For Better Schools

My Sincere Thanks....

2007-11-07T04:34:00.000-06:00

to all who urged, supported, and campaigned for me.

I finished 5th out of 6 candidates with just under 2,00o votes, or 12% of ballots cast in the race for Hopkins School Board. This is a personal disappointment, but there are some bright spots*:

My sincere congratulations go to candidate Wendy Donovan, who finished third with over 3,000 votes. Wendy ran a quiet campaign without literature, yard signs, a website, or appearing at three of the four election forums, yet her support was strong and a lesson in how to win. Way to go Wendy!

According to an interview with the Eden Prairie newspaper, Wendy ran because:

We need a new fresh perspective. We need honesty and accountability. I want to keep the money in the classrooms and watch our spending.

Wendy did stronger as a newcomer in her first race than several current board members did in 2003 when they ran as incumbents. It is inspiring to note she has more invested in Hopkins Schools because she has more children (3) currently attending Hopkins Schools than all the other 2007 candidates combined! Wendy is truly passionate and invested in our future.

For comparison, here are the wining candidates from 2003:

Barbara Klaas (incumbent) of Golden Valley-3,687 votes
Yvonne Selcer of Minnetonka-3,217 votes
Dale Feste (incumbent) of Minnetonka-3,064 votes
Susan Scharenbroich (incumbent) of Minnetonka-3,044 votes

*The real election some have said, was in July when three of the Class of 2003 declined to face the voters this fall.

and the results from 2007:

Yvonne Selcer (incumbent)of Minnetonka-3,948 votes
Ellen Dustman of Minnetonka-3,784 votes
Wendy Donovan of Hopkins-3,007 votes
Irma McIntosh Coleman of Minnetonka-2,633 votes

Congratulations also for the showing for candidate Ellen Dustman, who was almost the top vote getter. Ellen promised that she would

restore faith in our district leadership by creating a Hopkins School District culture that is responsive to the community. I will have an open-door policy and will actively seek opportunities to meet with community members. I am committed to restoring school board listening sessions.

I had several opportunities to talk with Ellen, and was impressed with her analytical skills, her energy, and compassion. For the sake of the 7,600 students in Hopkins Schools, I hope Ellen can turn these attributes and the board's focus on improving the accountability, oversight, and fiscal performance of Hopkins $85 million budget.

Overall, it was a slow election day, with less than 10% of 48,316 registered voters going to the polls: Democracy does indeed belong to those who show up!

In Golden Valley, almost 30% of voters cast ballots in city races. In Hopkins, about 10% did.

As for me, I am grateful and glad I campaigned for Hopkins Schools. There were so many inspiring calls, conversations, and emails that I feel better about the future of Hopkins. I am especially grateful for the tough, concerned, and open-minded questions from parents and community members and the strong bi-partisan support I received.

I do not regret my decision to involve political endorsements in this race: I feel that partisan overtones cloud the waters and eliminate constructive solutions. I felt that many involved in the race may have been unable or unwilling to speak the truth for fear of alienating those in power who had helped them in the past. For the sake of my personal integrity, I chose to run on my record, my experience and the issues and avoid glossy generalizations or catch-phrases.

Our Schools face many challenges, but they also stand on a legacy built by hard work, optimism, and sacrifice. I hope we prove ourselves worthy of this legacy and leave a better world to our children. With new blood ready to serve the Hopkins School Board, there is reason for optimism. I trust that we will soon see real results from this campaign and that more students will choose Hopkins going forward.

Parent Meeting, November 4

2007-11-05T09:19:00.000-06:00

Sunday afternoon, I had the privilege of meeting with over a dozen Hopkins parents at a private home in the Alice Smith attendance area.

This was a diverse crowd united in their concern for a School Board that can take Hopkins Schools to better things. They were all experienced and active with the issues facing Hopkins, and came from a variety of backgrounds and across the political spectrum. (Two parents work at the State Capitol on opposite sides of the aisle!)

This brought me back to my days in college with Professor Gary Wynia, (who recently passed away): the questioning, discussion, debate, and common purpose present at during this Sunday afternoon meeting were invigorating. I wish our Board meetings were such!

In addition to questions about how to restore a working trust and accountability/transparency with Hopkins Schools, two questions in particular stand out in my mind (actually, three):

1) Who provides the vision and leadership for Hopkins Schools? Is it the Board, or the Superintendent, or what?

I believe the Board must provide that vision, as Board members face the public at the ballot box every two years. The board hires the Superintendent to lead the Schools, s/he implements and executes the policies set by the Board.

2) How do Hopkins Schools become more engaging of students and families in an era of open enrollment and free choice?

I believe that the initial point of contact with families and students sets the direction for the most important relationship: that between families and schools. Schools that have to market and attract students must do this. In a public school district it is easy to avoid this task, but if we forgo administrative/bureaucratic approaches and place even greater emphasis on being open and inviting, offer our Schools and set expectations with families for that mutual relationship, their is more of a contractual tone: "we provide you this, you in return agree to join us in our work and do this."

I've seen other schools offer a formal "student compact" or agreement that is signed by parents, students and teachers: it means we are all in this together, we will apply our efforts towards the best education we can offer, and helps personalize these relationships and instill a culture of mutual respect and interdependence.

It is easier to do this in a smaller school setting, which is why I am insistent on reducing class sizes. It also engages the skills of listening, volunteering one's time, and appreciation for the professionals we charge with educating our children.

3) Bonus Question: Do I have a passion for kids and education?

Sometimes, I am guilty of of focusing too much on the "bones" of education: allocating resources, setting benchmarks for performance, audits, fiscal oversight, government funding, etc. etc. You don't see the bones every day, but if they aren't doing their job, the whole body suffers.

Why do I do focus on this? Because I believe strongly that we have a moral obligation to provide our children with the best education possible. If our schools cannot effectively deliver great schooling, they system of delivering education needs to be addressed, pronto.

With good "bones" of school finances and public accountability, the teachers and staff who offer the best minds, the most nurturing souls, and engaging personalities are supported, sustained, and encouraged in their teaching. Energy and attention focus on our kids becoming educated citizens of the world.

And that makes it all worth while!!!

Attracting Students-November 1

2007-11-03T15:24:00.000-05:00

At last week's meeting, Hopkins Schools approved a full-day kindergarten option to begin in the 2008-2009 school year. In two previous reviews, the Board had rejected this option, leaving Hopkins Schools alone among west metro districts without full-day kindergarten. (Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka, Robbinsdale, St. Louis Park and Wayzata all have in-place full-day kindergarten programs.

In a report to the board on the rationale behind offering full-day kindergarten, the administration cited:

We believe that the increase this year in Hopkins kindergarten families choosing open enrollment options outside of our district rests, at least in part, in our lack of ability to offer them a full day kindergarten choice. (p.3)

The full report can be found online at the Hopkins Board website, under new business under the November 1, 2007 agenda.

There will be a $3,400 charge for the full-day option, with scholarships available to low income families who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch program. One section of kindergarten will be offered for each of six locations in the district before a possible increase to more sections at all Hopkins Schools.

Making education more accessible and more effective is one of my prime motivators in this campaign for School Board. I applaud this decision, but realize the implementation is often more important than the policy itself. Results of the enrollment process will be available in early Spring, and I hope this program gets off to a successful start.

There are over 700 students from Hopkins School District boundaries who attend schools in neighboring districts: this number has increased almost 40% in the past five years, and being responsive to the needs of Hopkins families is one way to serve them and build stronger Hopkins Schools.

Special Education Forum

2007-11-02T09:05:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the volunteer, diligent efforts of Angie Sundell, a Hopkins Schools parent, we have a transcript of the Board Candidates speaking at the Special Education Forum in October.

I offer this below, and am grateful for all who made this possible. I hope it informs you and engages you to the issues in this election.

1. [ THIS TEXT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT

2 IS NOT NECESSARILY A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AN

3 OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS. ]

4

5 >> BEN: ALL RIGHT. IT'S 7:00, SO I GUESS WE'LL GET STARTED

6 HERE. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR

7 COMING OUT TO OUR DEBATE, YOUR INTEREST IN KIDS IN OUR

8 SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TO ALSO MEET THE CANDIDATES. WHAT WE'VE

9 DONE IS ALL THE CANDIDATES HAVE TAKEN NUMBERS SO WE'RE GONNA

10 BE ROTATING THE QUESTIONS AND WE'LL START WITH Ms. COLEMAN

11 FIRST. AND THE CANDIDATES WILL EACH GET THREE MINUTES TO

12 INTRODUCE THEMSELVES, THEIR PLATFORMS, AND THEN WE'RE GOING

13 TO ASK FOUR QUESTIONS, WHICH ALL THE CANDIDATES HAVE HAD IN

14 ADVANCE. AND IF THERE'S ANY TIME AFTER THAT, WE CAN COME

15 UP, TALK TO THE CANDIDATES AND ASK THEM INDIVIDUAL

16 QUESTIONS. OKAY? ALL RIGHT. LET'S SEE. Ms. COLEMAN,

17 WOULD YOU LIKE TO START?

18 >> IRMA: YEAH, THANK YOU. OKAY. I'M IRMA McINTOSH

19 COLEMAN. MOTHER OF THREE FINE ADULT CHILDREN AND SIX

20 FANTASTIC GRANDCHILDREN. 'CUZ THERE ARE NONE BETTER IN THE

21 WORLD, RIGHT? MINE ARE. OKAY. I HAVE BEEN IN EDUCATION,

22 IN FACT, I'VE RETIRED OUT OF EDUCATION AFTER 30 YEARS AS A

23 TEACHER, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, PRINCIPAL, AND THEN I WAS

24 APPOINTED BY GOVERNOR ARNE CARLSON FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF

25 CHILDREN, FAMILY AND LEARNING. YOU REMEMBER WHEN THAT WAS

2

1 CHANGED BECAUSE WE WERE GONNA SERVICE FAMILIES UNDER ONE

2 DEPARTMENT, AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING THE DIRECTOR OF

3 LEARNING WHICH WE NOW CALL THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION.

4 AND THAT WAS INDEED A REAL SPECIAL PART AND ESPECIALLY AS WE

5 LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN SPECIAL ED. WE'LL TALK MORE

6 ABOUT THAT PART LATER. I REALLY HAVE A REAL PASSION FOR

7 CHILDREN. MY PLATFORM IS CHILDREN FIRST. AND WHEN WE TALK

8 ABOUT CHILDREN FIRST, I LOOK AT IT IN TERMS OF THE TOTAL

9 CHILD. THAT IS, NOT ONLY HIS INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT BUT

10 WE LOOK AT SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, INTELLECTUAL, AND PHYSICAL.

11 ONLY PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOTAL CHILD, AND THAT'S

12 WHERE SPECIAL ED., AGAIN, COMES AND PLAYS A VERY VITAL ROLE

13 IN WHAT GOES ON WITH OUR CHILDREN. I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF

14 THE BELLS AND WHISTLES TO BE BLOWN, BUT I DO HAVE MOST

15 IMPORTANT IS THE FACT THAT HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN

16 KNOWN NUMBER ONE THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MINNESOTA FOR MANY

17 MANY YEARS, AND WE HAVE EVEN GAINED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR

18 PROGRAMS, FOR ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE GONE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO

19 BE A PART OF A TEAM THAT WILL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN AND TO

20 MAKE IT EVEN BETTER THAN IT HAS BEEN AND THROUGH A

21 COLLECTIVE EFFORT, THAT CAN CERTAINLY HAPPEN. BUT IT CAN'T

22 HAPPEN JUST ALONE. WE TRULY NEED TO INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY

23 IN THE THINGS AND THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE. AS I'VE SEEN

24 POSTED THROUGHOUT THE BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT,

25 WHAT WE CALL OUR MISSION STATEMENT, AND ALSO SEE ALONG

3

1 BESIDE THAT IS OUR CORE VALUES, OR WHAT WE CALL THOSE AREAS

2 THAT WE STRONGLY AS A COMMUNITY FEEL THAT IS UTMOST

3 IMPORTANT TO US. WE WANT TO TAKE IT DOWN OFF THE WALL AND

4 MAKE IT TRULY A PART OF WHAT WE DO. WE MUST BECOME TRULY

5 MISSION DRIVEN, WE MUST TRULY BECOME A PART OF WHAT WE NEED

6 TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS BECOMING INVOLVED

7 IN OUR WHOLE PROCESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT. AND I SAID LAST

8 NIGHT AND SAY IT AGAIN, WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE,

9 COMMUNICATE. AND I THINK WHEN WE DO THAT, WE BECOME MUCH

10 MORE EFFECTIVE AND WE KEEP OUR DISTRICT THE NUMBER ONE PLACE

11 THAT IT HAS BEEN, WILL BE, AND CONTINUE TO GROW, TOO.

12 >> BEN: THANK YOU. Mr. BLOOMQUIST.

13 >> DANIEL: YES, THANK YOU, BEN. WELL, I SAW AN AD IN THE

14 MINNESOTA SUN NEWSPAPER FOR SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES, AND I

15 NOTICED THE FILING FEE WAS VERY INEXPENSIVE SO I DECIDED TO

16 TRY IT. AND I, FORTUNATELY, I GUESS, IN ONE SENSE I HAVE

17 BEEN IN GOLDEN VALLEY SINCE 1961, BEFORE THAT I WAS IN

18 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, FOR FIVE YEARS IN THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEM.

19 BUT I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE GOLDEN VALLEY SCHOOL SYSTEM,

20 WHICH NOW IS BRECK, BY THE WAY, AND MY WIFE, SHE IS BACK

21 THERE, AND SHE'S ALSO BEEN -- ACTUALLY SHE'S BEEN IN THIS

22 PARTICULAR BUILDING, IN EISENHOWER, SHE GRADUATED. AND, SO,

23 AFTER GRADUATION FROM GOLDEN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL, I ATTENDED

24 GOLDEN VALLEY LUTHERAN COLLEGE FOR ONE YEAR AND THEN

25 TRANSFERRED MY CREDITS TO UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. SO, MY

4

1 EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE CONTINUED THERE. PRESENTLY, I'M A

2 TEACHER, A MUSIC TEACHER, WITH THE VILLAGE MUSIC GUILD, AND

3 THAT'S HEADQUARTERED -- IT WAS HEADQUARTERED IN St. LOUIS

4 PARK, BY A JEWISH WOMAN, AND NOW HER DAUGHTERS HAVE TAKEN

5 OVER AND HEADQUARTERED IN St. PAUL. AND I'VE HAD QUITE A

6 NUMBER OF STUDENTS, IT'S ACTUALLY AN OUTCALL SITUATION WHERE

7 I GO TO THEIR HOUSE AND TEACH THEM. SO, I'M INTO TEACHING

8 CHILDREN. I DON'T HAVE ANY OF MY OWN. BUT I DO ENJOY

9 SEEING HOW CHILDREN -- IT'S KIND OF INTRIGUING HOW CHILDREN

10 LEARN. SOME ARE MORE TALENTED THAN OTHERS. AND AS I SAID

11 IN THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTER FORUM, THE VERY BRIGHT

12 STUDENTS, VERY TALENTED STUDENTS ARE ACTUALLY IN A SIMILAR

13 SITUATION AS THE HANDICAPPED STUDENTS OR DISABLED. BECAUSE

14 BOTH KIND OF STICK OUT AS UNUSUAL PEOPLE, AND THEY BOTH --

15 THEY BOTH GET SPECIAL ATTENTION. AND THAT IS JUST THE WAY

16 IT GOES. AND THAT'S THE WAY IT WILL BE. SO, I'M GONNA DO

17 MY BEST IN COOPERATION, IF I GET VOTED IN AS ONE OF THE

18 SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, COOPERATION WITH SUPERINTENDENT

19 SCHULTZ AND THE REST OF THE BOARD TO KEEP A GOOD THING

20 GOIN'. ACTUALLY, WE DO HAVE A GOOD SYSTEM IN HOPKINS. AND

21 THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF THE TWIN CITIES WHERE THEY'RE NOT

22 SO FORTUNATE. WE HAVE A GOOD QUALITY OF PEOPLE AND THERE'S

23 A LOT OF REASONS FOR THAT. TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION RIGHT

24 NOW. BUT WE WANT TO KEEP THAT GOIN'. AND AS IRMA SAID, TO

25 MAKE IT -- SHE SORT OF INDICATED, MAKE A GOOD THING BETTER,

5

1 IF POSSIBLE. SO, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY, I GUESS, FOR

2 NOW.

3 >> BEN: THANK YOU.

4 >> YVONNE: GOOD EVENING. I'D FIRST LIKE TO THANK THE

5 SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR HOSTING US AND FOR

6 ALL OF YOU, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS

7 EVENING TO LISTEN AND TO ASK QUESTIONS. YOU'RE GONNA NOTE

8 THAT I'M GONNA SPEAK FROM NOTES BECAUSE I CAN TALK FOR A LOT

9 LONGER THAN THREE MINUTES AT A TIME. SO THIS IS GONNA KEEP

10 ME ON TRACK. MY NAME IS YVONNE SELCER, AND I'M CURRENTLY

11 SERVING MY FIRST TERM ON THE HOPKINS SCHOOL BOARD. I'M ALSO

12 AN EXPERIENCED TEACHER AND I HAVE TAUGHT BOTH IN THE REGULAR

13 AND THE SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM. I'VE SPENT TIME IN THE

14 BUSINESS COMMUNITY, CULMINATING MY CAREER THERE AS THE

15 NATIONAL SALES MANAGER FOR A COMPUTER SERVICES FIRM. CHUCK

16 SELCER HAS BEEN MY HUSBAND FOR 21 YEARS. WE HAVE TWO

17 CHILDREN. DANIELLE IS A HOPKINS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE AND IS

18 NOW A SOPHOMORE AT COLLEGE, AND OUR SON, JARED, IS AN EIGHTH

19 GRADER AT HOPKINS WEST JUNIOR HIGH. I HAVE THREE PRIORITIES

20 AS WE MOVE FORWARD. ONE IS TO PROVIDE ALL OF OUR CHILDREN

21 WITH A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION. THE SECOND IS TO LISTEN AND

22 RESPOND TO THE NEEDS AND THE CONCERNS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND

23 THE THIRD IS TO KEEP HOPKINS FISCALLY STRONG. WE ALL KNOW

24 THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS WITH THE WORLD-CLASS

25 EDUCATION IF THEY'RE GONNA SUCCEED IN THIS CHALLENGING

6

1 21st CENTURY GLOBAL ECONOMY. WHILE MAKING TOUGH BUDGET

2 DECISIONS, I HAVE KEPT SIGHT OF MAINTAINING EDUCATIONAL

3 EXCELLENCE. WE HAVE ADDED INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING IN

4 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH AT HOPKINS. WE

5 HAVE ALSO WORKED TO PRESERVE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR OUR

6 YOUNGEST LEARNERS. I HAVE PUSHED TO INSTITUTIONALIZE THE

7 POST-SECONDARY SPECIAL EDUCATION SURVEY, WHICH SHOWS THAT

8 75% OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS GO ON TO

9 POST-SECONDARY OPTIONS. HALF OF THOSE GO ON TO UNIVERSITY

10 AND COLLEGES. WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION MUST BE FOR ALL OF OUR

11 STUDENTS SO THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS CAN REACH THEIR FULL

12 POTENTIAL. WE NEED TO KEEP HOPKINS FISCALLY SOUND. I

13 JOINED THE HOPKINS SCHOOL BOARD IN 2004 DURING A VERY

14 FISCALLY CHALLENGING TIME IN OUR DISTRICT'S HISTORY. I'M

15 HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE NOW ANTICIPATE A HEALTHY FUND

16 BALANCE AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR. I NOW CHAIR THE NEW

17 BOARD AUDIT COMMITTEE, WHICH IS UNIQUE IN MINNESOTA PUBLIC

18 SCHOOLS. THE BOARD AUDIT COMMITTEE ENSURES VIGOROUS FISCAL

19 OVERSIGHT ON THE PART OF THE BOARD. IT IS TIME NOW TO MOVE

20 FORWARD ON BEHALF OF OUR LEARNERS. ALL OF OUR LEARNERS. I

21 WOULD BE HONORED TO BE ABLE TO BE ALLOWED TO USE MY

22 HARD-EARNED EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE TO MOVE OUR DISTRICT

23 FORWARD ON BEHALF OF OUR CHILDREN. THANK YOU.

24 >> BEN: Mr. WELLIK.

