH is building two houses in the Nerstrand area this summer and good progress has been made and looks to build more next year. If you think you could help with this position send me an e-mail (david@davidbly.com)

On Wednesday, my campaign joined Jessica Peterson, Sen. Dist. 25 DFL candidate for a rally at Riverside Park to call attention to the environment. We talked about the problem of impaired waters in the Cannon Valley Watershed and what we can do about it. Our area is changing with rapid growth and if we don’t take measures to educate and protect our lakes and streams we only further damage an already stressed and fragile ecosystem. Remember, you are connected to a river. Visit the Cannon River Watershed Partnership website for more details:CRWP

Here's a copy of their June Newsletter: june-2006-newsletter-copy-2.pdf

We also talked about the problem of Global Warming and the negative impact of the Bush energy policy and then walked over to the Southgate cinema to watch “An Inconvenient Truth.” But before we left we introduced and promoted a petition called the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. The petition urges federal and state government to enact policies and programs to reduce global warming pollution that meet or beat the Kyoto protocol targets. It further asks local government to commit to taking action to inventory global warming emissions and set reduction targets as well as create an action plan. We intend to deliver the signed petitions to the Mayor and council soon. If you are interested in signing the petition or help with the gathering of signatures send me an e-mail (david@davidbly.com) or give me a call.