Since this is our September education issue, there's certainly an easy approach I could take to the editor's note: Education is vital to the future of our society and we must make sure that our schools have the resources they need. Any takers for the other side of that argument? Anyone? I didn't think so.
And then we get into specifics: What about charter schools? Standardized testing? Class sizes? State funding for pre-K education? Mainstreaming kids with special needs? Uh-huh. I thought so. There's far less agreement in the room now.
Take the article in last month's Minnesota Parent that explored some of the difficulties charter schools have been having in Minnesota. Tina Shaddox of Duluth wrote to tell us that we hadn't done all of our homework. Her family has had a great experience since switching to an Edison Charter School.
"My son, who has tested as being gifted and was rarely challenged in his first three years of school, has thrived. Instead of having to call the school to ask for him to be challenged, the school calls me and asks if they can do more for him because he needs more challenges. My daughter has been enjoying her school as well, in a system that lets the children know that teasing isn’t tolerated. Both of my kids perform well above grade level in every subject, and I feel that it is thanks to our local charter school that they are so successful."
And that's what it comes down to: Success in Minnesota schools will mean a million individual successes and, perhaps, as many different paths to success. In this month's Parent, you'll read about a handful of the cases we think you'll agree are not only successes, but models for success elsewhere. If not, I'm sure you'll let us know.