25 >> JAMIE: YEAH, MY NAME IS JAMIE WELLIK. I'VE LIVED IN THIS

7

1 AREA ALL MY LIFE. MY FAMILY ROOTS GO BACK TO THE 1920s IN

2 ROBBINSDALE, THE BAKERY THERE. MY WEBSITE IS WELLIK.ORG,

3 YOU'LL HEAR THAT A LOT BECAUSE I'M NOT REALLY SPENDING A LOT

4 OF MONEY PRINTING UP FLIERS, BROCHURES OR PLASTIC YARD

5 SIGNS, BUT YOU'LL FIND ON WELLIK.ORG, EVERY DAY I'M POSTING

6 STUFF ABOUT MY EXPERIENCES AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THIS

7 CAMPAIGN. I DECIDED TO RUN FOR HOPKINS SCHOOL BOARD BECAUSE

8 I FELT AN OBLIGATION TO SERVE, AND I FELT THAT HOPKINS

9 SCHOOLS NEEDED SOMEBODY WHO HAD THE BENEFIT OF THE

10 BACKGROUND THAT I HAVE HAD. I HAVE BEEN AROUND AND IN

11 PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR JUST ABOUT ALL MY LIFE. I'VE ACTUALLY

12 HAD A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY, FOR EIGHT TO TEN YEARS I HELPED --

13 AFTER GRADUATING WITH A DEGREE IN PUBLIC POLICY, GETTING A

14 MASTER'S DEGREE IN PUBLIC POLICY OVERSEAS, SO I WORKED HARD

15 IN EDUCATION. I'M NOT SMART. I JUST WORK HARD. BUT I CAME

16 BACK TO MINNESOTA TO WORK IN A FAMILY BUSINESS, AND WE

17 SERVED SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

18 AND I KIND OF SAW FROM ONE SIDE OF SCHOOLS HOW THEY DO THEIR

19 STRATEGIC PLANNING, HOW THEY DO THEIR PROGRAMMING, WE SAW

20 SCHOOLS GETTING LARGER AND LARGER AND A LOT OF EMPHASIS PUT

21 ON FACILITIES THAT CULMINATED IN THE LAST PROJECTS THAT I

22 DID WERE FOR HOUSTON SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND AT THE TIME THOSE

23 WERE THE LARGEST SCHOOL CONTRACTS EVER AWARDED IN TEXAS AND

24 THAT WAS TWO $50 MILLION HIGH SCHOOLS. I LEFT THAT

25 BUSINESS, AND IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE HOPKINS SCHOOLS HAS PRODUCT

8

1 FROM MY FAMILY'S COMPANY, JUST IN EVERY SCHOOL BASED OVER 10

2 TO 20 YEARS. AND IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING TO GO THROUGH ALL

3 THE SCHOOLS AND SEE HOW THAT HAS EVOLVED AND ALSO HOW

4 HOPKINS HAS SPENT OUR REFERENDUM DOLLARS IN THE LAST SIX

5 YEARS. I HAVE A NOTE ABOUT THAT ON MY WEBSITE AS WELL. SO

6 I COME FROM KIND OF A VERY COMPLICATED, DIFFICULT INDUSTRY

7 IN SEEING HOW SCHOOLS SPEND THEIR RESOURCES. LAST SEVEN

8 YEARS I DECIDED I WANTED TO STAY IN MINNESOTA AND I WANTED

9 TO BE A PART OF RAISING MY KIDS. I HAVE A CHILD WHO WAS

10 BORN IN 1998, EMMA IS IN FOURTH GRADE, AND ANOTHER CHILD WAS

11 BORN IN 2000, ZOE, WHO'S NOW IN FIRST GRADE. AND I GOT

12 INVOLVED, AND I WAS ASKED TO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF A SOMALI

13 CHARTER SCHOOL THAT WAS JUST NEWLY INDEPENDENT -- OR NEWLY

14 STARTED, AND I STARTED TO SEE MINNESOTA'S PUBLIC EDUCATION

15 FINANCE SYSTEM AND MINNESOTA'S PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM ON A

16 VERY -- MUCH SMALLER LEVEL. WE WEREN'T TALKING ABOUT TENS

17 OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 1/100th

18 OF THAT, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, AND SEEING HOW

19 THE MONEY FLOWS FROM THE STATE AND MAKING BUDGET DECISIONS

20 ALLOCATING THOSE TOWARDS THE PROGRAMS AND MEETING THE NEEDS

21 OF THE STUDENTS, MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAD ENOUGH STUDENTS TO

22 SUPPORT THE PROGRAMS, UNDERSTANDING CLASS SIZES,

23 UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS BEHIND TEACHER TRAINING, HAVING

24 TO HAVE TEACHERS WITH THE RIGHT LICENSURE, TRYING TO FIT

25 SQUARE PEGS IN ROUND HOLES MANY TIMES BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT

9

1 OF REQUIREMENTS IN THERE. THERE'S AUDITING REQUIREMENTS.

2 YOU GET SPECIAL EDUCATION AUDITS, YOU GET ENROLLMENT AUDITS,

3 YOU GET FINANCIAL AUDITS, AND TO BE PREPARED AND TO BE ON

4 TOP OF THAT. AS I'VE HELPED MY CLIENTS AND GONE MORE INTO

5 COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BUT ALSO STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR

6 SCHOOLS AND RURAL SCHOOLS, I HAVE CONTINUED TO WORK FOR

7 SCHOOLS AND BASICALLY A LOT OF WHAT I DO, AND YOU'LL SEE

8 THIS ON MY WEBSITES AND IF YOU DO A GOOGLE SEARCH, IS REALLY

9 IS TO BRING VALUE, DELIVER THINGS TO SCHOOLS THAT THEY

10 DIDN'T OTHERWISE HAVE. I'VE PARTNERED WITH AND A LOT OF

11 COMPANIES IN MINNESOTA HAVE USED ME TO GET RID OF QUALITY

12 SURPLUS EQUIPMENT AND FURNITURE, SO I'VE HAD SCHOOL

13 DISTRICTS FROM ALL OVER MINNESOTA SHOW UP IN, YOU KNOW,

14 RENTED TRUCKS AND CATTLE CARS WITH FOOTBALL COACHES WHO

15 SERVE AS PRINCIPALS AS WELL, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET RID

16 OF TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF FURNITURE FROM PILLSBURY

17 AND QWEST, AMERICAN EXPRESS, U.S. BANK, AND THAT'S SOMETHING

18 I JUST DO ON THE SIDE TO HELP SCHOOLS BECAUSE IT'S LIKE,

19 WELL, I DON'T -- I DON'T LIKE TO SEE SCHOOLS PAY FULL VALUE

20 FOR SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T AFFECT THE TEACHING. YOU KNOW,

21 IF YOU CAN GET THE EQUIPMENT ELSEWHERE AND IT DOES JUST AS

22 WELL, IF YOU CAN GET A FACILITY ON THE CHEAP AND IT DOES

23 JUST AS WELL AND YOU CAN SAVE MONEY AND DEVOTE THAT MONEY

24 TOWARDS THE CLASSROOM EDUCATION, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'VE

25 BEEN ABOUT FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. SO -- AND, AGAIN, I

10

1 JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT MY WEBSITE, WELLIK.ORG, AND

2 YOU CAN REACH ME THERE, AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT A LOT OF

3 EXPERIENCES WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. AND POOR

4 SCHOOLS, RICH SCHOOLS, SUBURBAN SCHOOLS, URBAN SCHOOLS,

5 SCHOOLS WHERE THERE'S HOMELESS KIDS, SCHOOLS THAT ARE FOR

6 UNIFORMED KIDS FROM THE WESTERN SUBURBS THAT WANT A

7 CLASSICAL EDUCATION AND HAVE TEST SCORES THAT ARE OUT OF

8 THIS WORLD. BUT THAT'S MY PASSION. AND THAT'S SOME OF THE

9 BACKGROUND THAT I WOULD BRING TO SERVE ON THE HOPKINS SCHOOL

10 BOARD AND TO BRING SOME OF THOSE BEST PRACTICES INTO HOW WE

11 RUN OUR SCHOOLS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE RUN

12 FOR THE KIDS AND THAT THE EDUCATIONAL OUTPUT IS SERVED.

13 >> BEN: WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. AND ELLEN DUSTMAN.

14 >> ELLEN: I GUESS I NEED TO STAND BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE DID.

15 I, TOO, AM GOING TO LOOK AT MY NOTES, BUT IT'S NOT BECAUSE

16 I'M GOING TO RAMBLE ON, IT'S BECAUSE I'M APT TO RAMBLE ON

17 AND FORGET WHAT I WANTED TO SAY AND I HOPE IT'S IMPORTANT TO

18 YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MY OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MY

19 BACKGROUND AND MY VISION FOR THE HOPKINS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. MY

20 NAME IS ELLEN DUSTMAN AND I AM AN 11-YEAR RESIDENT OF THE

21 HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT. I'VE BEEN MARRIED FOR 23 YEARS TO

22 MY HUSBAND, JOHN, AND I HAVE A SON, BEN, WHO HAS BEEN

23 EDUCATED IN THE HOPKINS PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HE STARTED WITH

24 ECFE AND KALEIDOSCOPE PRESCHOOL, HE CONTINUED ON TO TANGLEN

25 ELEMENTARY AND HE'S CURRENTLY A HAPPY SEVENTH GRADER AT

11

1 NORTH JUNIOR HIGH. I BRING A VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES TO THE

2 BOARD TABLE. I AM A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. I HAVE BEEN -- I

3 WORKED FOR A LARGE COMPANY FOR MANY MANY YEARS BEFORE I HAD

4 MY SON. I WAS IN CHARGE OF DIVISION LEVEL QUALITY

5 IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES. I WAS A LOAN EXECUTIVE TO THE

6 UNITED WAY. I WAS IN CHARGE OF THE INTEGRATION ON VERY

7 LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS. I'VE BEEN A CLASSROOM VOLUNTEER.

8 I'VE BEEN ON TANGLEN'S STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEES, AS

9 WELL AS THE CHALLENGE REVIEW. I HAVE ALSO BEEN THE EDITOR

10 OF THE TANGLEN TIMES. CURRENTLY I AM THE CO-CHAIR OF THE

11 LEGISLATIVE ACTION COALITION'S SCHOOL LIAISON PROGRAM, WHICH

12 IS A SCHOOL-BOARD-SANCTIONED COMMITTEE THAT ADVOCATES FOR

13 OUR CHILDREN AT THE LEGISLATURE. I'VE ALSO BEEN THE FORMER

14 CO-CHAIR OF ITS STEERING COMMITTEE. I HAVE TESTIFIED BEFORE

15 THE HENNEPIN COUNTY BOARD ON BOYS LITERACY, I HAVE ALSO BEEN

16 A PARENT PANELIST AT THE PARENTS UNITED STATEWIDE ADVOCACY

17 SUMMIT FOR PARENTS, WHICH -- SO IT'S -- PARENTS UNITED IS

18 ALSO A STATEWIDE ADVOCACY GROUP. THE GOAL OF MY CANDIDACY

19 IS TO CREATE A HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT CULTURE THAT IS

20 RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY. I WILL HAVE AN OPEN-DOOR

21 POLICY, AND I WILL ALWAYS HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO

22 MEET WITH ME AND GET TO KNOW ME AND ALSO FOR ME TO HEAR WHAT

23 YOU HAVE TO SAY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CREATE AN

24 EASY WAY FOR PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO REACH THE

25 SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT ARE FACING

12

1 THEM. MY FRIEND, MICHELLE, IS IN THE AUDIENCE, SO I HAVE TO

2 GIVE HER CREDIT. SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE IS

3 TO HAVE ONE E-MAIL, ONE PHONE NUMBER THAT PARENTS AND

4 COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN CALL IF THEY HAVE A QUESTION,

5 SOMETHING SIMILAR TO MINNETONKA MIC SO THAT IT'S EASY FOR

6 OUR COMMUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND TO HAVE

7 QUESTIONS ANSWERED. I'D ALSO LOOK INTO SEEING IF WE COULD

8 HAVE SOME KIND OF SENIOR ADVISORY COMMITTEE OR TO HAVE MORE

9 SENIORS ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT LEVEL COMMITTEES. I THINK,

10 WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN COMMITTED TO OUR

11 CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY, IT'S 90% PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE A

12 VOICE, NECESSARILY, IN OUR SCHOOLS. AND I THINK IT'S

13 IMPORTANT TO DO THE OUTREACH AND TO GET THAT INVOLVEMENT

14 FROM OUR SENIORS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RESTORE THE SCHOOL

15 BOARD LISTENING SESSIONS. THESE ARE MORE INFORMAL MEETINGS

16 THAT PEOPLE COULD HAVE. SO IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO A SCHOOL

17 BOARD MEETING, YOU HAVE TO BASICALLY GO BEFORE THE SCHOOL

18 BOARD, YOU CANNOT HAVE THAT BACK AND FORTH AND HAVE THE

19 INTERACTION BETWEEN YOURSELF AND THE SCHOOL BOARD THAT'S

20 REALLY REQUIRED. IN ADDITION, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING THE

21 SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS TO THE PEOPLE BY TRYING TO BRING

22 SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS TO MAYBE APARTMENT COMPLEXES,

23 ET CETERA. I'M RUNNING FOR SCHOOL BOARD BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE

24 I CAN PROVIDE THE STRONG, EFFECTIVE AND OPTIMISTIC

25 LEADERSHIP THAT IS REQUIRED RIGHT NOW TO LEAD OUR SCHOOLS.

13

1 AND I'M RUNNING TO RESTORE OUR COMMUNITY'S PRIDE IN OUR

2 SCHOOLS. OUR HOPKINS ROYAL PRIDE. AND I HOPE THAT THROUGH

3 OUR DISCUSSION TONIGHT, YOU WILL GET A BETTER SENSE OF THE

4 DIRECTION I WOULD LEAD THE SCHOOLS AND THAT I COULD HAVE

5 YOUR VOTE ON NOVEMBER 6th. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

6 >> BEN: THANK YOU FOR THE INTRODUCTIONS. BEFORE WE GO INTO

7 FORMAL QUESTIONS, WE HAD ONE CANDIDATE WHO WAS UNABLE TO

8 ATTEND. WENDY DONOVAN'S BROTHER IS HAVING OPEN HEART

9 SURGERY TODAY, SO SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE, BUT SHE WAS

10 KIND ENOUGH TO SEND A MESSAGE THAT I WILL DO MY BEST TO

11 REPRESENT HER HERE. SHE SAYS, AS TO SPECIAL EDUCATION, IT

12 IS HARD FOR ME TO SEPARATE EDUCATION FROM SPECIAL EDUCATION.

13 I KNOW THAT THE STATE SEPARATES WITH MONEY BUT FOR KIDS IT

14 SEEMS TO BE ONE IN THE SAME. IF YOU VISIT THE SCHOOL NURSE,

15 THAT'S SPECIAL EDUCATION. IF YOU HAVE SPEECH TROUBLE OR A

16 MAJOR LEARNING DISABILITY, SPECIAL EDUCATION IS THERE FOR

17 YOU. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT HOPKINS DOES A GREAT JOB IN

18 SPECIAL EDUCATION AND WE KNOW FROM OUR GREAT PROGRAM WITHOUT

19 SPECIAL EDUCATION WE WOULD NEVER MEET THE CHALLENGES OF NO

20 CHILD LEFT BEHIND TESTING OR WOULD OUR CHILDREN BE

21 SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL. I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE MANY

22 CHALLENGES IN DELIVERING SPECIAL SERVICES. THERE ARE MANY

23 CHILDREN WITH MANY NEEDS AND MANY SCHOOLS WITH LIMITED

24 STAFFING. I KNOW THAT FROM THE STAFF I VISITED AT THE

25 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS EACH WEEK, I THINK THE MAJOR CHALLENGE

14

1 WOULD BE THE LACK OF FUNDING. IF THE GOVERNMENT WOULD FUND

2 THEIR PROGRAMS, IT WOULD MAKE YOUR JOBS EASIER. I KNOW THAT

3 THERE ARE MORE NEEDS EVERY DAY AND I'M SURE THE LACK OF

4 FUNDING WILL MAKE THIS EVEN MORE CHALLENGING. IN THE PAST,

5 I'VE WRITTEN AND CALLED MY CONGRESSMAN, REPRESENTATIVES, AND

6 IF THERE'S MORE THAT I COULD DO AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, I

7 WOULD BE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER WAS NECESSARY TO HELP THE

8 FUNDING BE INCREASED. IT IS MOST UNFORTUNATE THAT THE

9 GOVERNMENT KEEPS GIVING US MANDATES THAT THEY WILL NOT FUND.

10 FUNDING AT 19% AND EXPECTING US TO KEEP THE PROGRAMS THAT WE

11 HAVE AND TO CONTINUE TO MEET ALL THE NEEDS -- ALL OF THE

12 NEEDS OF ALL OF THE STUDENTS IS CRAZY. AGAIN, I DO NOT KNOW

13 WHAT A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CAN DO, BUT AS A PARENT AND A

14 TAXPAYER, I WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE AND CALL MY CONGRESSMAN

15 AND REPRESENTATIVES.

16 ALL RIGHT. SO, Mr. BLOOMQUIST, YOU WILL GET THE FIRST

17 QUESTION, WHICH WAS, WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF THE PLACE OF

18 SPECIAL EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

19 >> DANIEL: WELL, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, SPECIAL EDUCATION

20 INVOLVES, TO ME, FROM WHAT I SEE, THE GIFTED STUDENTS,

21 UNUSUALLY BRIGHT AND TALENTED, AND ALSO HANDICAPPED OR

22 DISABLED STUDENTS. AND SPECIAL ATTENTION NEEDS TO BE GIVEN

23 TO BOTH FOR THE PURPOSE OF BOTH OF THEM EXCELLING AS MUCH AS

24 POSSIBLE AND BEING ENCOURAGED TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN. AS

25 FAR AS HAVING SEPARATE FACILITIES FOR THEM OR SEPARATE

15

1 TEACHERS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COMES INTO PLAY IS IN BOTH

2 CASES, AND THIS, BY THE WAY, INVOLVES HOME SCHOOLING WHERE

3 KIDS ARE SEPARATE FROM OTHER KIDS, THE CHILDREN HAVE TO --

4 THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO RELATE TO OTHER CHILDREN SO THAT

5 THEY ARE NOT -- THEY DON'T THINK THEMSELVES DIFFERENT OR

6 UNUSUAL IN TERMS OF A NEGATIVE -- IN A NEGATIVE WAY. THEY

7 HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BLEND IN. AND THEY HAVE TO -- THE

8 TEACHERS AND THE FACILITIES HAVE TO BE SUCH AS TO ALLOW

9 THESE TWO TYPES OF STUDENTS TO NOT FEEL OUT OF PLACE AND,

10 YET, DEVELOP THEIR TALENTS TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITIES,

11 BOTH OF THEM. I GUESS THAT'S THE BEST ANSWER I CAN GIVE.

12 >> BEN: THANK YOU. AND READ THE QUESTION AGAIN. WHAT IS

13 YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF THE PLACE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION IN THE

14 PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

15 >> YVONNE: MY PHILOSOPHY IS THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION IS FOR ALL

16 CHILDREN. OUR SECOND UNITED STATES PRESIDENT, JOHN ADAMS,

17 SAID, THE WHOLE PEOPLE MUST TAKE UPON THEMSELVES THE

18 EDUCATION OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE AND MUST BE WILLING TO BEAR

19 THE EXPENSE OF IT. IT IS INTERESTING THAT JOHN ADAMS WOULD

20 SAY THIS BECAUSE SOME HISTORIANS TODAY THINK THAT JOHN ADAMS

21 HAD A FORM OF AUTISM CALLED ASPERGER'S. JOHN WAS OBVIOUSLY

22 ALSO PLACED IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AS

23 THERE WERE NO SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS IN THOSE DAYS,

24 AND LOOK HOW FAR HE GOT.

25 [ Laughter]

16

1 SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS TO BE ROBUST AND STRATEGIC

2 THROUGHOUT EACH STUDENT'S EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. THE NEW

3 EMPHASIS ON EARLY INTERVENTION IS REAPING WONDERFUL RESULTS.

4 THE STRATEGIC AND MEANINGFUL INTERVENTION NEEDS TO FOLLOW

5 THE STUDENT THROUGH THEIR K-12 YEARS AND INTO TRANSITION

6 PLUS, IF THAT IS APPROPRIATE. ALLOWING OUR STUDENTS TO

7 FUNCTION IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN

8 BENEFIT THEM AND THOSE AROUND THEM IS CRITICAL. ONE THING

9 WE HAVE LEARNED IS THAT CHILDREN WITH A SPECIAL EDUCATION

10 CLASSIFICATION CAN DO THINGS FAR BEYOND WHAT WE IMAGINE,

11 EVEN 20 YEARS AGO. SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THE

12 COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS GIVEN TWO YEARS AGO BY A BRIGHT,

13 ARTICULATE YOUNG WOMAN WITH DOWN SYNDROME. WHEN I WENT TO

14 COLLEGE, CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME WERE WRITTEN OFF AS

15 BEING BARELY AT THE TRAINABLE LEVEL. I'M SURE THAT WOMAN

16 TODAY IS EXERCISING HER RIGHT TO POST-SECONDARY OPTIONS WITH

17 THE APPROPRIATE TRANSITION PLUS SUPPORT. SO MY PHILOSOPHY

18 OF SPECIAL EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM INCLUDES

19 THE IDEA THAT WE NEED TO BE CONSTANTLY RE-EXAMINING OUR

20 EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS,

21 REMEMBERING THAT THEY ARE STUDENTS AND CHILDREN FIRST AND

22 THAT THEIR SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSIFICATION SHOULD ONLY

23 SERVE TO HELP US HELP THEM BETTER.

24 >> BEN: THANK YOU. JAMIE WELLIK.

