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Are we serious about giving all of our children the opportunities we had?

Based on the calls and e-mails I've received from public school parents since Education Commissioner Alice Seagren took Sen. Mark Dayton to task for "painting an incomplete and inaccurate picture of K-12 education funding" in our state (Counterpoint, Jan. 27), I have to agree with her that instead of pointing fingers, "we should come together to make our excellent public schools even better."

Why, then, was the commissioner trying to "out-statistic" Dayton to persuade us that our public schools, as the headline said, are "doing quite well"? Public school parents are weary of these attempts to confuse us. We know the truth. We see it every day.

The simple truth is that all across the state, we see the cuts. Public school parents are anxious for our elected officials to fully recognize what we see in our schools: inexcusably large classes; loss of innovative programs; cutbacks to after-school, early childhood and remedial programming; and a chronic lack of counselors and social workers, all at a time when expectations for our schools have escalated. Schools are dealing with many of our country's toughest challenges: the effects of poverty, homelessness, language barriers and family neglect.

A recent study by a national expert examined the academic standards that Minnesota has implemented in the last few years and found that reaching the goal of 100 percent proficiency among our public school students on those standards will require an additional investment by the state of almost $1 billion -- in other words, our schools are not "doing quite well." This came as no surprise to the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who spend time in their neighborhood schools. This is a lot of money; it would seem that, as a state, we need to talk. Are we serious about 100 percent proficiency? Are we serious about 100 percent of our students achieving? Are we serious about giving all of our children the opportunities we had?

Public school parents are gratified that, in spite of the many challenges to our schools, Minnesota's best students are achieving at the top of national test scores, but at the same time, find it unacceptable that we have the largest achievement gap in the nation. We also wonder why a state that ranks eighth in the nation for per capita income has dropped to merely middling in its funding for public schools.

Minnesota's educational and economic achievements will fade if we continue to point fingers rather than rolling up our sleeves and working together to ensure success for all Minnesota students. Public school parents are tired of this political finger-pointing and, honestly, Commissioner Seagren, weren't you doing the same thing?

Let's drop the rhetoric and "come together to make our excellent public schools even better." We welcome the opportunity.

Mary Cecconi, Stillwater, is executive director of Parents United for Public Schools.

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