The War on Public Education in Minnesota

My bright and beautiful daughter-in-law told me, reluctantly, that her ESL position in a metropolitan school district had again been downgraded to half time and that there were no other half time positions within driving distance that she could use to make a whole job despite tenure. In her about 10 year career she has taught K-12 in a new school all except two years and then she was laid off and rehired. She speaks about 5 languages and she reaches and enriches her students but the personal toll, the constant misinformed criticism in the news media, in public brainwashed conversations, lack of support, materials, and equipment, and the sham possibility of a pension has left her looking in the suburbs. She wants another child but at her age, she cannot risk a pregnancy without insurance. The so called "dreaded, over powerful, greedy union" has been unable to do anything for her in 10 years. I have written about the lack of staff support, materials and yearly curriculum purges. How can you possibly do a good job when you have to learn new students, new coworkers, new curriculum, new staff, while spending months looking for a job and trying to have to re-educate brainwashed, parents and neighbors? How can you stand up for a system that crushes students and teachers?

A retired suburban teacher, my age explained to me this week the war on Education in Minnesota starting with Gov Carlson and continuing through Jesse to Pawlenty. The gutting of the department of education. The hiring of incompetent superintendents from outside Minnesota, the loss of any kind of support from the government (baid and swtich on fudning) and the constant verbal attacks on schools and teachers by the media left him disillusioned and frustrated despite working as a union rep in the school. He took eraly retirement that was offered. His insurance for his wife and himself is almost $1000 a month. His copays and exclusions reached over $4,000 last year with no hospitalizations or major new medical crisis. This year he pays the same but he also has medicare coverage but his wife is too young and not disabled so it will be years before she qualifies for Medicare. She takes care of their Downs daughter and does daycare for their grandchildren so her children have a chance at a future in this crashing economy. He spoke of constantly changing for the worse curriculum, and personal attacks on teachers who tried to make a difference. He retired in the last year on the "old contract" says that those that retired the year after him are working because their pensions are too low to pay the bills and most lost over half their money in the stock market failures on other pensions and savings, dotcom, 911 and todays mess.

Until the people of Minnesota start seeing the War on Education, act like adults, start standing up for education not tests, teachers, schools and students things will continue in the race to the bottom.

we really need to invest in education in our state, and country. It is a shame that our education system has sunk so low/been forced down.