25 >> JAMIE: YEAH. MY PHILOSOPHY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, I'VE

17

1 NEVER -- MY SISTER IS -- TEACHES SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS,

2 E.B.D. STUDENTS, PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN THE MOUNDS VIEW

3 SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND MY UNCLE IS A -- IF ANYBODY HAS GONE

4 TO St. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY, THEY'LL KNOW MY UNCLE

5 TEACHES ON THE FACULTY THERE, HE'S IN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION

6 DEPARTMENT. I GUESS MY PHILOSOPHY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION IS

7 THAT EVERYONE LEARNS DIFFERENTLY. AND IT'S GREAT THAT NOW

8 WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENT CHALLENGES AND DIFFERENT

9 NEEDS THAT KIDS HAVE TO BECOME EDUCATED. THEY LEARN AT

10 DIFFERENT PACES, AS I'VE DISCOVERED WITH MY CHILDREN IS HOW

11 TO FIND THE BEST PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION AND THE BEST

12 APPROACH TO EDUCATING AND BEING INVOLVED WITH THAT THAT YOU

13 CAN, AND I THINK THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE BECOMING MORE

14 RESPONSIVE AND LEARNING TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE

15 INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS. THERE'S EVEN -- THERE'S MORE

16 OF A MOVEMENT UNDERWAY, BLOOMINGTON IS ONE OF THE ONES

17 THAT'S POINTED TO AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT'S PAYING

18 ATTENTION TO THIS, IS THAT EVERY STUDENT SHOULD HAVE AN

19 EDUCATION PLAN, EVERY STUDENT SHOULD BE ASSESSED, THEY

20 SHOULD FIND OUT EVERY STUDENT, THEIR STRENGTHS AND THEIR

21 WEAKNESSES AND MONITOR THAT PROGRESSION AND WORK TOWARDS

22 ULTIMATE EDUCATIONAL GOAL FOR THOSE KIDS. I'VE WORKED WITH

23 FRASER SCHOOL IN THE PAST, I'VE WORKED WITH A SCHOOL CALLED

24 METRO DEAF, WHICH HANDLES DEAF STUDENTS. THEY HAVE HAD TO

25 PUT TOGETHER CURRICULA THAT FOCUSES ON THE SPECIAL NEEDS

18

1 THAT THOSE PARTICULAR KIDS HAVE. FRASER HAS DONE AUTISM

2 STUDENTS. THEY STARTED -- NOT ONLY HAVE THEY HAD A PROGRAM

3 FOR MANY YEARS, BUT THEY STARTED ACTUALLY A PUBLIC SCHOOL

4 THAT I HELPED WORK WITH EARLY ON. AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO

5 EXPAND BECAUSE THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES. SO,

6 I THINK THAT, REALLY, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MEET AS MANY

7 NEEDS AS POSSIBLE AND BE A PROVIDER OF SERVICES, OF

8 EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, RATHER THAN BEING JUST A PROTECTOR OF

9 SYSTEMS AND LOOK AT IT FROM A SYSTEMS POINT OF VIEW. I

10 ALWAYS LOOK AT -- I DON'T -- YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THE

11 RULES, I UNDERSTAND HOW COMPLICATED THINGS ARE, BUT LET'S

12 LOOK AT THE OUTCOME, THE OUTCOME IS THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE

13 A SERVICE AND HOW CAN WE BEST DO THAT AND WHAT GOOD -- HOW

14 GOOD OF A JOB ARE WE DOING TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE, WHETHER

15 IT'S JUST A CHILD WHO HAS LEARNING DISABILITIES OR SOMEBODY

16 WHO HAS EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORAL DISABILITIES OR SOMEBODY WHO'S

17 MORE COGNITIVELY DISABLED. YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT A NIECE WHO

18 HAS A DIAGNOSIS, A GOOD FRIEND WHOSE SON WAS JUST DIAGNOSED,

19 AND, ACTUALLY, AFTER TEN SESSIONS WITH THE MINNEAPOLIS

20 PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THEY'RE RE-EVALUATING HIS AUTISM SPECTRUM

21 DISORDER DIAGNOSIS, SO, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE

22 CHALLENGES THAT KIDS FACE, BUT ALSO REALIZE THAT ALL KIDS

23 CAN LEARN, HOW CAN WE RESPOND TO THAT KID'S NEEDS AND

24 DELIVER AN EDUCATION THAT IS EFFECTIVE AND TIMELY AND

25 DELIVERS QUALITY.

19

1 >> BEN: THANK YOU. ELLEN DUSTMAN.

2 >> ELLEN: MY PHILOSOPHY FOR EDUCATING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL

3 NEEDS IS THE SAME, IDENTICAL, AS TO MY PHILOSOPHY FOR

4 EDUCATING ALL CHILDREN, AND THAT IS THAT YOU HAVE TO MEET

5 CHILDREN WHERE THEY ARE AND BRING THEM TO THEIR FULLEST

6 POTENTIAL. AND I THINK IT'S BOTH A MORAL AND A CIVIC DUTY

7 TO DO THAT. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT OUR COMMITMENT TO EARLY

8 CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD SCREENING IS A

9 FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENT OF THAT COMMITMENT TO CHILDREN WITH

10 SPECIAL NEEDS BECAUSE DIAGNOSING AND FINDING THOSE PROBLEMS

11 EARLY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL

12 CHILDREN ARE SUCCESSFUL. I THINK PART OF THE REASON THAT

13 THE HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS DONE SO WELL AND ACTUALLY IN

14 THE 2005 SURVEY OF GRADUATING STUDENTS THAT YVONNE WAS

15 TALKING ABOUT HAD 100% OF THE CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

16 SAYING THAT HOPKINS HAS A GOOD OR AN EXCELLENT -- PROVIDED

17 THEM WITH A GOOD OR EXCELLENT EDUCATION IS BECAUSE OF OUR

18 COMMITMENT TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

19 CHILDREN AND ALSO THAT COMMITMENT TO EARLY CHILDHOOD AND

20 EARLY CHILDHOOD DETECTION. I BELIEVE IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF

21 LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT, AND I THINK IT'S VERY

22 IMPORTANT THAT OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY LISTENS TO PARENTS IN

23 THEIR CHOICES AND WHAT THEY WANT FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

24 >> BEN: THANK YOU. IRMA McINTOSH COLEMAN.

25 >> IRMA: WELL, I SIT HERE AND I THINK ABOUT MY GRANDSON, WHO

20

1 IS ONLY ONE POUND TEN, HE LOST TWO, HE WAS ONE EIGHT. AND,

2 TRULY, WHEN HE ENTERED INTO THE HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT AS A

3 KINDERGARTENER, REALIZING THAT THERE WAS SOME SPECIAL NEEDS

4 THAT HE HAD AND THAT WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO A DISTRICT

5 THAT WAS WILLING TO LOOK AT HIM AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND

6 CONSIDER WHAT CAN WE, NOT JUST HOPKINS, WHAT CAN WE AS A

7 FAMILY COMMUNITY DO TO REALLY HELP AND TO GROW WITH HIM. IT

8 WAS REALLY A REAL THRILL TO BE A PART OF A SPECIAL EDUCATION

9 TEAM, NOT AS AN EDUCATOR BUT AS A GRANDPARENT, TO SIT IN

10 THERE AND TO LISTEN TO TEACHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS,

11 PSYCHOLOGISTS COME WITH ALL SORTS OF NEAT, CLEVER IDEAS

12 ABOUT WHAT'S BEST TO HELP US TO MAKE HIS LEARNING BETTER,

13 THAT HE CAN FIT INTO A CLASSROOM AND BECOME AN EFFECTIVE

14 INDIVIDUAL IN THERE. SO, I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT SPECIAL ED.

15 DOES AND I WOULD TRULY CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT. I THINK THAT

16 SPECIAL ED. IS TRULY A GREAT MODEL FOR GENERAL ED. AND I'VE

17 SAID TO TEACHERS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHEN YOU WANT TO LOOK

18 AT GREAT STRATEGIES, YOU WANT TO LOOK AT HOW AND WHERE TO

19 USE RESOURCES, TO PULL LEARNING FOR ALL KIDS TOGETHER, GO TO

20 SPECIAL ED., BELIEVE ME, THEY HAVE THE TRICKS OF THE TRADES

21 TO MAKE IT WORK. YES, GETTING TO THE POINT THAT THE FEDS

22 CONSIDER US, YOU MUST DO, YOU MUST DO, THE STATE IS SAYING

23 THE SAME. BUT NOBODY IS SAYING, HERE ARE MORE BUCKS, MORE

24 MONEY TO REALLY MAKE IT HAPPEN. SO WE HAVE TO GET REALLY

25 CREATIVE ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT SPECIAL ED.,

21

1 ALL ED.s ARE REALLY -- THEIR NEEDS ARE BEING MET AND

2 ADDRESSED.

3 >> BEN: THANK YOU. THE NEXT QUESTION FOR YVONNE SELCER,

4 DESCRIBE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU SEE IN DELIVERING SPECIAL

5 SERVICES.

6 >> YVONNE: WELL, WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT SPECIAL EDUCATION

7 DEPARTMENT IN HOPKINS, BUT THERE ARE CHALLENGES. FUNDING IS

8 A HUGE ISSUE IN SERVING OUR STUDENTS. THESE DOLLARS ARE

9 WISE INVESTMENTS, BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO

10 FAIL TO MEET UP TO ITS COMMITMENT TO FULLY FUND SPECIAL

11 EDUCATION AT 40% OF COST. THIS CREATES THE PERFECT STORM

12 FOR INFIGHTING AMONG PARENTS OVER A PIE THAT IS TOO SMALL.

13 AS MARTI NELSON MENTIONED SEVERAL YEARS AGO IN A FORUM, IF

14 THE PIE ISN'T BIG ENOUGH, IT'S TIME TO MAKE A BIGGER PIE.

15 IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SIMPLY LIVED UP TO ITS COMMITMENT,

16 WE WOULD NOT BE IN THIS SITUATION AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF

17 CUTS, WHICH OUR DISTRICT AND OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE ENDURED,

18 SIMPLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. WE'RE ALSO SEEING AN

19 EXPLOSION IN HOPKINS, MINNESOTA, AND ACROSS THE UNITED

20 STATES IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF AUTISM. WE NEED TO SERVICE THESE

21 CHILDREN TO HELP THEM REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL, BUT

22 EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS ARE EXPENSIVE. STAFF DEVELOPMENT

23 MUST BE PROVIDED IN CUTTING-EDGE, EFFECTIVE TEACHING

24 TECHNIQUES. A CHALLENGE I SEE PARTICULARLY AT THE SECONDARY

25 LEVEL IS MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S CONSISTENT DELIVERY OF

22

1 LEARNING ACCOMMODATIONS BY THE REGULAR CLASSROOM TEACHERS.

2 FROM A MANAGEMENT POINT OF VIEW, THIS IS DIFFICULT. IT

3 OFTEN RESTS, I THINK, UPON PARENTS AND GUARDIANS TO ADVOCATE

4 FOR THEIR CHILD, AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CHILD WHOSE PARENT

5 OR GUARDIAN IS UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM?

6 OVERREPRESENTATION OF MINORITY STUDENTS IN THOSE RECEIVING

7 SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES IS ANOTHER CHALLENGE. HOW ARE WE

8 IDENTIFYING OUR STUDENTS? AND ARE WE BEING CULTURALLY

9 SENSITIVE IN THE MEASURES WE USE TO IDENTIFY THOSE STUDENTS?

10 GETTING QUALIFIED SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS INTO OUR SYSTEM

11 WILL BE A CHALLENGE OF THE FUTURE. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A

12 WONDERFUL STAFF, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL BE CHALLENGED AS

13 WE REPLACE THEM AS THEY NEAR RETIREMENT AGE. THIS IS A

14 STATE AND NATIONAL TREND, NOT JUST A HOPKINS TREND. THE

15 GREATEST CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY, THOUGH, AFTER WE LOOK

16 THROUGH ALL THE RED TAPE IS TO KEEP OUR FOCUS ON OUR MISSION

17 AND PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION FOR EACH ONE OF OUR

18 STUDENTS IN OUR HOPKINS SCHOOLS.

19 >> BEN: THANK YOU. JAMIE WELLIK.

20 >> JAMIE: SURE. READ THE QUESTION AGAIN.

21 >> BEN: SURE. DESCRIBE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU SEE IN

22 DELIVERING SPECIAL SERVICES.

23 >> JAMIE: I THINK THE MAIN CHALLENGE COMES FROM BEING

24 RESPONSIVE TO THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS, AND THAT'S

25 ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE HAD IN MY 15 YEARS AROUND

23

1 PUBLIC EDUCATION IS THE TREND TOWARDS LARGER AND LARGER AND

2 LARGER, LARGER CLASS SIZES, LARGER SCHOOLS, MORE

3 BUREAUCRACY, AS OPPOSED TO THE INDIVIDUAL KINDS OF

4 RELATIONSHIPS AND THE INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION, WHICH IS THE

5 BEST WAY TO ASSESS AND TO DELIVER. PARENTS SEEM TO BE THE

6 BEST -- WE'RE THE BEST ADVOCATE FOR OUR CHILDREN. WE'RE THE

7 BEST TO KNOW WHERE THEY'RE AT. I THINK IT'S HARD FOR OUR

8 TEACHERS TO DO THAT WHEN THEY GO FROM HAVING 24, 25 STUDENTS

9 PER CLASSROOM TO HAVING 27, 28, 29 STUDENTS PER CLASSROOM.

10 THEY ARE TAPPED. AND WHEN YOU HAVE A SYSTEM THAT DELIVERS

11 TO THE TEACHERS A MANDATE THAT THEY HAVE CLOSER TO 30

12 STUDENTS RATHER THAN 20 STUDENTS, I THINK THAT THAT REALLY

13 PUTS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THE SYSTEM AND THAT WHO EVENTUALLY

14 GETS HURT, IT'S THE STUDENTS, IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING THEM

15 EARLY. WE'RE ALSO, YOU KNOW, HOPKINS DOES HAVE A STRONG

16 PROGRAM, AND ACTUALLY WE DO DRAW STUDENTS FROM NEIGHBORING

17 DISTRICTS AS A RESULT OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM. WE

18 ARE ALSO STARTING TO DRAW MORE STUDENTS WHO COME FROM

19 BACKGROUNDS WHERE LITERACY, READING TO THE CHILDREN IS JUST

20 NOT BEING TAUGHT. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THERE WAS A

21 FORUM -- OR A WORKSHOP AT THE SCHOOL BOARD LEVEL, AND HALF

22 OF THAT, I WAS LOOKING FOR MY NOTES, BECAUSE IT WAS A REALLY

23 GOOD PRESENTATION, JUST A LOT OF THE DATA ABOUT SPECIAL

24 EDUCATION IN THE HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT BY THE DIRECTOR OF

25 SPECIAL EDUCATION. AND AFTERWARDS I TALKED TO HER AND I

24

1 SAID, WELL, IF YOU COULD -- AND I DO THIS A LOT IN THE

2 SCHOOLS THAT I WORK WITH AND STUFF, I ASK THE SPECIAL

3 EDUCATION TEACHERS, I SAID, IF YOU CAN DO ONE THING TO WAVE

4 A MAGIC WAND AND TO MAKE THINGS, YOU KNOW, SOLVE MOST OF

5 YOUR PROBLEMS, WHAT WOULD THAT BE, AND WHAT THE HOPKINS

6 DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SAID TO ME WAS THAT SHE WOULD

7 CATCH THEM EARLY. SHE WOULD DIAGNOSE THEM EARLY. AND I

8 SAID THIS AT THE FORUM THE OTHER NIGHT, IS THAT I REALLY

9 HAVE PROBLEMS WHEN WE ARE NOT DESIGNED TO ASSESS KIDS EARLY

10 ON AND TO EVEN PROVIDE A FULL DAY OF KINDERGARTEN FOR THE

11 KIDS WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM THAT. THERE'S A LOT OF KIDS

12 THAT COME FROM FAMILIES LIKE OURS, WE READ A LOT TO OUR KIDS

13 AND WE'RE ABLE TO. THERE ARE SOME CHILDREN THAT DON'T COME

14 FROM THOSE KINDS OF STABLE BACKGROUNDS AND FAMILIES, AND

15 THOSE KIDS ARE GONNA BE A CHALLENGE IN THE SYSTEM. IF WE

16 CAN CATCH THOSE NEEDS EARLY ON AND PROVIDE THE SERVICES.

17 FOR ME, WHAT DOING THAT IS IS TO PROVIDE FULL-DAY

18 KINDERGARTEN. IT'S TO PROVIDE WHAT THOSE STUDENTS NEED WHEN

19 THEY COME INTO OUR SCHOOLS, WHEN THEY TRUST US TO EDUCATE

20 THEM, WE NEED TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY AND PROFESSIONALLY

21 AND TIMELY TO GIVE THEM THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED. I

22 DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TRYING TO FUND FULL-DAY

23 KINDERGARTEN. THERE'S AN ARTICLE IN THE STAR TRIBUNE TODAY

24 ABOUT A SCHOOL IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS WHO DECIDED TO DO

25 FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN, SO THEY HAVE EXCEEDED THEIR

25

1 ENROLLMENT EXPECTATIONS. LIKE, YOU PERFORM WELL, YOU

2 PERFORM WELL, AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED WITH THOSE

3 RELATIONSHIPS. IF YOU OVERTAX YOUR CLASSROOMS AND YOUR

4 TEACHERS BECAUSE OF BUDGET CUTS, BECAUSE OF UNNECESSARY

5 SPENDING DECISIONS, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT DISSERVICE. AND,

6 SO, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES. HOPKINS DOES SPEND IN

7 THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $12 MILLION A YEAR ON SPECIAL EDUCATION.

8 >> BEN: WE'RE COMING UP ON THE TIME.

9 >> JAMIE: FEDERAL COMPONENT IS ABOUT $8 MILLION OF THOSE.

10 THOSE ARE BIG NUMBERS. BUT THANK YOU.

11 >> BEN: THANK YOU. AND ELLEN DUSTMAN.

12 >> ELLEN: I, TOO, THINK THAT THE LARGEST CHALLENGE IN

13 DELIVERING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES IS FINANCIAL. WHEN

14 THE IDEA ACT WAS ENACTED, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTED

15 TO 40% OF THE FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION. AND IT'S NEVER

16 BEEN AT EVEN HALF OF THAT. IN SPITE OF LAST YEAR'S VICTORY

17 AT THE LEGISLATURE WHERE WE ACTUALLY RETROACTIVELY GOT

18 FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT WAS 2001

19 SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING BY THE STATE OF MINNESOTA WAS

20 ACTUALLY CAPPED AND THERE WAS NO INFLATION ADDED TO IT FOR

21 OBVIOUSLY A VERY LONG TIME, AND LAST YEAR WE WORKED VERY

22 HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT INFLATIONARY INCREASE WAS ADDED AGAIN

23 TO THE FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND IT WAS RETROACTIVE

24 TO THE YEAR THAT IT WAS FROZEN. AND IN SPITE OF THAT, THE

25 STATE IS STILL UNDERFUNDING ITS COMMITMENT. IT HAS A

26

1 LEGISLATIVE COMMITMENT TO SPECIAL EDUCATION. SO, AGAIN,

2 WE'VE GOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDERFUNDING SPECIAL

3 EDUCATION AND WE ALSO HAVE THE STATE UNDERFUNDING SPECIAL

4 EDUCATION. AS WE TALK ABOUT FUNDING AND UNDERFUNDED

5 MANDATES, WE HAVE TO BE CLEAR, THOUGH, BECAUSE IT'S VERY

6 EASY FOR PEOPLE TO HEAR THAT AND PIT ONE GROUP AGAINST THE

7 OTHER, THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE FUND SPECIAL

8 EDUCATION. IT HAS LONG-TERM BENEFITS AND WE HAVE TO MAKE

9 CLEAR THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE UNDERFUNDING OF

10 SPECIAL EDUCATION THAT WE MAKE IT ALSO CLEAR THAT IT'S AN

11 IMPORTANT THING THAT WE MUST DO. WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOPKINS

12 AND THE POST-SECONDARY SURVEY THAT THEY DID OF THEIR 2005

13 GRADUATES AND YOU SEE THAT 73% OF THE STUDENTS GO ON TO

14 POST-SECONDARY OPTIONS AND YOU SEE THAT -- LET'S SEE HERE --

15 87% OF THESE STUDENTS ARE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED, IT'S IMPORTANT

16 TO TALK ABOUT THAT AS WELL AS THE UNDERFUNDING BECAUSE WE

17 NEED TO KNOW THAT IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING THAT WE'RE

18 FUNDING. I THINK THE SECOND PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IS

19 ATTITUDINAL, AND I TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLIER. I THINK WE

20 NEED TO AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT BE A RESPONSIVE SCHOOL

21 DISTRICT. I THINK IN THE PAST UNDER DIFFERENT TIMES AND A

22 DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATION WE HAVE HAD MORE OF A REACTIVE,

23 MORE DEFENSIVE POSTURE. AND THAT I THINK EVEN FOR PARENTS

24 WHO ARE ADVOCATING FOR THEIR CHILDREN THAT DON'T HAVE

25 SPECIAL NEEDS, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT THING TO DO IF YOU GO

27

1 IN AND YOU'RE ALWAYS TOLD THAT YOU'RE WRONG AND THAT YOU'RE

2 NOT LOOKING AT THIS THE RIGHT WAY. AND I THINK WE HAVE TO

3 HAVE, STARTING FROM THE TOP IN THE SCHOOL BOARD, A POSTURE

4 THAT IS MORE PROACTIVE AND RESPONSIVE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND I

5 THINK IF WE CHANGE THE WAY WE REACT TO OUR COMMUNITY, IT

6 WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO ENGAGE AND DO THE RIGHT

7 THINGS FOR THEIR STUDENTS AND FOR US TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS

8 FOR OUR STUDENTS.

9 >> BEN: THANK YOU. IRMA McINTOSH COLEMAN.

