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Rodney Reisnouer, Superintendent, School News Column, ECM Post Review

I’ve listened and read about the Governor’s “70% Solution” regarding how we, in the education world, spend our funds. I viewed this as just another political gimmick until the most recent television advertisement featuring a now campaigning Pawlenty and the 70% Solution. In this ad the Governor is seen with a child and makes the case that education needs funding and that the funding needs to be pointed at the children. I agree.

I did not become infuriated with this ad until the Governor walks past a door and makes comments about where the supposed “slush” seems to be going. The example is a door with words to the effect of “Assistant to the Assistant to the Vice-Director” or close to that. We understand the meaning clearly. The Governor then walks by what is supposed to be work cubicles and makes more comments on the inappropriateness of our educational spending. I do take offense to this and I do take it personally.

We have cubicles in our district office and in some of our school buildings for clerical workers and others. North Branch Area Public Schools is a mid-sized district of around 4,000 students. Like any business or corporation, we have payroll, bills, benefits for staff, legal compliance, structural balance, security background checks, job postings, etc ... the list goes on and on. These employees work hard and they are necessary for a school district to function. Assistants? Yes, we have assistants in the school district. We have one assistant high school principal in our 1,200-plus-student high school. The same goes for our middle school and the 1,000-plus-student Sunrise River School. Is this overstaffing? It isn’t if you understand what these people do.

I believe the “70% Solution” is in reality a “70% Delusion.” My understanding is that the Governor does not consider the following to be classroom expenses - media instructors, counselors, school nurses, heat for classrooms, the cleaning of classrooms, repairing and maintaining classrooms, computers for classrooms and computer labs, improving teaching training and school security. I won’t even begin to write about the development and implementation of a wellness policy and other mandates and requirements that by law we cannot do without.

Let me just write that the proposal implies that in the 21st century (when the Governor himself is demanding higher standards in science, technology, engineering and math) services such as media, computer lab, guidance counseling, better teacher development, nursing and school security are not essential. So what would nursing services and security have to do with higher academic standards? Along with some of those services being required by law, we probably don’t need a reminder that not all of our students come to school lacking social adjustment and health issues.

I don’t know about all districts, but I know about ours – we do not “waste” resources! And by the way, according to State Auditor
Pat Anderson’s report on Financing in Minnesota Schools (2004) school districts in Minnesota spend an average of 7.9 percent on administration. The U.S. average is 10.7 percent.

We are continually faced with rising class sizes and challenged by our funding to provide the services we believe are necessary for a quality education.

In fact, North Branch receives about 80 percent of the state average in funding that districts receive in Minnesota (yet we still pay 100 percent for fuel, heating, books, etc. like all districts). I certainly hope that neither the Governor nor our community believe that we would let class sizes rise and hire administrative personnel that were not necessary. Because, we would not!

With regard to the use of children’s education as a pawn in the political rhetoric bandied about by our Governor and many of our legislators, I have two words for all of you. Stop It!

http://www.ecmpostreview.com/2006/September/13SchoolNewsstitsevsol.html