While I'm not sure about the " it takes a
village" phrase (it's right up there with "do more with less"), Phil brings up
some valid points.
However, I find myself asking how we keep young
people in Minnesota who have completed their education in our high quality
system, specifically in Winona, when we can't provide high quality jobs for them
when they're ready to enter the work force.
It is my personal opinion that Minnesota's
biggest export is highly educated young people.
Minnesota taxpayers prepare the ground with dollars, plant the seeds with
dollars, cultivate the crop with dollars, and tend the field workers with
dollars. Then, when the crop is ready for harvest, other States enjoy the
fruit of our labor. Long term, how does that benefit Minnesota or our
local schools?
It seems to me that if we could create jobs
as fast as we create college graduates, the problems of adequate education
funding would take care of
itself.
Mike Kirschmann, Greater Winona
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2005 10:37
AM
Subject: [Winona] RE: What will it
take
[Winona Online Democracy]
Regarding Paul
Double's question - what will it take for us to wake up and prepare our
students for the real world in the 21st century - there is a short, but not
easy, answer: Education. We need a commitment to education at all
levels, starting at the earliest pre-school level and continuing to graduate
and post-graduate levels. It will take the whole "village" to raise
children in this environment - including engaged parents and interested
businesspeople - but it also takes a commitment from the community at large to
fund a high quality education system. Slogans like "no new taxes" and
"do more with less" may satisfy a certain slice of the constituency, but as in
most things, you get what you pay for.
I find it baffling
that many say they want an educated citizenry but refuse to put up the tax
dollars needed to do it well and make it work universally. This is not a
place where the "marketplace" is going to deliver for all children. We
need a society-wide commitment to excellence and education. If we could
peek into every classroom in the state and see what the teachers and
administrators do with the meager resources we dole out we would be
impressed with their resourcefulness, but appalled at our own
cheapness.
Education,
education, education. No one is going to do it for us.
_______________________________________________
This message was
posted to Winona Online Democracy
All messages must be signed by the
senders actual name.
No commercial solicitations are allowed on this
list.
To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please
visit
http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona
Any problems or
suggestions can be directed to
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
If you
want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page
at
http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