10 >> IRMA: JUST IRMA IS FINE.

11 >> BEN: THANK YOU.

12 >> IRMA: SOME OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES FACING US IN

13 SPECIAL SERVICES, I THINK, NUMBER ONE, IS IDENTIFYING

14 STUDENTS TO RECEIVE THE SERVICES AND ALSO THE ASSESSMENT

15 THAT WE USE TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THE SERVICES THAT

16 WE'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING THEM. WE TAKE THOSE TWO INTO

17 CONSIDERATION, AND THEN WE LOOK AT THAT OTHER PIECE OVER

18 HERE BEING PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, WHEN IT'S TIME TO SIT TO

19 THE TABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE PLAN, THE FOCUS, THIS THIRD

20 PIECE OVER HERE IS SOMETIMES MISSING, IS HOW DO WE GET THAT

21 GROUP ENGAGED IN THE ASSESSMENT AND THE PLANNING TO ENSURE

22 THAT WHAT WE'RE PROVIDING IS REALLY WHAT THAT STUDENT NEEDS.

23 FROM SOCIAL WORKERS TO THE PSYCHOLOGIST TO THE SCHOOL NURSES

24 IN A LOT OF CASES, AND NOW WITH AUTISM BEING HIGH ON THE

25 RISE, WE'RE GONNA COME UP WITH SOME FAR GREATER CHALLENGES

28

1 ABOUT HOW WE WILL CONTINUE TO ASSESS AND DETERMINE THE NEEDS

2 OF OUR SPECIAL LEARNERS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR,

3 TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THOSE.

4 >> BEN: THANK YOU. DANIEL BLOOMQUIST.

5 >> DANIEL: YES. LISTENING TO ELLEN AND IRMA GIVES ME IDEAS.

6 PERTAINING TO PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, THE PARENTS KNOW THEIR

7 CHILDREN LIKE NOBODY ELSE. AND THEY'RE CONCERNED WITH THEIR

8 CHILDREN LIKE NOBODY ELSE. HOWEVER, THERE IS A POTENTIAL, I

9 THINK ELLEN REFERRED TO THAT, OF PRIDE, SAYING, MY CHILD IS

10 NOT DISABLED, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE YOU SINGLING HIM OUT FOR,

11 YOU KNOW, TARGETING HIM. BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, THE

12 PARENTS KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CHILDREN BETTER THAN

13 SOMETIMES THE TEACHERS RIGHT FROM THE START BECAUSE THEY'VE

14 HAD THEM FROM THE BEGINNING. SO, ASSESSMENT IS IMPORTANT.

15 PERCEPTIVE ASSESSMENT. AND ALSO THE ABILITY TO DEAL WITH

16 PARENTS DIPLOMATICALLY IS CRUCIAL. THAT'S -- THAT'S ONE OF

17 THE CHALLENGES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION. AGAIN, THOUGH, I WANT

18 TO EMPHASIZE THAT IT'S -- WELL, BEFORE I DO THAT, THERE'S

19 ONE ASPECT OF THIS CHALLENGE BUSINESS THAT CAN COME INTO

20 PLAY, AND THAT IS SUPPLEMENTAL TUTORS FOR THE SPECIAL

21 STUDENTS. AND, AGAIN, IT'S NOT ONLY DISABLED AND

22 HANDICAPPED STUDENTS, IT'S ALSO SPECIALLY GIFTED PEOPLE WHO

23 NEED SPECIAL INSTRUCTION AND SPECIAL HELP TO DEVELOP FULLY.

24 AND THEY NEED TO HAVE A TUTOR SITUATION, IF POSSIBLE. AND

25 ALSO, AGAIN, TO NOT MAKE THEM STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB SO

29

1 THEY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, WHETHER THEY'RE GIFTED OR

2 HANDICAPPED. AND BE RESPONSIVE TO THEIR NEEDS. ONE THING

3 ABOUT HANDICAPPED STUDENTS, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THEM IN AN

4 ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE'S PLENTY OF LIGHT AND, YOU KNOW,

5 SUNLIGHT, AND PLENTY OF ACTIVITY AND -- WITH OTHER STUDENTS

6 SO THAT THEY ARE NOT SINGLED OUT AS WEIRDOS. I GUESS THAT'S

7 ABOUT THE BEST I CAN SAY ABOUT THAT.

8 >> BEN: THANK YOU. AND, LET'S SEE, WE'LL START WITH THE

9 THIRD QUESTION. WE'LL START WITH JAMIE WELLIK. HOW DO YOU

10 PLAN TO ADDRESS THE INCREASING DIVERSITY AND NEEDS OF OUR

11 STUDENT POPULATION?

12 >> JAMIE: YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. THAT'S KIND OF

13 WHERE I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS IS WORKING

14 WITH -- A LOT OF MY CLIENTS HAVE BEEN CHARTER SCHOOLS AND

15 SEEING THEM RESPOND TO A NEED THAT THEY SEE AND ADDRESSING

16 THAT NEED. ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, THE STATE OF MINNESOTA

17 APPROVED A SCHOOL FOR THE WESTERN SUBURBS THAT'S GOING TO

18 SOLELY DEAL WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS AND TO SEE THAT

19 THESE SCHOOLS CAN START OUT OF NOTHING AND SERVE A NEED,

20 SOME OF THEM STUMBLE, BUT SOME OF THEM DO PROVIDE THOSE

21 SERVICES AND TO SEE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS GROWING.

22 THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THAT, THERE ARE WAYS TO HANDLE

23 EDUCATION IN WAYS THAT IN THE PAST WE HAVE NOT DONE SO WELL

24 AT. AND LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT KIDS NEED TO

25 SUCCEED IN SCHOOL, OUR BOND REFERENDUM, AS WAS POINTED OUT

30

1 EARLIER, IS FRESH AIR AND DAYLIGHT, OUR SCHOOLS HAVE BEGUN

2 TO START TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS. AND I WON'T MENTION IT

3 ANYMORE ON THE CLASS SIZE ISSUE, I THINK THAT SMALLER CLASS

4 SIZES AND SMALLER SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS CREATE A BETTER

5 COMMUNITY. AND THE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT SMALL LEARNING

6 COMMUNITIES ARE THE WAY TO GO FOR MANY KIDS AS IT CREATES A

7 BETTER CULTURE WHERE KIDS DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE A NUMBER

8 BUT THEY ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE INDIVIDUALS AND THAT THERE'S A

9 LOT MORE RESPECT AND RESPONSIVENESS IN THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW,

10 IN THE WHOLE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT. SO, I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN.

11 I'VE SEEN IT. I'VE HELPED SCHOOLS MAKE THAT WORK. I'VE

12 HELPED SCHOOLS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THEIR KIDS,

13 ESPECIALLY ON THE RESOURCE SIDE. IT'S LIKE, WELL, THAT'S A

14 SACRED OBLIGATION WE HAVE IS TO MAKE SURE. I'VE WRITTEN

15 ABOUT THIS AND YOU CAN SEE IT ON MY CONSULTING WEBSITE AS

16 WELL, WHICH IS FACILITIES-STRATEGIES.COM, AND THAT IS IS

17 THAT, YOU KNOW, I CONSIDER ANY DOLLAR THAT YOU SPEND OUTSIDE

18 OF THE CLASSROOM TO BE A WASTED DOLLAR. I CONSIDER

19 OPERATING EXPENSES TO BE WASTED MONEY. IT'S KIND OF TONGUE

20 IN CHEEK, BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS, IS THAT TO MAKE

21 SURE THAT THE RESOURCES ARE BEING CHANNELED EFFECTIVELY TO

22 WHERE THEY MAKE THE MOST SENSE AND THAT THERE'S NO REASON

23 WHY -- NOT TO HAVE -- YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE KIDS

24 AND WHAT THEIR CHALLENGES ARE, WHETHER IT'S CHILDREN WHO ARE

25 COMING FROM LOWER-INCOME POPULATIONS, WHICH IS THE TREND IN

31

1 HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THOSE LOWER-INCOME POPULATIONS

2 TEND TO HAVE -- THEY NEED TO HAVE MORE EDUCATION

3 INTERVENTION EARLY ON. THAT'S WHY I'M CALLING FOR FULL-DAY

4 KINDERGARTEN OPTION FOR THE KIDS THAT NEED THAT. MY KIDS

5 NECESSARILY DIDN'T LIKE IT. THEY WANTED IT. AND MY WIFE

6 AND I BOTH WORK PROFESSIONALLY FULL-TIME, AND THAT WORKED

7 OUT FOR US. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF KIDS OUT THERE THAT NEED

8 FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN AND THEY NEED TO BE TARGETED EVEN

9 EARLY ON, AND YOU HAVE TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THOSE THINGS.

10 THERE'S EVEN SUCH THING IN MINNESOTA AS SOME OF THE SCHOOLS

11 HAVE RUN AFOUL OF, AND I'M USED TO THIS, I'M USED TO WHAT

12 THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS ARE, IDEA REAUTHORIZATION IS 347

13 PAGES, FEDERAL REGULATION, 347 PAGES, GO READ IT, I

14 CHALLENGE YOU. IT'S -- THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS ARE HARD.

15 BUT YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND WHAT THE MISSION IS AND

16 FIND WAYS TO WORK CREATIVELY TO DELIVER THE SERVICES THAT

17 YOU NEED. THAT'S YOUR OBLIGATION. THAT'S THE TRUST THAT WE

18 HAVE FROM THE PUBLIC. US AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL, WE HAVE THOSE

19 PUBLIC FUNDS, THAT'S OUR SACRED TRUST. AND IT CAN BE DONE.

20 AND IT'S BEING DONE IN A LOT OF WAYS.

21 AND IF WE DON'T DO IT, OTHER PEOPLE WILL. OTHER PEOPLE WILL

22 PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.

23 >> BEN: OKAY. I WOULD LIKE TO AGAIN ASK EVERYBODY TO TRY TO

24 STAY WITHIN THREE MINUTES.

25 >> JESSICA: AND I CAN START PUTTING A SIGN UP, TOO. WOULD

32

1 THAT HELP PEOPLE IF I KIND OF --

2 >> JAMIE: THAT WOULD HELP.

3 >> JESSICA: OKAY. I'LL DO THAT. SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE DONE

4 IT RIGHT AWAY.

5 >> BEN: ELLEN DUSTMAN, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ADDRESS THE

6 INCREASING DIVERSITY AND NEEDS OF OUR STUDENT POPULATION?

7 >> ELLEN: WELL, NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE TO EMBRACE IT. I MEAN,

8 THIS IS A POSITIVE FOR OUR DISTRICT. IT'S A GREAT THING

9 THAT WE DO HAVE A CHANGING DISTRICT THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF

10 THE REAL WORLD. AND I THINK THAT OUR CHILDREN HAVE A CHANCE

11 TO LEARN ABOUT THE REAL WORLD IN THIS SETTING. I DON'T KNOW

12 HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT THE HOPKINS MARKETING SLOGAN IS.

13 I DON'T KNOW -- SOME PEOPLE MIGHT THINK IT'S EQUITY IN

14 EXCELLENCE. IT'S ACTUALLY LOTS OF OPTIONS, ONLY ONE CHOICE.

15 BUT I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THE SLOGAN TO, A WORLD-CLASS

16 EDUCATION ENHANCED BY A REAL-WORLD SETTING. OUR CHILDREN

17 NOT ONLY HAVE SOME OF THE BEST ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES, BAR

18 NONE, IN THE COUNTRY, REALLY, THEY ALSO HAVE A CHANCE TO

19 LEARN ABOUT THE REAL WORLD AND BECOME THE LEADERS OF THE

20 REAL WORLD BY BEING IN SUCH A WONDERFUL ENVIRONMENT. AND I

21 THINK WE HAVE TO EMBRACE THAT AS THE POSITIVE THAT IT IS. I

22 KNOW THAT OF ALL THE EXPERIENCES THAT MY SON HAS, INCLUDING

23 THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PROBABLY

24 MOLDED HIM THE MOST WAS BEING IN A KALEIDOSCOPE PRESCHOOL

25 CLASS THAT WAS 50% SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN, OR CHILDREN WITH

33

1 SPECIAL NEEDS, AND 50% CHILDREN WHO DID NOT HAVE SPECIAL

2 NEEDS. AND HE WAS ONE OF THE CHILDREN THAT WAS PULLED OUT

3 FOR THE DAYS WHEN THERE WERE ONLY CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL

4 NEEDS AS THE MODEL CHILD. I'LL SAY IT WAS THE LAST TIME HE

5 WAS A MODEL CHILD.

6 [ Laughter]

7 BUT HE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THAT EXPERIENCE, AND THE ART

8 THAT HIS -- HIS ABILITIES IN ART WERE SO ENHANCED BY THE

9 EXPERIENCE BECAUSE A LOT OF THE OPPORTUNITIES WERE DRIVEN

10 TOWARDS THAT. THERE WERE -- THERE'S THE MOTOR ROOM OVER AT

11 HARLEY HOPKINS THAT HE REALLY ENJOYED. AND I THINK IT

12 HELPED HIM TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT THE WORLD AS IT IS

13 INSTEAD OF THIS IDEAL THAT WE WOULD LIKE OUR CHILDREN TO

14 LIVE IN. SECOND, WE CONTINUE -- WE HAVE TO CONTINUE OUR

15 COMMITMENT TO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY WORKING FOR US

16 AND EXPAND THOSE THINGS. THOSE THINGS LIKE THE RESPONSIVE

17 CLASSROOM THAT WAS NOW -- KATHERINE CURREN WAS FULLY TRAINED

18 IN RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM AND NOW WE HAVE OTHER SCHOOLS THAT

19 ARE FULLY TRAINED LIKE GATEWOOD, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE THAT

20 AND EXPAND UPON THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS

21 HAVE THAT IN OUR CLASSROOMS. WE ALSO SHOULD BRING BREAKFAST

22 IN THE CLASSROOM TO ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. I THINK THAT IT'S

23 NOT AN EASY THING TO DO. I'VE TALKED TO TEACHERS, IT'S

24 MESSY, IT'S NOT FUN TO DO, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT

25 KIDS HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT BREAKFAST AND NOT

34

1 FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING SINGLED OUT BECAUSE THEY NEED TO GET

2 THAT BREAKFAST AT SCHOOL. I HAVE ALSO SUGGESTED, AS I SAID

3 EARLIER, THAT WE NEED TO BE -- DO MORE OUTREACH TO THE

4 COMMUNITY. WE NEED TO BRING THE BOARDROOM TO THE COMMUNITY.

5 AND I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT THROUGH THE LISTENING SESSIONS,

6 WHICH WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HAVE

7 THAT MORE CASUAL INTERACTION WITH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. BUT

8 ALSO I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO THE THINGS, LIKE I

9 SAID, BRING -- I'LL JUST FINISH MY THOUGHT, BRING SCHOOL

10 BOARD MEETINGS TO DIFFERENT APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND MAKE

11 SURE THAT OTHER PEOPLE WHO CAN'T COME TO EISENHOWER HAVE AN

12 OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.

13 >> BEN: THANK YOU. AND IRMA.

14 >> IRMA: THANK YOU.

15 >> BEN: HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ADDRESS THE INCREASING DIVERSITY

16 AND NEEDS OF OUR STUDENT POPULATION?

17 >> IRMA: WELL, HERE WE HAVE -- WE LOOK AT THE ACT OF THE NO

18 CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT ITSELF IN TERMS OF THE CELLS THAT YOU

19 BREAK DOWN, I THINK IT'S ABOUT NINE DIFFERENT AREAS, IT'S

20 CERTAINLY A WAY FOR US AS A DISTRICT TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE

21 WE ARE AND HOW THE PERFORMANCE CONTINUES TO GO. BUT, MORE

22 IMPORTANT, IS AS WE LOOK AT THAT IS TO USE THAT DATA TO HELP

23 US TO REALLY ADDRESS THE DIVERSE POPULATION IN WHICH WE

24 HAVE. THE CONCERN IS, OF COURSE, THAT WE FEEL IN SOME

25 CASES, AND, OF COURSE, NOT HOPKINS, THAT THERE IS FAR

35

1 MORE -- TOO MANY KIDS OF COLOR THAT ARE BEING PLACED IN

2 SPECIAL ED. NOW, WHETHER YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THAT,

3 THE PERCEPTION BECOMES ONE'S REALITY. AND THAT HAS BEEN

4 TAKEN AND DISCUSSED OVER AND OVER AGAIN ABOUT WHERE AND HOW.

5 IT'S BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO HOW DO WE ASSESS AND

6 HOW DO WE DO THE PLANNING FOR DETERMINING WHERE WE'RE GONNA

7 PLACE KIDS TO BE SERVICED. THANK YOU.

8 >> BEN: THANK YOU. Mr. BLOOMQUIST.

9 >> DANIEL: OKAY. WHEN YOU'RE TALKIN' ABOUT DIVERSITY AND

10 NEEDS, DIVERSITY IS QUITE A BROAD TOPIC. AND THAT CAN RANGE

11 ALL THE WAY FROM DIFFERENT TYPES OF OCCUPATIONAL INTERESTS

12 TO WHAT A PERSON'S ATTITUDE IS ON SOCIAL AND MORAL ISSUES.

13 I WOULD SAY THAT HAVING MORE FIELD TRIPS FOR STUDENTS TO

14 VARIOUS -- I REMEMBER WHEN I WENT TO BLACK DOG TOWER

15 FACILITY DOWN IN BURNSVILLE, THAT WAS KIND OF NEAT. AND

16 ALSO TO HAVE PRESENTATIONS FROM CORPORATE PEOPLE COMING IN

17 FROM DIFFERENT CORPORATIONS TO PRESENT KIDS WITH DIFFERENT

18 IDEAS, NOT SIMPLY CORPORATIONS BUT ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT

19 THINGS THAT KIDS COULD SAY, HEY, I'D LIKE TO GET INTO

20 SOMETHING LIKE THAT SOMEDAY. AND THEN, OF COURSE, HAVE THE

21 EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURE ACCOMMODATE TO THAT, ALL DIVERSITY OF

22 ALL SORTS OF OCCUPATIONS. SO, I GUESS THAT'S ONE OF THE

23 THINGS I WOULD WANT TO SAY.

24 >> BEN: THANK YOU. YVONNE SELCER.

