Schools First: What We're Up Against

Here's an innocent little item from tonight's District 281 School Board meeting under Adminstrative Matters:

9.01  Request to Modify 2007-2008 School Calendar


The administration recommends the following change to the 2007-2008 school year calendar in order to accommodate the staff at Olson School to pack and return to Plymouth Middle School for the 2008-2009 school year.

Plymouth Middle School: No students on June 4, 2008 for 6th grade only at Olson School.

This was approved. FYI, Olson School was closed but used this year to handle some or all of the 6th grade students of Plymouth Middle School for construction or other reasons.

I asked a high ranking official about this in the hallway, specifically, why not just move the next day? Why short the students? Yes, I knew the answer and I eventually got that answer: the contract with Education Minnesota. But not until said official explained twice to me how little time is available at the end of the term; they have no choice! And the teachers have to do it, not the custodians. It was a bit of double talk that reminded me of U. S. Senator Hillary Clinton saying that (former) New York Governor Eliot Spritzer had no choice but to push for Drivers Licenses for illegal aliens when "comprehensive immigration reform" stalled in Congress.

Most of us in the private sector have been through office moves or major disruptions from construction. What do we do? Nights and weekends. We arrange to still answer the telephones. We don't close the offices or stores to customers unless absolutely necessary.

Not in public education. We tell the customers to go home. We close the building a day early. It's a small matter but it greatly illustrates what we're up against in trying to save once great public school districts like 281.

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I can't let it drop here. The District begs the community for volunteers, for time, and for money, to support education, and the community responds. The Board acknowledges thousands of dollars of donations every session and praises the time spent by the many volunteers at the schools and on various committees. But when it's time for the administration and/or staff to volunteer just a little extra, to quote Minnesota Senator Taryl Clark: "No, no, no!"