25 >> YVONNE: I'LL JUST REPEAT THE QUESTION AGAIN. HOW DO YOU

36

1 PLAN TO ADDRESS THE INCREASING DIVERSITY AND NEEDS OF OUR

2 STUDENT POPULATION? DIVERSITY IS A BLESSING. IT IS WHAT

3 HAS MADE OUR COUNTRY GREAT. DIVERSITY REQUIRES

4 UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURE, OUTREACH, EDUCATION AND EFFORT ON

5 THE PART OF ALL MEMBERS OF OUR HOPKINS COMMUNITY. IN EACH

6 OF OUR SCHOOLS, WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO

7 INCREASE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DIVERSE CULTURES AND

8 LEARNING STYLES OF OUR STUDENTS. WE ARE REACHING OUT TO OUR

9 PARENTS IN A MYRIAD OF WAYS. NOT ONLY WITH THE INVOLVEMENT

10 OF OUR STAFF BUT ALSO WITH OUR PARENT ORGANIZATIONS. WE

11 NEED TO DEEPEN AND CONTINUE THAT EFFORT. ATTENDANCE AT

12 SCHOOL CONFERENCE AND SEVERAL SELECTIVE SCHOOL EVENTS IS A

13 GOOD START BUT CERTAINLY NOT THE END GAIN. ULTIMATELY,

14 BUY-IN AND MOTIVATION ON THE PART OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY

15 WILL LEAD TO INCREASED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT WHICH IS OUR

16 MISSION. OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION MODEL IS AN

17 EXCELLENT ONE, IN WHICH WE GO OUT TO THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS

18 THAT ARE HOME TO MANY OF OUR NEW AMERICANS AND OUR MINORITY

19 POPULATIONS IN OUR DISTRICT. EARLY CHILDHOOD OUTREACH AND

20 INTERVENTION IS CRUCIAL, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF EARLY

21 IDENTIFICATION OF LEARNING ISSUES. THIS PHILOSOPHY IN

22 HOPKINS CONTINUES INTO OUR FREE SPECIAL ALL-DAY KINDERGARTEN

23 PROGRAM FOR OUR CHALLENGED CHILDREN THROUGH OUR KIDS &

24 COMPANY PROGRAM. OUR TESTING HAS SHOWN THAT THE SMALL GROUP

25 INSTRUCTION WE PROVIDE BY CERTIFIED TEACHERS HAS LED TO

37

1 SIGNIFICANT ACADEMIC GAINS ON THE PART OF THESE STUDENTS.

2 ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, YOU MAY BE AWARE OF THE

3 WORK WE ARE DOING AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, WITH A

4 STUDENT -- WITH STUDENTS IN A POPULATION WHOSE TRACK RECORD

5 IS FILLED WITH TRIPS TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE. AVID AND

6 OTHER RELATED PROGRAMS PAID FOR BY INTEGRATION REVENUE AND

7 HOPKINS EDUCATION FOUNDATION DONATIONS ARE PROVING TO

8 INCREASE STUDENT LEARNING AND DRAMATICALLY DECREASE STUDENT

9 DISCIPLINE RESULTING IN INCREASED LEARNING FOR ALL.

10 FINALLY, IN HOPKINS, IN MINNESOTA, AND ACROSS THE UNITED

11 STATES, WE HAVE HAD AN EXPLOSION OF CERTAIN TYPE OF LEARNING

12 NEEDS. I MENTIONED THAT AUTISM IS ONE OF THEM. THERE ARE

13 OTHER MORE LOW-INCIDENT NEEDS THAT ARE CROPPING UP. WE NEED

14 TO MEET THESE CHILDREN'S NEEDS WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF THE

15 BUDGET WE CURRENTLY HAVE. I SERVE ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF

16 A LOCAL AREA COOPERATIVE CALLED ECSU, PART OF THE SERVICES IT

17 PROVIDES IN A COST-EFFECTIVE MANNER TO AREA DISTRICTS

18 INCLUDES STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND WORKSHOPS IN SUCH AREAS AS

19 AUTISM, TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF

20 STUDENTS WITH PHYSICAL CHALLENGES. WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO

21 LOOK AT WAYS TO MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS

22 IN A COST-EFFECTIVE MANNER. AND MY INVOLVEMENT IN ECSU IS

23 PART OF MY COMMITMENT TO THE SOLUTION TO THAT ISSUE.

24 >> BEN: THANK YOU. THE LAST QUESTION IS -- WE START WITH

25 ELLEN DUSTMAN -- AND THAT IS THE REAUTHORIZATION OF IDEA IN

38

1 2004 WAS PARTIALLY INTENDED TO ALIGN IDEA WITH NCLB, NO

2 CHILD LEFT BEHIND. HOWEVER, BOTH OF THESE LAWS ENACTED BY

3 THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DO NOT FULLY FUND THE PROGRAMS THAT

4 THEY MANDATE. AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, HOW WOULD YOU WORK

5 TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT FUNDING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?

6 >> ELLEN: WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE CAN'T JUST LOOK AT THESE

7 ISSUES AS FEDERAL. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE STATE'S

8 COMMITMENT TO FUNDING AS WELL AS THE LOCAL COMMITMENT TO

9 FUNDING BECAUSE IN EACH -- ESPECIALLY FOR I.D.E.A., THERE IS

10 A STATE-MANDATED COMMITMENT TO FUNDING THAT HAS NOT BEEN

11 MET. I THINK WE NEED TO BE VIGILANT WITH ALL THREE LEVELS

12 OF GOVERNMENT IN ADVOCATING FOR THOSE. AS FAR AS THE

13 QUESTION OF WHAT WILL I DO, IT CAN BEST BE ANSWERED BY WHAT

14 I HAVE DONE BECAUSE I HAVE A VERY CLEAR RECORD OF ADVOCATING

15 FOR OUR CHILDREN. IN MY ROLE AS THE LEADER OF THE HOPKINS

16 LEGISLATIVE ACTION COALITION, I HAVE ENSURED THAT SPECIAL

17 EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION HAS HAD A PROMINENT

18 POSITION ON OUR PLATFORM. I HAVE MADE HUNDREDS OF TRIPS TO

19 THE CAPITOL TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR KIDS, INCLUDING TRIPS AT

20 NIGHT, ON WEEKENDS, AND IN 2005 THROUGH THE SUMMER VACATION.

21 I ORGANIZED PARENTS TO ATTEND THE 2005 EDUCATION RALLY AT

22 THE STATE CAPITOL. I HELPED STRENGTHEN THE GRASSROOTS

23 ORGANIZATION OF THE LEGISLATIVE ACTION COALITION IN THE

24 MULTIPLE ADVOCACY INITIATIVES THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF. TO

25 NAME A FEW ARE POSTCARD WRITING EVENTS IN MY HOME,

39

1 LEGISLATORS IN THE SCHOOLS AND IN OUR HOMES, AS WELL AS

2 E-MAIL AND PHONE CALLING CAMPAIGNS. I SET UP A MEETING WITH

3 JIM RAMSTAD. I ACTUALLY USED MY SON AS BAIT BECAUSE WE WERE

4 IN THIS CROWDED FORUM, AND WE WEREN'T GETTING ANY ATTENTION,

5 SO I PUSHED HIM FORWARD TO TALK TO, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTATIVE

6 RAMSTAD TO SET UP A MEETING. AND A NUMBER OF US WHO

7 ADVOCATE FOR OUR CHILDREN IN THE WEST METRO THEN MET WITH

8 HIM AT HIS OFFICE OVER IN MINNETONKA. WHAT I THINK WAS

9 IMPRESSIVE TO HIM WAS OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT CAME FROM

10 ALL THE DIFFERENT WEST METRO SUBURBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS,

11 THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE ONE OF US WHO HAD A CHILD WHO HAD

12 SPECIAL NEEDS. AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THOSE

13 OF US WHO DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS STAND UP

14 TALL AND ADVOCATE FOR THOSE CHILDREN THAT DO. AND I THINK,

15 ON THE OTHER HAND, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PARENTS AND ADVOCATES

16 FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ALSO ADVOCATE FOR ALL OF OUR

17 CHILDREN BECAUSE THE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS THAT ARE BEING

18 FELT ARE MULTIPLIED BY THE FACT THAT REGULAR EDUCATION IS

19 NOT BEING WELL FUNDED AS WELL. I ALSO HELPED ORGANIZE

20 REPRESENTATIVE RAMSTAD'S VISIT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND LAST

21 YEAR I HELPED ORGANIZE THE FEDERAL EDUCATION SUMMIT AT NORTH

22 JUNIOR HIGH WHICH HAD REPRESENTATIVE KEITH ELLISON AND A

23 REPRESENTATIVE FROM CONGRESSMAN RAMSTAD'S OFFICE.

24 >> BEN: THANK YOU. AND WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO REREAD THE

25 QUESTION?

40

1 >> IRMA: NO, THAT'S OKAY. I ENDED UP CALLING THE STATE

2 DEPARTMENT, STATE AREA OF SPECIAL ED., AND HAVING HAD THAT

3 KNOWLEDGE OF BEING A PART OF THE TEAM, WAS TO FIND OUT, WE

4 KNOW THAT WE CONTINUE WHEN THERE'S A NEW PRESIDENT COMING

5 ON, EVERYBODY WANTS TO LEAVE THEIR OWN LEGACY, SAME IS TRUE

6 WITH THE GOVERNORS, THEY'RE GONNA LEAVE THEIR OWN SPECIAL

7 THING. SO, WHEN WE LOOK AT I.D.E.A. AND THEN WE TURN THAT

8 AROUND AND WE LOOK AT THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND, AND WHEN I

9 LOOKED AGAIN AT THE I.D.E.A., WHICH STANDS FOR

10 INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION ACT, AND IT SAID, OKAY, WHAT'S

11 GOING ON OVER HERE? WHY YOU KEEP MOVING MORE AND GIVING OUT

12 LESS? AND, OF COURSE, WHAT DO WE DO? THEY SAY, WELL, IT'S

13 THE LEGISLATORS, THEY'RE NOT GIVING. BUT WHAT ARE YOU

14 HAVING OVER THERE THAT YOU CAN'T, THEN, START GIVING IN

15 TERMS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH ALLOCATIONS OF THE MONEYS

16 THAT THEY HAD? THE IMPORTANT PIECE HERE IS THAT WE KNOW

17 THAT THE SERVICE HAS TO BE PROVIDED. AND WE, AGAIN, HAVE TO

18 GET CREATIVE ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT WITHOUT THE MONEYS. AND

19 THAT IS THE PART THAT WE MUST ALL PLAY. GOING TO THE

20 LEGISLATURE, BEING A PART OF THE DISCUSSION, AND SITTING AT

21 THE TABLES AS WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT FUTURE ELECTIONS, WHAT ARE

22 THEY GOING TO DO WHEN THEY GET INTO WASHINGTON TO REALLY

23 ADVOCATE FOR EDUCATION. AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A KEY PIECE

24 AS WE BEGIN TO LOOK FORWARD TO 2008. SO, MANDATES AND NO

25 MONEY.

41

1 >> BEN: THANK YOU.

2 >> DANIEL: WHAT WAS THE QUESTION AGAIN, BEN?

3 >> BEN: THE REAUTHORIZATION OF I.D.E.A. IN 2004 WAS

4 PARTIALLY INTENDED TO ALIGN I.D.E.A. WITH NCLB, NO CHILD

5 LEFT BEHIND. HOWEVER, BOTH OF THESE LAWS ENACTED BY THE

6 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DO NOT FULLY FUND THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY

7 MANDATE. AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, HOW WOULD YOU WORK TO

8 ADVOCATE FOR THAT FUNDING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?

9 >> DANIEL: WELL, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE A EDUCATION LOBBYIST GO

10 AFTER THE PEOPLE IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHO ARE -- WHO

11 CAN CHANGE THAT AND FUND ADEQUATELY. THERE HAS TO BE A

12 REALISTIC EXPECTATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN TERMS OF

13 WHAT EXACTLY IS MOST IMPORTANT IN EDUCATING. WE GOT -- THE

14 CANDIDATES HERE GOT A PRETTY GOOD TOUR FROM PATRICK A FEW

15 WEEKS AGO OF ALL THE BUILDINGS IN THE HOPKINS DISTRICT. AND

16 SOME ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS. GENERALLY SPEAKING, I WOULD --

17 I WOULD SAY THAT WHAT I SAW WAS CERTAINLY BETTER THAN SOME

18 SCHOOLS THAT I'VE BEEN TO IN MY LIFE. SO, AS FAR AS -- AS

19 FAR AS NEW GARDENS AND NEW THINGS IN BUILDINGS, THE MAIN --

20 THE MAIN THING IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS TO HAVE GOOD

21 EDUCATION, GOOD TEACHING. AS FAR AS THE PROPERTY GOES,

22 DON'T GO OVERBOARD, I WOULD SAY, PERTAINING TO SUCH A THING.

23 YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT IN THE LANDSCAPING BUSINESS HERE. IT'S

24 SUPPOSED TO LOOK NICE, BUT -- NOT TRASHY, BUT, STILL, WE'RE

25 IN THE BUSINESS OF TUTORING STUDENTS AND TEACHING THEM AND

42

1 RECOGNIZING THEIR NEEDS. AND, AGAIN, THE MAIN THING IS

2 LOBBYING LEGISLATORS ON THE STATE LEVEL AND THE FEDERAL

3 LEVEL TO GIVE ADEQUATE FUNDING.

4 >> BEN: THANK YOU. YVONNE SELCER.

5 >> YVONNE: THANK YOU. I CO-CHAIR OUR HOPKINS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

6 LEGISLATIVE ACTION COALITION'S STEERING COMMITTEE. LAST

7 YEAR WE FORMED A NATIONAL ADVOCACY GROUP, OR N.A.G. AS WE

8 LIKE TO CALL IT, TO PROVIDE A MECHANISM FOR ADVOCATING FOR

9 FUNDING AND POLICY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL BENEFICIAL TO ALL OF

10 OUR LEARNERS. ON APRIL 10, 2007 OF THIS YEAR, OUR L.A.C.

11 HOSTED ITS FIRST FEDERAL FORUM ON EDUCATION, BOTH TO

12 ACTIVELY ENGAGE OUR DISTRICT'S CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS AND TO

13 RAISE AWARENESS OF THIS ISSUE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE ALSO

14 INVITED THE MEDIA. CONGRESSMAN ELLISON AND A REPRESENTATIVE

15 FROM CONGRESSMAN RAMSTAD'S OFFICE ATTENDED AND SPOKE.

16 ESTIMATES OF ATTENDANCE RANGED FROM 200 TO 300.

17 I WAS ALSO ONE OF THE SPEAKERS. MY JOB WAS TO EXPLAIN, IN

18 TEN MINUTES, THE NCLB AND IDEA LAWS AND THE FUNDING

19 CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. ON THE TABLE BY MY

20 LITERATURE YOU WILL FIND AN EXCERPT FROM MY REMARKS. IF

21 ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN THE ENTIRE POWERPOINT AND MY

22 ACCOMPANYING REMARKS, JUST CONTACT ME AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO

23 PROVIDE IT FOR YOU. YOU WILL SEE FROM THOSE REMARKS THAT I

24 NOT ONLY USED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE VITAL NCLB AND

25 IDEA POLICY AND FUNDING INFORMATION, BUT ALSO TO BUILD

43

1 BRIDGES BETWEEN DIFFERENT PARENT GROUPS. ALL PRESENT HERE

2 TONIGHT KNOW ONLY TOO WELL THE DANGERS OF INFIGHTING WHEN

3 THE PIE IS TOO SMALL, SO I USED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO POINT

4 OUT THAT THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DOLLARS SPENT IN HOPKINS ARE

5 WISE INVESTMENTS FOR THE FUTURE. NOT ONLY DID THE L.A.C.

6 HOST THIS FORUM, BUT L.A.C. MEMBERS, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAVE

7 MET PRIVATELY WITH BOTH CONGRESSMAN ELLISON AND CONGRESSMAN

8 RAMSTAD AROUND THESE NCLB AND IDEA ISSUES. I WAS ALSO

9 PRIVILEGED TO ATTEND A MEETING WITH CONGRESSMAN RAMSTAD AND

10 OTHER AREA EDUCATION REPRESENTATIVES TO DISCUSS HIS NCLB

11 OPT-OUT BILL. AS A FURTHER RESULT OF THE RELATIONSHIP

12 DEVELOPED WITH CONGRESSMAN ELLISON'S OFFICE, OUR DISTRICT

13 WAS INVITED TO COMMENT ON PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO THE NCLB

14 LAW, AND I WORKED WITH OUR SUPERINTENDENT, DR. SCHULTZ, ON

15 OUR DISTRICT'S RESPONSE TO THOSE MODIFICATIONS. THE

16 MINNESOTA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION ALSO PROVIDES

17 OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVOCACY ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL, AND THAT

18 IS ANOTHER AREA I WANT TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN. I AM

19 WATCHING MY COMMITMENTS CAREFULLY, HOWEVER, MINDFUL THAT MY

20 MAIN DUTY AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER IS EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE

21 AND FISCAL OVERSIGHT ON BEHALF OF OUR STUDENTS AND DISTRICT

22 RESIDENTS.

23 >> BEN: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND JAMIE WELLIK. WOULD YOU

24 LIKE ME TO REREAD THE QUESTION?

25 >> JAMIE: YEAH, THAT WAS THE MOST LENGTHY QUESTION, HAS

44

1 THOSE NICE INITIALS IN THERE, I.D.E.A. AND -- GO AHEAD,

2 PLEASE.

3 >> BEN: OKAY. THE REAUTHORIZATION OF I.D.E.A. IN 2004 WAS

4 PARTIALLY INTENDED TO ALIGN I.D.E.A. WITH THE NO CHILD LEFT

5 BEHIND. HOWEVER, BOTH OF THESE LAWS ENACTED BY THE FEDERAL

6 GOVERNMENT DO NOT FULLY FUND THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY MANDATE.

7 AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, HOW WOULD YOU WORK TO ADVOCATE

8 FOR THAT FUNDING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?

9 >> JAMIE: AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE REAUTHORIZATION OF

10 I.D.E.A. WAS 347 PAGES, JUST IN TERMS OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE

11 RULES. AMONG SOME OF MY FRIENDS THERE'S AN EXPRESSION, I'M

12 FROM THE GOVERNMENT, I'M HERE TO HELP YOU. AND THAT'S ONE

13 OF THE PROBLEMS WITH FEDERAL FUNDING IS THAT IT COMES WITH

14 CONDITIONS ATTACHED TO IT. AND THOSE CONDITIONS CAN BE

15 REALLY ONEROUS AND DIFFICULT TO MANAGE. AND AS WE FOUND

16 WITH TITLE I SPENDING, WHICH IS DIRECTED TOWARDS LOW-INCOME

17 STUDENTS, WE USED TO GET THAT BASICALLY NO QUESTIONS ASKED,

18 ONE-WAY STREET, THANKS FOR YOUR CHECK. FIVE YEARS AGO THE

19 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PASSED NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND, WHICH SAID

20 THAT HENCEFORTH, YOU SHALL SHOW US WHO YOUR LOW-INCOME

21 STUDENTS ARE, WHERE THEY'RE TESTED AT, HOW YOU'RE GONNA

22 SPEND THE MONEY, AND YOU'RE GONNA REPORT ON THE RESULTS OF

23 THAT NEXT YEAR. AND THAT HAS LED US INTO A HUGE NEW FIELD

24 CALLED NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND, WHICH IS RECORDED, WE HAVE TO

25 DISAGGREGATE OUR DATA. THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES WE

45

1 FACED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, HERE IN

2 HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE WERE ALL ABOVE AVERAGE. WELL,

3 NOT WHEN YOU DISAGGREGATE THE DATA. WE'RE IN A NEW AREA OF

4 ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY. AND IT'S TOUGH, IT'S NOT

5 EASY TO SUDDENLY HAVE TO SHOW ALL THESE DIFFERENT

6 MEASUREMENTS AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS. IF YOU'VE

7 EVER LOOKED AT THE HOPKINS TESTING PAGE, IT HAS MORE

8 ACRONYMS THAN I THINK THAT THE STATE OF MINNESOTA HAS WITH

9 ALL OF ITS ACRONYMS THAT IT USES. SO, IT'S A VERY

10 COMPLICATED AND COMPLEX ISSUE. THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY THAT

11 COMES TO HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT AS A RESULT OF SPECIAL

12 EDUCATION. IT'S OVER $8 MILLION THAT COMES TO THE DISTRICT.

13 SOME THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SOME JUST FROM

14 MINNESOTA ALONE. HOPKINS IS SPENDING ABOUT $12 MILLION OUT

15 OF AN $85 MILLION BUDGET -- THANK YOU -- ON SPECIAL

16 EDUCATION. WHAT I CAN BRING TO THE HOPKINS SCHOOL BOARD,

17 WHAT I CAN BRING TO THIS WHOLE ISSUE IS THAT WE NEED TO

18 SPEND OUR MONEY EFFECTIVELY. AND I THINK IT'S A LITTLE

19 PREMATURE AND MY EFFORTS ARE BEST SPENT ON MAKING SURE THAT

20 WE'RE SPENDING OUR CURRENT DOLLARS AS EFFECTIVELY AS

21 POSSIBLE BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE AND BASED ON KNOWING THE

22 NUMBERS AND TAKING CONTROL AND OWNERSHIP OF THOSE NUMBERS.

23 YOU HAVE A LOT BETTER -- STRONGER CASE TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY

24 WHEN YOU CAN SHOW THAT YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB. AND,

25 UNFORTUNATELY, AT THE CURRENT TIME, WE'RE NOT IN THE

46

1 POSITION BECAUSE OVER SIX YEARS WE SPENT DOWN $15 MILLION

2 SURPLUS. WE WENT FROM A VERY POSITIVE FUND BALANCE, YEAR

3 AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, UNTIL SUDDENLY DISCOVERING

4 WE WEREN'T COUNTING OUR STUDENTS CORRECTLY, WE HAD A

5 CORRECTION FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S BUDGET AUDIT THAT WE

6 DIDN'T CATCH AND SUDDENLY WE FIND OURSELVES TO BE IN

7 STATUTORY OPERATING DEBT. WE HAVE A LOT TO DO AT OUR HOME

8 BASE TO CLEAN OUR OWN HOUSE, FIX OUR OWN HOUSE, MAKE SURE

9 THOSE RESOURCES GO TO KIDS. AND MY LAST COMMENT IS THAT

10 LAST YEAR WE TOOK IN $83 MILLION IN TOTAL REVENUE FOR

11 GENERAL EDUCATION. BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET SITUATION THAT THE

12 PREVIOUS BOARD HAD BROUGHT TO US, OUT OF THAT $83 MILLION WE

13 ONLY SPENT 80. WE HAD TO TAKE $3 MILLION THAT WAS SUPPOSED

14 TO BE SPENT LAST YEAR AND WE HAD TO PUT IT AWAY INTO SAVINGS

15 BECAUSE WE WEREN'T FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. THAT'S WHERE I CAN

16 DEVOTE MY EFFORTS. AND THAT'S WHAT I PROMISE TO DO.

17 >> BEN: WELL, THANK YOU. WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FORMAL

18 QUESTIONS. WERE WE GOING TO GO TO 8:30? WHAT WAS THE

19 SCHEDULED TIME?

20 >> JESSICA: UNTIL 9:00. SO IF ANYBODY HAS QUESTIONS FROM

21 THE AUDIENCE FOR THE CANDIDATES PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

22 >> YEAH, HI. I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT A KID WITH

23 SPECIAL NEEDS CAN ALSO BE A GIFTED CHILD. AND --

24 [ Laughter]

25 >> THANK YOU.

47

1 >> AND ANOTHER POINT, TOO, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT

2 LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT OR ALSO ABOUT NOT SEGREGATING

3 KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. BUT AS IN THE CASE OF MY CHILD

4 WITH AUTISM, SOMETIMES IT IS BETTER FOR HIM TO BE TAKEN OUT

5 OF THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE'S LOTS OF NOISE AND

6 LIGHTS AND COLORS AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HAVE

7 THIS CLASSROOM AVAILABLE WHERE HE CAN GO AND REGROUP. SO, I

8 JUST WANTED TO MAKE THOSE POINTS.

9 >> IRMA: BUT LET ME ADD TO THAT. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE

10 ASSESSMENT AND DETERMINING WHAT IS NEEDED, AT THAT POINT

11 THAT'S WHERE THE PLAYERS WANT TO SIT DOWN AND TALK. BECAUSE

12 IF, IN FACT, YOUR CHILD NEEDS -- AND YOU AS A PARENT COMING

13 TO THE TABLE WITH ALL OF THE GROUPS, INCLUDING SOCIAL

14 WORKERS, PSYCHOLOGISTS AND ALL THE OTHER PLAYERS TO

15 DETERMINE THE NEED FOR YOUR CHILD, THAT'S GONNA BE A

16 CRITICAL PART OF WHAT ENDS UP IN THAT EDUCATIONAL PLAN.

17 >> YEAH. AND THE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SCARES ME IS

18 THAT MY CHILD WAS IDENTIFIED AT 18 MONTHS, WHICH WAS GREAT,

19 BECAUSE WE HAD GOOD INSURANCE AND WE GOT GREAT SERVICES,

20 BOTH THROUGH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND PRIVATELY. NOW HE'S IN

21 KINDERGARTEN. NOW HE'S IN A KINDERGARTEN CLASS OF 30 KIDS.

22 AND THERE IS ONE TEACHER AND THERE IS A LEARNING RESOURCE

23 TEACHER WHOSE HOURS HAD TO BE INCREASED BECAUSE THAT WAS

24 JUST INSANE TO EXPECT ONE TEACHER TO HANDLE 30 KIDS. BUT MY

25 POINT WITH THE EARLY CHILDHOOD IS WHEN WE WERE OVER AT

48

1 HARLEY HOPKINS GETTING SPECIAL EDUCATION PRESCHOOL, I FELT

2 VERY PROTECTED AS A PARENT AND I HAD ALL KINDS OF EXPERTS

3 HELPING ME COPE WITH BEHAVIORS AND HELPING ME UNDERSTAND,

4 AND THEY EDUCATED ME, WHAT I WAS FACING. COMING INTO

5 KINDERGARTEN NOW, YOU KNOW, I HAVE -- SURE, SHE'S A

6 WONDERFUL KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, BUT SHE'S NOT A SPECIAL

7 EDUCATION TEACHER. SO, NOW I HAVE, YOU KNOW, EVEN MORE OF A

8 BURDEN PUT ON ME TO ADVOCATE FOR MY CHILD AND TO EDUCATE

9 THIS TEACHER. AND SOMEONE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE

10 CLASSROOM TEACHERS HAVE TO BE MORE -- OR BETTER TRAINED OR

11 WHATEVER. AND, YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH THAT

12 STATEMENT.

13 >> IRMA: NOW, DO YOU HAVE AN I.E.P. FOR YOUR CHILD?

14 >> YES, WE DO HAVE AN I.E.P.

15 >> IRMA: WELL, THEN YOU SHOULD LOOK AT, SOMEBODY LATER NEEDS

16 TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT THAT, IF YOU HAVE AN I.E.P., WHATEVER

17 THAT I.E.P. SAYS IN TERMS OF NEEDS AND SERVICES MUST BE

18 PROVIDED.

19 >> EXACTLY. AND I WAS STILL TALKING WITH THEM, YOU KNOW,

20 AFTER TWO WEEKS -- YOU KNOW, FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL, OF

21 COURSE, EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE CRAZY. AND, SO, YEAH, I DON'T

22 EXPECT EVERYTHING TO BE IN PLACE. BUT EQUIPMENT THAT WAS

23 SUPPOSED TO BE THERE, ACCORDING TO HIS I.E.P., WAS NOT

24 THERE, AND I HAD TO EXPLAIN WHAT IT WAS THAT WAS NEEDED AND

25 HOW TO USE THESE THINGS.

49

1 >> IRMA: NOW, ANOTHER SERVICE THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK

2 ABOUT IS PACER. PACER IS AN EXCELLENT ADVOCATE TO BE ABLE

3 TO HELP TO GO WITH YOU AND A LOT OF TIMES PARENTS AREN'T

4 SURE HOW TO HANDLE WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, WHAT THEY NEED TO

5 SAY. CALL THE PACER OFFICE. IT'S OUT ON NORMANDALE

6 BOULEVARD. THEY WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GO IN WITH YOU

7 TO HELP YOU SIT DOWN AND DEVELOP A PLAN AND GET WHAT YOUR

8 CHILD NEEDS.

9 >> I HAVE NO PROBLEM GOING TO THE TEACHER WITH THAT. I JUST

10 DON'T WANT TO BE A PAIN-IN-THE-ASS PARENT, YOU KNOW, WHERE

11 THEY SEE ME COMING, THINK, OH, GOD, NOW WHAT?

12 >> YVONNE: YOU HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CHILDREN. AND I'M

13 THE ONE WHO SAID THAT THAT WAS THE ISSUE AND THAT WE NEED TO

14 HAVE THE STAFF DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL TRAIN OUR REGULAR

15 CLASSROOM TEACHERS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL THE CHILDREN.

16 >> YEAH. AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, I HEARD THINGS, TOO,

17 ABOUT DOING MORE OUTREACH IN THE COMMUNITY AND I THINK

18 THAT'S IMPORTANT, TOO, BECAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE PARENTS WHO

19 DON'T KNOW AS MUCH AS I DO. YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEIR CHILD

20 DIDN'T HAVE A SPEECH DELAY SO THEIR CHILD DIDN'T GET

21 IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW, UNTIL MORE RECENTLY. SO, ANYWAY, THAT

22 WAS MY --

23 >> I KNOW KAREN.

24 [ Laughter]

25 IT'S HARD TO GO -- IT'S HARD TO GO FROM THAT HARLEY MODEL

50

1 AND FEEL PROTECTED AND THEN FEEL DROPPED.

2 >> YEAH. AND JUST FEEL LIKE YOU'RE OUT ON YOUR OWN.

3 >> ELLEN: I WOULD SAY, THAT'S PART OF WHAT MY PLATFORM IS,

4 TOO, IS THAT RESPONSIVE ATTITUDE AT THE SCHOOLS IS SO

5 IMPORTANT. I CAN TELL YOU, YOU HAVE -- I ALWAYS ENDED MY

6 E-MAILS WITH, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR MY CHILDREN,

7 BUT THERE WERE PLENTY OF E-MAILS TO TEACHERS. AND I CAN

8 ONLY IMAGINE THE POSITION THAT YOU'RE IN BECAUSE IT IS VERY

9 VERY DIFFICULT TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR OWN CHILD. YOU DO FEEL,

10 ESPECIALLY IF THEY DO HAVE NEEDS -- NEED SERVICES, IN GIFTED

11 AND TALENTED AND SPECIAL NEEDS SERVICES, YOU FEEL ALWAYS

12 LIKE YOU ARE JUST A PAIN WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE DEALING

13 WITH. BUT IT IS THE ONLY WAY AND THEY ARE USED TO IT. I

14 ALSO THINK WE NEED TO HELP TEACHERS WITH -- MAKE IT EASIER

15 FOR TEACHERS TO RESPOND TO PARENTS BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT A

16 LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT THEY GET CANNOT BE ANSWERED BY THE

17 CLASSROOM TEACHER. WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT ONE WAY TO CONNECT

18 WITH THE DISTRICT. AND I CALL IT, LIKE I SAID, MINNETONKA

19 MIC, SO THAT YOU CAN ASK AN EXPERT. SOME OF THE BIGGEST

20 PROBLEMS WITH FINDING OUT -- OR GETTING AN ANSWER TO YOUR

21 QUESTION IS FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON TO ASK THE QUESTION TO.

22 AND I THINK IF WE COULD JUST DIRECT A QUESTION AT ONE PLACE

23 AND HAVE IT FUNNELED THROUGH -- EVEN THROUGH A SURVEY, I

24 MEAN, SOFTWARE COMPANIES, EVERYONE DOES THIS, AND I THINK

25 IT'S REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE

51

1 ADVOCATING FOR OUR CHILDREN THAT THERE'S ONE PLACE WE CAN

2 CALL, ONE PLACE WE CAN E-MAIL, AND KNOW THAT THAT'S GOING TO

3 GO TO THE RIGHT PERSON. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ALL THE

4 WORK AND EVERY PARENT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO ALL THE WORK OVER

5 AND OVER AGAIN.

6 >> DANIEL: ONE OF THE THINGS INVOLVED, TOO, I'M GLAD I WAS

7 THE ONE THAT -- I WAS THE ONLY ONE ON THE PANEL HERE WHO

8 MENTIONED GIFTED STUDENTS ARE IN A SITUATION LIKE

9 HANDICAPPED STUDENTS. YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING LIKE THAT

10 YOURSELF THERE.

11 >> THEY COULD BE BOTH THE SAME.

12 >> DANIEL: YEAH. YEAH. AND ALSO THAT'S WHY THE SITUATION

13 OF TUTORS, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS IS IMPORTANT.

14 PERTAINING TO COMMUNICATION, WHAT ELLEN JUST SAID, THERE

15 ARE -- THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT A PARENT CAN DO. WELL, ONE

16 THING RIGHT NOW. IF THEY KNOW WHO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER

17 IS, THEY CAN GET INTO HOPKINS.K12.US OR DOT GOV OR WHATEVER

18 IT IS AND GET AT THE OFFICIAL HOPKINS E-MAIL. BUT IN ORDER

19 TO GIVE A RESPONSE, A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER HAS TO TAKE INTO

20 CONSIDERATION NOT ONLY THE VIEWPOINTS OF THE OTHER SCHOOL

21 BOARD MEMBERS BUT ALSO THE SUPERINTENDENT. HE DOESN'T SPEAK

22 FOR HIMSELF. SO, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT IF THE PARENTS

23 KNOW THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, THEY CAN -- THEY

24 CAN E-MAIL THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DIRECTLY AT A DIFFERENT

25 E-MAIL ADDRESS, A PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS, AND THAT SCHOOL

52

1 BOARD MEMBER CAN SPEAK FOR HIMSELF AND NOT FOR THE HOPKINS

2 SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND IN DOING SO, THERE MIGHT BE MORE

3 FREEDOM IN TERMS OF DIRECTING A PARENT MORE PRECISELY WITH

4 MORE FREEDOM THAN THEY WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE. SO...

5 >> BEN: ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? ANY OTHER

6 QUESTIONS?

7 >> JAMIE: ONE QUICK THING IS THAT I'M SORRY THAT YOUR

8 CHILD'S KINDERGARTEN HAS 30 STUDENTS IN IT.

9 >> YEAH. YOU KNOW, THAT'S ANOTHER THING, IS PEOPLE KEEP

10 SAYING, WELL, ENROLLMENT IS GONNA GO DOWN. FOR THE PAST

11 THREE YEARS, THAT HASN'T BEEN THE CASE. I MEAN, IT'S NOT

12 BEARING OUT. I DON'T KNOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR

13 FACTS.

14 >> I HAVE A QUESTION RELATED TO KINDERGARTEN AND ALL-DAY K.

15 I THINK WE KNOW BOTH FOR, YOU KNOW, CHILDREN THAT COME FROM

16 ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED FAMILIES, CHILDREN THAT HAVE

17 LEARNING NEEDS THAT PROBABLY ALL-DAY K IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST

18 THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP THE KIDS EARLY ON TO MINIMIZE THE

19 ACHIEVEMENT GAP, BUT WE TALK -- WE KEEP ON TALKING ABOUT,

20 LOCALLY WE'VE SEEN A MODEL FOR OPTIONAL, FOR FEE FULL-DAY K,

21 WHICH I GUESS LAST YEAR, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, WAS

22 PROPOSED BASICALLY TO RUN ON SCHOLARSHIPS BASED ON

23 COLLECTING FEES. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IF YOU HAVE A

24 OPTION FOR FEE ALL-DAY KINDERGARTEN, HOW DO YOU REALLY GET

25 ALL THE DISADVANTAGED LEARNERS, THE STUDENTS THAT TRANSFER

53

1 IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, THE STUDENTS THAT MAYBE ARE

2 E.L.L. STUDENTS BUT NOT FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH STUDENTS,

3 STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES INTO THIS PROGRAM, HOW

4 DO YOU FUND SUCH A PROGRAM AND KEEP THE CLASS SIZES DOWN?

5 >> ELLEN: WELL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FUNDING, THE WAY THAT

6 SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED, EACH CHILD IS GIVEN A DIFFERENT WEIGHT.

7 A KINDERGARTEN STUDENT, IT USED TO BE, I THINK, .4 --

8 >> YVONNE: .57. NOW .61.

9 >> ELLEN: 61. LAST YEAR THEY UPPED IT SO NOW A KINDERGARTEN

10 STUDENT IS FUNDED AT .61. WELL, OBVIOUSLY WITH ALL-DAY K, A

11 CHILD NEEDS TO BE -- IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE FUNDED WELL, THAT

12 CHILD WOULD NEED TO BE WEIGHTED AT A FULL STUDENT. THAT'S

13 PART OF THE PROBLEM OF OFFERING ALL-DAY K IS THE FUNDING

14 QUESTION. I THINK ALSO THERE ARE WAYS TO HAVE A PAY FOR AND

15 A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. AND THEY DID THAT WITH THE XIN XING

16 ACADEMY. THEY ACTUALLY HAD WITHIN ITS TUITION A BIT OF A

17 EXTRA SO THAT THEY COULD SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS THAT COULD NOT

18 REGULARLY PAY THAT TUITION. THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYONE WHO

19 TOOK THAT ON, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT WITH A REGULAR ALL-DAY K

20 SITUATION WHERE IT WASN'T A SPECIALTY SCHOOL LIKE THE XIN

21 XING ACADEMY THAT MIGHT BE MORE OF AN OPTION AND I HAVE A

22 FEELING THAT THE NEXT BOARD WILL IMPLEMENT SUCH A PLAN. I

23 THINK ALSO YOU HAVE TO REALLY REMEMBER THAT THAT EARLY

24 CHILDHOOD COMPONENT IS SO IMPORTANT AND THAT OUTREACH, FROM

25 EVEN BEFORE A CHILD IS BORN TO MAKE SURE THAT CHILD COMES

54

1 INTO THE WORLD HEALTHY IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT THING. SO WHEN

2 YOU'RE AT THE CAPITOL AND YOU'RE ADVOCATING FOR OUR KIDS AND

3 THEY'RE WEIGHING ALL THESE THINGS, NOT EVERYTHING GETS

4 FUNDED.

5 >> JAMIE: I THINK I -- GO AHEAD.

6 >> YVONNE: THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THE BOARD HAS VOTED, AS

7 YOU KNOW IN THE PAST, TWICE ON ALL-DAY K. AND AS A BOARD

8 MEMBER, I SUPPORT THE DECISION OF THE BOARD. I DID VOTE IN

9 FAVOR OF ALL-DAY K. WE -- THE MODEL THAT WILL BE BROUGHT

10 AGAIN BEFORE THE BOARD IN EARLY NOVEMBER WILL AGAIN BE AN

11 ALL-DAY K MODEL WHERE THERE WILL BE HALF-DAY FEE, THIS IS

12 THE SAME MODEL THAT'S IN OUR SURROUNDING DISTRICTS, WITH A

13 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM BUILT INTO THE FEE SO THAT WE CAN TAKE

14 CARE OF THOSE STUDENTS, MARIANNE, THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT

15 THAT MIGHT COME IN TO US. RIGHT NOW WHAT WE HAVE IN HOPKINS

16 IS A NONTRADITIONAL ALL-DAY K MODEL. WE HAVE HAD INTENSIVE

17 STAFF DEVELOPMENT WITH OUR KIDS & COMPANY STAFF AND WE

18 ACTUALLY -- WE ACTUALLY PULL KIDS OUT AT NO CHARGE AND ALLOW

19 THEM TO STAY IN THE EXTENDED-DAY KINDERGARTEN WITH ACTUAL

20 TARGETED INSTRUCTION WITH MANY OF OUR CERTIFIED TEACHERS

21 THAT WE HAVE IN OUR KIDS & COMPANY PROGRAM, HELPING THOSE

22 STUDENTS SO THAT -- AND WE ARE DOING TESTING WITH THOSE

23 STUDENTS AND THE TESTING IS SHOWING TREMENDOUS GAINS ON THE

24 PART OF THOSE STUDENTS. HOWEVER, THAT IS NOT A TRADITIONAL

25 ALL-DAY K MODEL, WHICH, AGAIN, THE BOARD WILL BE VOTING ON

55

1 IN NOVEMBER.

2 >> RIGHT. BUT LAST YEAR I READ THAT IN ORDER TO FUND IT YOU

3 NEEDED A CLASS SIZE OF 21 TO 28 WITH AN AVERAGE OF 24 TO

4 FUND IT. AND ALSO THAT -- THAT FOR FAMILIES THAT NEEDED

5 BEFORE AND AFTER-SCHOOL CARE, IF YOU NEEDED TO ADD KIDS &

6 COMPANY ON TOP OF THE, YOU KNOW, FOR FEE THING THAT

7 BASICALLY IT WILL COST ALMOST TWICE AS MUCH TO DO ALL-DAY K

8 AND BEFORE AND AFTER-SCHOOL CARE AS CHOOSING JUST BEFORE AND

9 AFTER-SCHOOL CARE. SO, IT SEEMED TO, YOU KNOW, STILL HAVE

10 LARGE CLASS SIZES AND NOT ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, WORKING-CLASS

11 PARENTS.

12 >> JAMIE: AND I WOULD JUST ADD THAT IT'S A BUDGET DECISION.

13 THE STATE JUST SAYS THEY HAVE THESE FORMULAS. IF YOU WANT

14 TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE COFFEE, GO THROUGH SOME OF THEM.

15 THEY'RE EXTREMELY EXCITING. THEY'RE ON MY SPREADSHEETS.

16 BUT YOU MAKE A BUDGET -- YOU MAKE A DECISION. THE STATE

17 SAYS THEY'RE GONNA FUND YOU AT 60%. THE STATE ALSO FUNDS

18 STUDENTS GRADES SEVEN THROUGH 12 AT 130%. SO, YOU'RE NOT

19 OBLIGATED TO SPEND THAT MONEY ON THAT NECESSARILY THING.

20 THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT COMES THAT YOU HAVE TO TAG IT

21 COMIN' IN AND THEY TAG IT COMING OUT. THAT FORMULA IS NOT

22 ONE OF THOSE. IT'S A PRIORITY DECISION ABOUT FULL-DAY

23 KINDERGARTEN AND HOW YOU PAY FOR IT. AND I WOULD JUST VIEW

24 IT FROM THE SIMPLE PRISM OF, IF IT'S A NEEDED SERVICE, IF

25 IT'S NEEDED, IT'S PROVIDED, DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE COST. IF

56

1 IT'S AN ANCILLARY SERVICE THAT SOME PEOPLE WANT TO SEE AS

2 OPTIONAL, THEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

3 BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. AND THE MOST

4 IMPORTANT THING IS TO NOT PUT UP ROADBLOCKS OR WHY THIS

5 CAN'T BE DONE OR THAT THESE RULES ARE COMPLICATED. IT'S,

6 YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE PROVIDING IT. AND IT IS -- EVEN A

7 HALF-DAY KINDERGARTEN, IT'S TWO AND A HALF HOURS. TWO AND A

8 HALF HOURS. WHEN MY CHILD ENROLLED AT MEADOWBROOK FOR

9 KINDERGARTEN, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOT TIME TO GO

10 OUTSIDE TO PLAY. WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF -- THAT KIND

11 OF THINKING, THAT KIND OF MENTALITY'S GOT TO STOP. IT'S GOT

12 TO BE THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE. WE CAN DO IT. WE

13 HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO IT. THEY'RE DECISIONS. AND IT'S

14 CRITICAL. IT'S CRITICAL FOR SOME OF THOSE KIDS BECAUSE THEN

15 IF THEY COME INTO KINDERGARTEN A HALF A YEAR BEHIND OR A

16 YEAR BEHIND BECAUSE OF NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, THEY'RE --

17 THEY HAVE A NEED. AND IF WE DON'T ADDRESS THAT NEED AT AGE

18 1 -- OR GRADE ONE, THEY'RE GONNA BE FURTHER BEHIND AND THEN

19 FURTHER BEHIND AND THEN FURTHER BEHIND. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE

20 BUYING INTO WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW. AND IT'S GOT TO

21 STOP.

22 >> I THINK IT SHOULD GO TO THE KIDS THAT NEED IT, NOT JUST

23 THE FAMILIES THAT SEEK IT OUT, YOU KNOW.

24 >> DANIEL: THERE'S ANOTHER THING, EXCUSE ME, BEN, THERE'S

25 ANOTHER THING, TOO, THAT PERTAINING TO ALL-DAY KINDERGARTEN,

57

1 THAT SHOULD REMAIN AN OPTIONAL CHOICE FOR PARENTS. BECAUSE

2 THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES SUCH AS DAY CARE. AND WITH DAY CARE,

3 SOMETIMES THERE'S A MORE -- SOMETIMES A MORE PAROCHIAL

4 EMPHASIS CAN BE DONE WITH A DAY CARE SITUATION. SO I AM NOT

5 AN ADVOCATE PERSONALLY OF MANDATORY ALL-DAY KINDERGARTEN.

6 IT'S AN OPTION IF PARENTS WANT IT. THEY CAN DO THAT.

7 AND, OF COURSE, THAT WOULD BE FUNDED BY NOT OUT OF THE

8 PARENT'S POCKET DIRECTLY BUT FROM A SCHOOL DISTRICT LEVIES

9 AND ALSO THE STATE.

10 >> BEN: YOU HAD A COMMENT BACK THERE?

11 >> I HAVE A NONBUDGETARY QUESTION ACTUALLY --

12 [ Laughter]

13 -- AND FOR JAMIE. WE HEARD FROM THE OTHER CANDIDATES WHERE

14 THEIR KIDS GO TO SCHOOL. WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM YOU --

15 >> JAMIE: OH, SURE. MY KIDS STARTED OFF, WHEN WE MOVED TO

16 THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, IN ECFE AND KALEIDOSCOPE, AND WE

17 ENROLLED IN MEADOWBROOK FOR THE FIRST GRADE. THEY NOW GO TO

18 A WALDORF SCHOOL. IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WALDORF, I'D BE

19 HAPPY TO. BECAUSE WALDORF SAYS, NO MEDIA, NO PLASTIC,

20 NATURAL FOOD, NO COMPUTERS, WE HAVE TO NURTURE THE CHILD AND

21 PROVIDE A SMALL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. AND IT'S AN

22 INCREDIBLE CHOICE BECAUSE FOR ABOUT $3,000 LESS THAN WHAT IT

23 COSTS HOPKINS TO EDUCATE KIDS, MY KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL -- IN

24 CLASSROOMS THAT ARE CLOSER TO 20 STUDENTS AND THEY DO HAVE

25 LANGUAGE, SPANISH, GERMAN, MUSIC, GYMNASTICS, AND ALSO WE

58

1 PROVIDE OUR OWN FOOD FOR THEM.

2 >> HOW ABOUT THE DIVERSITY AND THE LOW INCOME AND THE --

3 >> JAMIE: YEAH, 20% OF THE KIDS AT WALDORF -- ACTUALLY, 10%

4 OF THE KIDS ARE NOT PAYING ANY TUITION. AND IN TERMS OF

5 DEMOGRAPHICALLY IS -- IS MORE DIVERSE THAN ANY CLASSROOM IN

6 THE HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT. THERE'S KIDS FROM ALL OVER THE

7 WORLD IN THOSE CLASSROOMS. AND KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

8 AND IT'S AN AMAZING THING. AND PART OF WHAT THAT'S SHOWN US

9 IS THAT WE HAVE TO BE INVOLVED WITH OUR KIDS' EDUCATION.

10 AND TO BE IN A SMALL SCHOOL COMMUNITY THAT RESPECTS THAT AND

11 THAT DOESN'T TELL US THAT THERE'S NOT TIME TO GO OUTSIDE AND

12 THAT THEY'RE ONLY GONNA GIVE US THIS MUCH BECAUSE THAT'S

13 WHAT THE BUDGET SAYS. YOU KNOW, IT'S A NURTURING

14 ENVIRONMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THINGS THAT THEY'RE

15 TALKING ABOUT THAT ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE JUST STARTING TO

16 UNDERSTAND IN TERMS OF THE EFFECT OF MEDIA ON CHILDREN, ON

17 YOUNG CHILDREN, AND IMPRESSIONABLE MINDS AND GIVING KIDS A

18 CHANCE. AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH THAT EXPERIENCE.

19 MY FAMILY'S ALSO VERY INVOLVED WITH RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS

20 IN MINNESOTA. AND IT'S LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF SCHOOLS OUT

21 THERE THAT ARE -- THAT HAVE GOOD SOLUTIONS TO WHAT WE'RE

22 DOING. AND WHEN WE SEE A PROBLEM WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE

23 NEED TO OPEN OURSELVES UP TO ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES AND

24 ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF DOING THINGS BECAUSE IT'S CRITICAL.

25 IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE PROVIDE THE EDUCATION THAT OUR KIDS

59

1 NEED AND IT'S NOT OKAY THAT WE JUST SAY, WELL, OUR HANDS ARE

2 TIED. THESE KIDS ARE ONLY GONNA GET A HALF DAY AND THAT

3 THESE KIDS ARE NOT GONNA HAVE THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.

4 IT CAN BE DONE.

5 >> BEN: COMMENT BACK THERE. MARTI.

6 >> I'M GONNA BE A HOG. I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS, IF NOBODY

7 MINDS. BEFORE MY SON WAS IDENTIFIED WITH DIFFERENCES, I

8 LOOKED INTO WALDORF. I VISITED WALDORF SCHOOL. I HAVE

9 COUSINS THAT WERE EDUCATED IN THE WALDORF SCHOOL. BUT WHEN

10 IT CAME TIME TO PROVIDE SPECIAL SERVICES FOR MY SON, IT WAS

11 A PUBLIC SCHOOL THAT EVALUATED HIM AND A PUBLIC SCHOOL THAT

12 PROVIDED EARLY INTERVENTION FROM AGE 3 1/2 UNTIL HE WAS 6

13 YEARS OLD. AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL HAS BEEN A CHAMPION

14 BECAUSE WE -- BECAUSE THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE REQUIRED BY

15 FEDERAL AND STATE MANDATE TO HAVE -- PROVIDE AN EDUCATION

16 FOR ALL LEARNERS. I WOULD HAVE REALLY LOVED TO HAVE THE

17 OPTION FOR A PRIVATE SCHOOL OR A CHARTER SCHOOL. BUT THE

18 SERVICES AVAILABLE IN A SMALL CHARTER SCHOOL OR PRIVATE

19 SCHOOL JUST -- THEY JUST AREN'T APPROPRIATE FOR SOME

20 CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. AND I THINK WE CAN LEARN

21 THINGS FROM OTHER SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS, BUT --

22 >> JAMIE: SURE.

23 >> -- BUT I DO STRUGGLE WITH SOMEONE WHO EDUCATES THEIR OWN

24 CHILDREN IN A MORE PRIVATE OR CHARTER ENVIRONMENT COMING IN

25 AND SAYING, THIS IS THE WAY THE PUBLIC SYSTEM SHOULD BE.

60

1 BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. IT WAS NOT GIVEN TO

2 ME. AND I THINK MOST OF THE PARENTS IN THIS ROOM, IF THEY

3 HAVE CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY

4 FOR A PRIVATE EDUCATION. OUR CHILDREN JUST WOULDN'T BE

5 TAKEN. NOW, MY SECOND QUESTION IS, I'M GONNA ADDRESS TO

6 Mr. BLOOMQUIST, BECAUSE I'VE READ SOME THINGS ABOUT YOU,

7 AND I'D LIKE YOU TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR PHILOSOPHY

8 ABOUT SCIENCE EDUCATION AND WHAT YOU WOULD BRING TO THE

9 BOARD ABOUT SCIENCE EDUCATION.

10 >> DANIEL: WELL, I MADE SOME COMMENTS TO THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN

11 VOTERS FORUM IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ON INTELLIGENT

12 DESIGN. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CURRICULUM IS IN TERMS OF

13 WHAT'S BEING TAUGHT IN HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT. BUT MY

14 COMMENT THERE WAS -- I GUESS THE QUESTION AT THAT FORUM WAS,

15 SHOULD THERE BE INTELLIGENT DESIGN TAUGHT AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

16 AND ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS, MY FELLOW CANDIDATES HERE, SAID

17 NO. AND I THINK YVONNE MENTIONED THAT SHOULD BE RELEGATED

18 TO A PHILOSOPHY CLASS. OR PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION. IT'S

19 POSSIBLE TO DO THAT. I THINK IN SCIENCE CLASS, THERE SHOULD

20 BE A FREEDOM TO, IF YOU GET INTO THE SUBJECT OF ORIGINS AND

21 YOU GET INTO THE SUBJECT OF INTELLIGENT DESIGN, THERE SHOULD

22 BE FREEDOM TO REFER TO ALL SORTS OF APPLICABLE AND PERTINENT

23 DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE TO THE HUMAN BEING. ONE OF WHICH IS THE

24 BIBLE AND WHAT GENESIS SAYS ABOUT CREATION. I WAS GONNA --

25 IN ANSWER TO YOUR OTHER -- YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT

61

1 PRIVATE INSTRUCTION AS OPPOSED TO PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. I

2 NOTICED WHEN I TOOK A TOUR OF THE MEDIA CENTERS IN -- WITH

3 PAT LEADING AND THEN Dr. SCHULTZ, SUPERINTENDENT, WE WENT

4 AROUND TO ALL THE HOPKINS SCHOOLS, I NOTICE IN ALL THE MEDIA

5 CENTERS THERE WAS NOTHING BUT MAC COMPUTERS. AND I, MYSELF,

6 HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP WITH DOS AND WINDOWS. AND I HAVE A

7 GREAT RESPECT FOR MICROSOFT AND BILL GATES. AND THE

8 HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARIES DO NOT HAVE, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THEY

9 MIGHT HAVE, BUT MOST OF THE COMPUTERS ARE XP IN HENNEPIN

10 COUNTY LIBRARIES. THE HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY IN RIDGEDALE

11 IS LOADED WITH A SHELF OF BIBLES OF VARIOUS TRANSLATIONS,

12 AND ALL THE HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY FACILITIES OUTLETS

13 PERTAINING TO HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY SERVER, COMPUTER

14 SERVER, IS P.C. ORIENTED AND NOT MAC ORIENTED. AND IF YOU

15 GO TO BEST BUY COMPANY AND YOU GO TO MICROCENTER AND COMP

16 U.S.A. AND SO FORTH, THE MAIN COMPUTER THERE IS NOT MAC BUT

17 IT'S P.C. AND I THINK IT DOES THE SCHOOL KIDS A DISSERVICE

18 TO HAVE EXCLUSIVE -- EXCLUSIVELY HAVE ONLY MACs AT THEIR

19 DISPOSAL. I REALIZE THAT MACs HAVE GRAPHIC ADVANTAGES IN

20 TERMS OF GRAPHICS. BUT IN TERMS OF THE OPERATING SYSTEM OF

21 MOST COMPANIES AND COMPUTER SALES OUTLETS, EVEN LIBRARIES,

22 THERE'S A PROBLEM THERE. AND I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE

23 ADDRESSED WITH -- IT COULD BE -- IT COULD BE INTEGRATED INTO

24 THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ARENA. RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOADED WITH MACs

25 AND THAT'S WHERE THE FUNDING HAS GONE, AND, SO, WE GOTTA

62

1 STICK WITH THAT INSTEAD OF SPENDING MORE MONEY. ALTHOUGH

2 JAMIE MENTIONED THAT INEXPENSIVE FURNITURE, COMPUTERS

3 INCLUDED, CAN BE ACQUIRED WITHOUT DRAINING THE BUDGET TOO

4 MUCH.

5 >> JAMIE: DO YOU WANT ME TO RESPOND TO THAT?

6 >> BEN: YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD.

7 >> JAMIE: I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL THAT YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO

8 ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CHILD AND TO FIND EDUCATION THAT WORKS FOR

9 THEM. AND I THINK THAT SCHOOLS NEED TO BE RESPONSIVE AND

10 PART OF MY PASSION ABOUT EDUCATION IS THAT THERE ARE SCHOOLS

11 THAT ARE RESPONSIVE. THERE ARE SCHOOLS THAT ARE ATTRACTING

12 STUDENTS INSTEAD OF SAYING, OUR ENROLLMENT IS DECLINING, OUR

13 POPULATION IS DECLINING. THERE ARE SCHOOLS THAT ARE FINDING

14 SOLUTIONS INSTEAD OF FINDING EXCUSES. THERE ARE SCHOOLS

15 THAT CAN MANAGE THEIR RESOURCES VERY WELL. AND THAT'S WHAT

16 I PROMISE TO BRING TO THE HOPKINS SCHOOL BOARD IS I'VE TAKEN

17 SCHOOLS THROUGH STATUTORY OPERATING DEBT AND OUT OF

18 STATUTORY OPERATING DEBT. I'VE DEALT WITH BOARDS THAT HAVE

19 MISMANAGED FUNDS. I UNDERSTAND PUBLIC FUNDING. I

20 UNDERSTAND AUDITING. AND I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT IT BECAUSE

21 YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE THAT WAY. AND YOU CAN DELIVER

22 THOSE RESOURCES TO WHERE THEY'RE NEEDED AND TO WHAT THE KIDS

23 NEED. EVERY KID NEEDS TO BE TREATED AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND

24 NOT AS A NUMBER IN A SYSTEM. AND TO HEAR THAT IT'S OKAY

25 THAT WE DO THIS BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT,

63

1 I TAKE THAT AS A CHALLENGE TO SAY, WE CAN DO BETTER.

2 THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITING THINGS GOING ON IN EDUCATION. AND

3 IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO PROVIDE THE SOLUTIONS AND IF WE'RE NOT

4 GONNA WORK TOGETHER TO DO THINGS BETTER THAN WHAT WE DID

5 BEFORE, SOMEBODY ELSE IS GOING TO. SOMEBODY ELSE IS GOING

6 TO. AND WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. WE HAVE A

7 GREAT LEGACY. WE HAVE TEACHERS WHO HAVE HAD -- IF YOU LOOK

8 AT THE EVALUATION OF HOPKINS SCHOOLS AND WHERE WE SIT, IS

9 OUR TEACHERS HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE THAN JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER

10 DISTRICT IN THE STATE. OUR TEACHERS HAVE MORE TRAINING THAN

11 JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER DISTRICT IN THE STATE. AND TO GO TO A

12 SITUATION WHERE CLASS SIZES ARE CLOSER TO 30 THAN 20 I THINK

13 IS A DERELICTION OF DUTY. AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT PROPELLED

14 ME TO RUN IS BECAUSE SCHOOLS ARE DOING THIS, SCHOOLS ARE

15 BEING SUCCESSFUL WITH THEIR RESOURCES AND HELPING TO CHANNEL

16 THOSE RESOURCES AND I THINK THAT'S AN OBLIGATION. THAT'S

17 THE PUBLIC TRUST. THAT'S WHY WE'RE A PUBLIC BOARD IS WE ARE

18 ELECTED, WE FACE THE PUBLIC. WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE

19 PUBLIC. THAT'S THE PUBLIC IN EDUCATION. I'LL CLOSE WITH

20 WHAT I ASKED THE TEACHERS THE OTHER DAY AT THE TEACHERS

21 UNION MEETING, AND THAT WAS, DID YOU COME INTO EDUCATION

22 BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO BE A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE OR DID YOU COME

23 INTO EDUCATION BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO TEACH KIDS? WHICH IS

24 MORE IMPORTANT? WHERE DO YOU WANT ME TO PUT THE EFFORT?

25 THAT WE TEACH KIDS AND TEACH THEM EFFECTIVELY AND TEACH THEM

64

1 WELL AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES OR THAT WE HAVE

2 SOME SHRINE TO BEING SOME FORM OF A SCHOOL SYSTEM WHICH IS

3 DIFFERENT AND BETTER AND SEPARATE FROM AND UNRESPONSIVE?

4 >> BEN: DID ANY OF THE OTHER CANDIDATES WISH TO COMMENT?

5 >> ELLEN: I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET AND CHOICES.

6 THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE BUDGET PROCESS IS

7 DIFFERENT, AND THE PUBLIC INPUT IS ACTUALLY COMING BEFORE

8 ANY CHOICES ARE MADE BY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. AND I WOULD

9 RECOMMEND AND MY ROLE OF A PERSON WHO WANTS PEOPLE TO

10 ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THEIR CHILDREN THAT YOU TALK TO THE

11 DISTRICT RIGHT NOW ABOUT YOUR BUDGET CHOICES, WHAT YOUR

12 PRIORITIES ARE FOR YOUR CHILDREN. IF CLASS SIZE IS YOUR

13 NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THEY KNOW THAT THAT

14 IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, AND I DISAGREE WITH JAMIE

15 IN THIS RESPECT, WE ARE FINANCIALLY CONSTRAINED. WE ARE IN

16 A TIME OF DECLINING ENROLLMENT, AND IN SPITE OF THE FACT

17 THAT IT'S COUNTERINTUITIVE, WHEN ENROLLMENT DECREASES SO

18 DOES OUR FUNDING AND THAT INCREASES CLASS SIZES. SO IT'S

19 COUNTERINTUITIVE, BUT THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS. BUT YOU NEED

20 TO ADVOCATE FOR THE CHOICES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE.

21 THE OTHER CHOICE WE HAVE, AND THIS IS WHERE I AGREE WITH

22 JAMIE, IS WE CAN GROW OUR STUDENT POPULATION.

23 >> JAMIE: YES, WE CAN.

24 >> ELLEN: THAT IS THE MOST ACTIVE -- BEST WAY FOR US TO

25 INCREASE FUNDING FOR OUR SCHOOLS. AND WE DO THAT BY, FIRST,

65

1 MARKETING WHAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS A TREMENDOUS SCHOOL

2 DISTRICT. AND, SECOND, BY ADDING THOSE PROGRAMS THAT YOU

3 WANT. SO, AGAIN, ADVOCATE FOR WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE

4 AS WELL IN THAT BUDGET PROCESS. USUALLY THOSE MEETINGS ARE

5 VERY SMALL AND VERY INTIMATE. AND THERE'S ONLY A FEW OF US

6 THERE. AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET YOUR IDEAS FORWARDED

7 TO THE DISTRICT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE TOLD

8 WHAT YOU WILL GET RATHER THAN YOU TELLING THE DISTRICT WHAT

9 YOU WANT.

10 >> JAMIE: EXACTLY.

11 >> YVONNE: AND I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT. THE BOARD PUSHED

12 FOR AND HAD PUT INTO OUR NEW BUDGET MODEL THE OPTION FOR

13 PARENTS TO COMMENT ON THE BUDGET BEFORE WE BEGIN FORMATION

14 OF THE BUDGET. THERE'S BEEN A FEELING IN OUR DISTRICT IN

15 THE PAST THAT IT'S ALL A DONE DEAL BY THE TIME IT GETS TO

16 YOU, YOU KNOW. YOU KNOW, WHY SHOULD I EVEN COMMENT? THIS

17 IS THE BUDGET. SO THIS IS AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY. NOW IS

18 YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO CONTACT US. THE HOPKINS E-NEWS EVERY

19 WEEK GIVES THE INPUT INFORMATION, SO CALL OR E-MAIL US AND

20 TELL US WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE. WE HAVE JUST COME THROUGH

21 A VERY DIFFICULT TIME IN OUR DISTRICT. WHEN I CAME ON THE

22 BOARD, WE SHORTLY THEREAFTER WENT INTO STATUTORY OPERATING

23 DEBT. THE PROBLEMS STEM BACK TO 2003 AND I TOOK OFFICE IN

24 2004. WE MADE SOME VERY TOUGH DECISIONS. AND I THINK THAT

25 THE BOARD WAS WISE NOT TO CHOP UP PROGRAMS OR REARRANGE

66

1 SCHEDULES THOUGHTLESSLY. WHAT THE BOARD HAS DONE IS

2 RESTORED US TO A POSITION OF FISCAL STRENGTH WHERE NOW WE

3 CAN BE PROACTIVE RATHER THAN REACTIVE IN OUR CHOICES. THE

4 BOARD HAS DIRECTED AND NOW THERE IS A SUPERINTENDENT/PARENT

5 LEARNING ACADEMY WHICH IS REALLY A COMMUNITY STRATEGIC STUDY

6 GROUP WHICH BETSY SCHEURER, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER WHO IS HERE

7 TONIGHT, AND I SERVE ON, ALONG WITH SANDY FORSTER, AND THIS

8 IS AN OPPORTUNITY NOW FOR CALMLY AND THOUGHTFULLY FOR OUR

9 PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO COME FORWARD AND PRIORITIZE

10 OUR -- THEIR -- TO GIVE US THEIR PRIORITIES SO THAT WE CAN

11 ALLOCATE OUR BUDGET, OUR RESOURCES ACCORDINGLY. FUNDING HAS

12 NOT KEPT PACE WITH THE INFLATION THAT SCHOOLS EXPERIENCE,

13 WITH 80% OF OUR COSTS COMING FROM SALARIES AND RELATED

14 EXPENSES. 99 DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE OF MINNESOTA OUT OF

15 APPROXIMATELY 350 ARE OUT FOR REFERENDA THIS FALL. THIS IS

16 NOT AN ISSUE THAT IS UNIQUE TO HOPKINS. BUT WE ARE RESOURCE

17 RICH. WE HAVE TO CAREFULFULLY LOOK AT OUR PROGRAMS, DECIDE

18 WHERE WE WANT TO PUT OUR MONEY, NOW THAT WE'RE IN A POSITION

19 OF FISCAL STRENGTH, AND THOUGHTFULLY DO THAT. AND I WOULD

20 JUST LIKE TO CLOSE BY SAYING, AS AN EXPERIENCED VETERAN

21 TESTED DURING ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING TIMES IN OUR

22 HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT HISTORY, I NOW ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

23 MANY OF YOU KNOW ME AND KNOW THAT I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO

24 LISTEN AND WORK WITH YOU AS WE MAKE THE IMPORTANT DECISIONS

25 ON BEHALF OF OUR CHILDREN. IT IS CRUCIAL THAT OUR DISTRICT

67

1 REMAIN FISCALLY STRONG. I NOW HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND

2 EXPERIENCE TO ENSURE THAT WE GET THAT JOB DONE AND I WILL

3 CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE LEADERSHIP TO ENSURE VIGOROUS FISCAL

4 OVERSIGHT ON THE PART OF THE BOARD. WORKING TOGETHER WE CAN

5 ENSURE THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES REACH THE GOALS THAT WE

6 ALL HAVE. AND WORKING TOGETHER WE CAN KEEP OUR HOPKINS

7 SCHOOL DISTRICT FISCALLY STRONG. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR

8 YOUR SUPPORT ON NOVEMBER 6th. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

9 >> IRMA: I GUESS WE'RE GIVING CLOSING REMARKS.

10 [ Laughter]

11 I'LL GIVE MINE. I THANK YOU FOR -- DID I SEE A HAND? DO

12 YOU HAVE A QUESTION?

13 >> YES. I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN IN HOPKINS. I HAVE

14 GRANDCHILDREN IN THE HOPKINS SCHOOLS. I HAVE CHILDREN WHO

15 OWN PROPERTY IN HOPKINS AND MINNETONKA, IN THE DISTRICT. I

16 WATCHED THE MILL RATE THAT THE HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT

17 CONTINUES TO LEVY AGAINST OUR COLLECTIVE PROPERTY. AND I

18 SEE THAT CONTINUING TO RISE AGAINST A TIME WHEN I HAVE

19 NOTHING MORE THAN A FIXED INCOME. I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHERS

20 LIKE ME WHO HAVE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS -- SIGNIFICANT NUMBER

21 OF PEOPLE WHO ALSO ARE ON FIXED INCOMES. WHAT WILL YOU --

22 WHAT WILL EACH OF YOU DO AS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TO KEEP

23 FROM TAXING US OUT OF OUR HOUSES?

24 >> DANIEL: I'D LIKE TO ANSWER THAT ONE FIRST, BEN, IF I

25 COULD. I BROUGHT THAT UP AT -- WE GOT INTO THE SUBJECT OF

68

1 VOUCHERS AT THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS FORUM, WHICH I WAS

2 IN. AND I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU. LET ME JUST MAKE A

3 COMMENT, FIRST OF ALL, ABOUT THE SIGNS THAT I'VE BEEN SEEING

4 ABOUT THE ROBBINSDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT LEVY THAT SAYS VOTE

5 YES FOR KIDS. THAT'S IMPROPER SEMANTICS. IT SHOULD BE VOTE

6 YES FOR TAXES. YOU GOT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE MONEY THAT

7 IS LEVIED FOR SCHOOL BOARDS NOT ONLY GOES TO CHILDREN, IT

8 GOES TO PROPERTY, NEW PROPERTY, IT GOES TO -- IT GOES TO THE

9 OTHER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, SO IT DOESN'T ONLY GO TO KIDS.

10 NOW, WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THAT? PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE

11 CHILDREN IN THE HOPKINS SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE FORCED BY THE

12 LEVY TO PAY FOR SCHOOLS THAT THE CHILDREN -- THEY DON'T HAVE

13 ANY CHILDREN TO MAKE USE OF IT. AND PEOPLE WHO SEND THEIR

14 CHILDREN TO PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS ARE TAXED DOUBLE, BASICALLY,

15 IN THAT NOT ONLY PAY FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHICH THEY DON'T

16 USE, THEY PAY FOR PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS, WHICH THEY DO USE, SO

17 THEY'RE TAXED DOUBLE. THAT IS NOT FAIR. AND WHAT NEEDS TO

18 BE DONE IS TO -- IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SENIOR CITIZENS

19 WHO DO NOT HAVE AN INTEREST IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT GREAT AND

20 ALSO PAROCHIAL PARENTS WHO MAKE USE OF PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS AND

21 NOT PUBLIC SCHOOLS GET THEIR PROPERTY TAXES REDUCED

22 ACCORDINGLY. THAT IS PROBABLY THE BEST APPROACH. NOW, IN

23 TERMS OF WHAT -- LIKE IN TERMS OF PAROCHIAL PROVISION, THERE

24 ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS, OBVIOUSLY

25 DIFFERENT TYPES OF RELIGION. RIGHT NOW MITT ROMNEY IS A

69

1 MORMON. HE'S A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. AND THAT'S

2 CREATING QUITE A STIR IN TERMS OF WHETHER, YOU KNOW, THE

3 SUBJECT OF BEING A MORMON --

4 >> BEN: I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE ALL THE OTHER PANELISTS AN

5 OPPORTUNITY --

6 >> DANIEL: OKAY, THERE'S ONE THING HERE, AND THAT IS TO

7 PROPERLY DISCERN WHO SHOULD GET WHAT AND WHO SHOULD GET WHAT

8 REDUCTION, ONE HAS TO, I BELIEVE, HAVE A BIBLICAL MINDSET SO

9 THAT ONE CAN DISCERN PROPERLY WITH PROPER DISCRIMINATION.

10 >> IRMA: IN RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION, IF I WAS ELECTED TO

11 THE BOARD, I COULD NOT HONESTLY SIT HERE AND SAY TO YOU

12 TONIGHT THAT I WOULD NOT SUPPORT A REFERENDUM IF IT CAME AND

13 WE SAW THE NEED. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE BEEN -- I MEAN,

14 THIS YEAR WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY. BUT IN ORDER FOR US TO

15 MAKE UP THE MONEYS THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO RUN AND PROVIDE

16 THE KINDS OF SCHOOLS THAT YOU AS A GRANDFATHER WANT FOR YOUR

17 GRANDCHILDREN AND ALL THOSE AROUND YOU, SOMETIMES IT MIGHT

18 END UP COMING TO THAT. SO, I CANNOT SIT HERE TONIGHT AND

19 SAY TO YOU UNEQUIVOCABLY THAT I WOULD NOT SUPPORT IT, IF, IN

20 FACT, IT CAME BEFORE THE BOARD, IF WE HAD EXAMINED

21 EVERYTHING CAREFULLY, SAW THAT WE HAD TO AND DEFINITELY IT

22 WOULD BE BECAUSE WE JUST ABSOLUTELY HAD TO.

23 [ Applause]

24 >> YVONNE: I WOULD AGREE WITH -- THANK YOU, JAMIE. I WOULD

25 AGREE WITH IRMA'S STATEMENT THAT I CAN'T SIT HERE AND

70

1 GUARANTEE YOU, THOUGH I'D REALLY LIKE TO, THAT I WOULD NOT

2 INCREASE A LEVY ON YOUR HOME. AND THE PROPERTY TAX IS THE

3 MOST REGRESSIVE FORM OF TAXATION THERE IS. IN 2001, THE

4 STATE SAID THEY WOULD TAKE OVER THE FUNDING OF SCHOOLS.

5 >> THAT DOESN'T HELP ME, YVONNE. ALL THAT DOES -- ALL THAT

6 DOES IS TRANSFER THE TAX UP TO THE STATE.

7 >> JAMIE: PLEASE LET HER FINISH.

8 >> BEN: YEAH, LET'S --

9 >> YVONNE: THE PROPERTY TAX IS VERY REGRESSIVE. IT'S A VERY

10 REGRESSIVE TAX. THERE ARE OTHER FORMS OF TAXATION THAT ARE

11 NOT SO REGRESSIVE AND SO ONEROUS ON PEOPLE WITH FIXED

12 INCOMES. THE STATE SAID THEY WOULD TAKE OVER THE FUNDING OF

13 EDUCATION. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT IDENTIFY A STREAM OF

14 REVENUE TO DO THAT. AND, SO, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS A GRADUAL

15 SHIFTING BACK TO THE PROPERTY TAX OWNER. AND I AGREE WITH

16 YOU, IT IS THE MOST REGRESSIVE FORM OF TAX THERE IS. BUT AS

17 A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, IT IS THE ONLY TAX THAT I AM ALLOWED

18 TO LEVY. SO, I FEEL FOR YOU. I'M OVER AT THE STATE

19 LEGISLATURE LOBBYING FOR MORE FAIR -- A BETTER WAY TO DO IT.

20 THAT'S WHAT I DO AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. IT IS VERY

21 DIFFICULT. WE NEED TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN. AND YOU

22 DESERVE TO LIVE IN YOUR HOME.

23 >> JAMIE: I WOULD JUST SAY, WE'VE SEEN THREE SUCCESSFUL

24 REFERENDA IN THE LAST SIX YEARS IN HOPKINS. AND I

25 UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION. MY TAXES HAVE GONE UP AS WELL.

71

1 I WOULD BE A LOT MORE HAPPY IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAD SHOWN

2 ITSELF TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIBLE AND EFFECTIVE WITH

3 THE FUNDS AND THE EXTRA FUNDS THAT WE APPROVED, THAT I

4 APPROVED, I VOTED FOR THREE TIMES TO DO THAT.

5 UNFORTUNATELY, AND I APOLOGIZE AGAIN FOR THE 30-STUDENT

6 CLASSROOMS AND FOR THE FACT THAT WE'VE -- AND THAT IS WHAT

7 PROPELLED ME TO RUN, IS I KNOW HOW SCHOOLS CAN SPEND MONEY,

8 I KNOW THAT THEY CAN DO IT MORE EFFECTIVELY. I'VE SEEN HOW

9 IT WORKS. I'VE HELPED SCHOOLS TO DO THAT. AND THAT'S WHAT

10 I BRING. THAT'S WHAT I BRING. AND I'LL GO BACK TO WHAT --

11 TWO THINGS THAT I SAID TO THE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION THE OTHER

12 NIGHT. AND ONE WAS, IS THAT FOR PART OF MY LIVING I DO

13 COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AND IT'S A VERY VICIOUS MARKET. AND

14 IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, YOU GET CAUGHT FAST.

15 PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE MARKET AND WHAT

16 PEOPLE ARE FEELING OR THINKING. HOPKINS SCHOOLS ARE STILL

17 LISTED IN REAL ESTATE AS AN AMENITY. WHEN YOU ADVERTISE A

18 HOUSE, MANY TIMES YOU WILL SEE HOPKINS SCHOOLS LISTED. I

19 GREW UP IN A DISTRICT THAT HAD THAT DESIGNATION. AND THEY

20 LOST THAT DESIGNATION 20 YEARS AGO. AND I HAVE YET TO SEE

21 THAT REAPPEAR. I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO HOPKINS

22 SCHOOLS. WE HAVE A GREAT LEGACY. WE'VE HAD A HARD TIME. I

23 HOPE THAT WE'VE LEARNED OUR LESSON. WE'RE OPENING UP

24 GOVERNANCE AND EVERYTHING. BUT -- AND MAYBE IN RETURN FOR

25 YOUR TRUST, FOR YOUR VOTE, I CAN SHOW THAT WE HAVE EARNED

72

1 YOUR TRUST, WE'LL EARN THAT TRUST BACK, HE WILL SPEND THE

2 MONEY WISELY. WE CAN BE A DISTRICT -- THE LAST THING I SAID

3 WAS, IS MY GOAL WOULD BE TO ATTRACT STUDENTS TO THE DISTRICT

4 AND ATTRACT THEM AND MAKE THIS A POPULAR DISTRICT FOR

5 STUDENTS TO CHOOSE BECAUSE PEOPLE DO HAVE CHOICES. AND WE

6 HAVE TO REALIZE THAT. AND I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD BE IN

7 A PLACE IN FOUR YEARS TO BE SAYING, WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP

8 SCHOOLS. WE'RE NOT GONNA BE CLOSING SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF

9 DECLINING ENROLLMENT OR BECAUSE OF BUDGET MISMANAGEMENT. WE

10 CAN BE IN A PLACE TO OPEN SCHOOLS. I SEE IT HAPPEN EVERY

11 DAY. IN THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN IN HOPKINS, MY LAST POINT,

12 IS THERE'S BEEN OTHER SCHOOLS, HOPKINS SPONSORS TWO OF THESE

13 SCHOOLS, CHARTERED PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THEY HAVE TO ATTRACT

14 STUDENTS. IN THIS WHOLE TIME THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE

15 PAST SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, THOSE SCHOOLS HAVE GONE FROM

16 ATTRACTING 6,000 TO 8,000 STUDENTS IN MINNESOTA TO

17 ATTRACTING CLOSE TO 30,000 STUDENTS IN MINNESOTA.

18 SOMETHING'S HAPPENING. SOMETHING'S HAPPENING. WE GOT TO

19 PAY ATTENTION TO THAT. WHY IS THAT HAPPENING? WHY ARE THEY

20 SUCCESSFUL AND WE'RE SITTING HERE IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS?

21 >> BEN: LIKE TO GIVE --

22 >> JAMIE: I APOLOGIZE. GO AHEAD.

23 >> ELLEN: WELL, I GUESS IT WOULD SOUND LIKE PANDERING IF I

24 HAD NOT TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER, BUT I DO BELIEVE WE NEED

25 MORE OF A SENIOR VOICE IN OUR DISTRICT ON SCHOOL BOARD LEVEL

73

1 COMMITTEES, MAYBE EVEN PERHAPS A SENIOR COMMISSION LIKE THEY

2 HAVE IN MINNETONKA. MY NEIGHBOR DOWN THE STREET, LOIS KING,

3 IS ACTUALLY A PART OF THAT COMMISSION. AND I THINK NOT ONLY

4 DOES IT HELP GIVE THAT VOICE TO YOU THAT YOU NEED, BUT WE

5 ALSO NEED TO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A STRONG AND VIBRANT PART OF

6 OUR COMMUNITY AND WITHOUT OUR SENIOR SUPPORT WE WOULD NOT

7 HAVE THE SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE. AND, SO, I HAVE FOUND WITH

8 MOST PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO, AND I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULT

9 SITUATION THAT YOU'RE IN, IF PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE MONEY

10 IS USED WISELY, THEY DO SUPPORT THE REFERENDA AND I WOULD

11 ONLY ASK THAT WE SUPPORT A REFERENDA IF IT IS WITHOUT ANY

12 DOUBT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND, SO, THAT'S ALL

13 YOU CAN DO AT THIS POINT. AND I WOULD NEVER RULE IT OUT

14 BECAUSE I THINK THAT OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GOING TO -- WE MAY NEED

15 THAT IN THE FUTURE.

16 >> BEN: WELL, I'D LIKE TO RESPECT THE CANDIDATES' TIME.

17 WE'VE GOT JUST A FEW MINUTES. DO YOU THINK YOU COULD EACH

18 GIVE LIKE ONE-MINUTE CLOSING?

19 >> YVONNE: YOU GOT MY BEST SHOT ALREADY.

20 [ Laughter]

21 >> BEN: WHY DON'T WE START WITH YOU.

22 >> IRMA: OKAY.

23 >> BEN: 60 SECONDS.

24 >> IRMA: WE WILL MAINTAIN OUR LEGACY. WE WILL MAKE IT EVEN

25 BETTER THAN IT HAS BEEN. BUT IT'S TRULY GONNA TAKE A

74

1 COLLECTIVE EFFORT. AND IT WILL BE A VERY COLLABORATIVE

2 EFFORT BECAUSE WE WILL ALL BE AT THE TABLE. WE'RE TALKIN'

3 ABOUT OUR CORE VALUES, WHAT IS IT THAT HOPKINS IS SAYIN'

4 THAT OUR SCHOOLS MUST BE? SHOULDN'T WE TALK ABOUT SAFETY,

5 NOT A PROBLEM. WE TALK ABOUT RESPECT, BUT IT'S MORE THAN

6 THAT. BUT IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE THOSE THINGS, IT HAS TO BE

7 WHAT YOU, THE COMMUNITY, SAYS THAT IT HAS TO BE. AGAIN,

8 WE'RE TAKIN' THE MISSION OFF OF THE WALL AND MAKING IT A

9 PART OF OUR DAILY OPERATION. I, IRMA McINTOSH COLEMAN,

10 ASK YOU TO PLEASE, WHEN YOU GO TO VOTE, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S

11 I.M.C., THE WOMAN OF INTEGRITY, THE WOMAN OF MOTIVATION, AND

12 THE WOMAN OF COMPASSION. THANK YOU.

13 [ Laughter]

14 >> BEN: Mr. BLOOMQUIST.

15 >> DANIEL: WELL, THANK YOU, BEN, AND THANK THE AUDIENCE FOR

16 YOUR PARTICIPATION AND YOUR QUESTIONS AND YOUR CONCERNS. IT

17 IS TRUE WHAT IRMA SAID, IT'S A COOPERATIVE EFFORT TO MAKE

18 EVERYTHING HAPPEN. AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU GET NEW PEOPLE

19 IN, YOU HAVE NEW IDEAS AND NEW EMPHASIS AND THEY SEE THINGS

20 THAT OTHER PEOPLE -- THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT HASN'T BEEN SEEN

21 BEFORE. HOWEVER, YOU HAVE, LIKE YVONNE, SHE KNOWS THE

22 ROPES, ESTABLISHMENT, AND OTHER -- LIKE JAMIE, HE KNOWS THE

23 ROPES. YOU KNOW -- THEY KNOW WHAT -- WHAT IS REQUIRED, WHAT

24 THE PROCEDURAL THINGS ARE. AND THEY ARE EFFICIENT AT IT.

25 AND HOPKINS IS, AS I STATED EARLIER, A VERY GOOD SCHOOL

75

1 DISTRICT, AS FAR AS I CAN SEE, IN TERMS OF EFFICIENCY.

2 WHOEVER YOU VOTE FOR ON NOVEMBER 6th, VOTE FOR WHO YOU

3 THINK IS BEST QUALIFIED FOR THE POSITION AND WHO HAS THE

4 MOST EXPERIENCE, WHO KNOWS THE MOST ABOUT IT, WHO HAS THE

5 BEST IDEAS, AND WHO IS WILLING TO WORK WITH OTHER SCHOOL

6 BOARD MEMBERS AND ALSO THE SUPERINTENDENT TO MAKE SURE THAT

7 YOUR CONCERNS ARE HEARD AND ACTED UPON. THANK YOU.

8 >> BEN: THANK YOU. YVONNE SELCER.

9 >> YVONNE: WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN. I DID GIVE YOU MY

10 SUMMATION. I WORKED REALLY HARD ON IT.

11 [ Laughter]

12 BUT I DO -- I KNOW MANY OF YOU IN THIS ROOM. AND WE HAVE

13 BEEN THROUGH THE WRINGER TOGETHER. AND IT HAS BEEN AN

14 INCREDIBLE LEARNING PROCESS. I, IF RE-ELECTED, WOULD BE

15 THE -- WILL BE THE MOST EXPERIENCED BOARD MEMBER WITH FOUR

16 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. I WILL BE THE ONLY BOARD MEMBER WHO

17 WAS THERE WHEN "IT" HAPPENED. IT WAS A TERRIBLE --

18 [ Laughter]

19 -- EXPERIENCE. I KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR. I KNOW HOW TO

20 GUARD AGAINST IT. AND I KNOW THAT THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME,

21 I HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO FIX IT, WHILE MAINTAINING AN EYE

22 TO EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE. WE HAVE ADDED ADVANCED PLACEMENT

23 OPPORTUNITIES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAVE PUT IN NEW AND

24 INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING

25 AND MATH. WE HAVE A NEW GROUNDBREAKING PRE-A.P. INITIATIVE

76

1 IN OUR JUNIOR HIGHS. THIS IS THE WORK OF THE BOARD.

2 HOPKINS IS EXCELLENT. WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH A TOUGH TIME,

3 BUT OUR SCHOOL AMENITY CLASSIFICATION IS NOT GOING AWAY.

4 AND NOW -- NOW THAT WE'RE IN A POSITION OF FISCAL STRENGTH,

5 WE CAN THOUGHTFULLY ADDRESS THINGS LIKE CLASS SIZE BECAUSE

6 WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH STUDENT IS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

7 THAT IS OPTIMAL FOR THEM FOR WINNING. SO MY INITIALS ARE

8 Y.M.S --

9 [ Laughter]

10 -- SO I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU PUT A CHECKMARK NEXT TO

11 THAT ON NOVEMBER 6th. THANK YOU.

12 >> BEN: THANK YOU. JAMIE WELLIK.

13 >> JAMIE: YEAH, THANKS AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, BEN, AND

14 FOR THOSE THAT SHOWED UP TONIGHT. I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE,

15 AGAIN, IS THAT I'M RUNNING BECAUSE I FEEL AN OBLIGATION

16 BECAUSE OF MY EXPERIENCE AND THE SUCCESS THAT I'VE HAD WITH

17 OTHER SCHOOLS AND THE SUCCESS THAT I'VE SEEN. I FEEL AN

18 OBLIGATION TO SERVE. AND I THINK THAT HOPKINS SCHOOLS NEEDS

19 TO HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY AND NEEDS TO HAVE A VISION AND IT

20 NEEDS TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS. I'M A

21 STRONG BELIEVER IN SMALLER SCHOOL COMMUNITIES AND SMALLER

22 CLASS SIZES. I REALLY DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT, AND I WOULD

23 APOLOGIZE FOR THOSE THAT WERE AT KATHERINE CURREN, THAT WE

24 HAD TO BE IN A POSITION TO CLOSE A SCHOOL AND DISTRIBUTE

25 THOSE STUDENTS AMONG FOUR OR FIVE OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

77

1 BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET SITUATION. IF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS

2 ABOUT THE BUDGET SITUATION, I DON'T KNOW WHO THESE PARENTS

3 ARE, BUT THERE IS A WEBSITE CALLED

4 HOPKINSSCHOOLFINANCES.ORG. I'VE PUT A LINK ON THAT AS WELL

5 AS A LOT OF OTHER LINKS ON MY WEBSITE. SO YOU CAN BECOME

6 EDUCATED AND INFORMED AND MAKE A GOOD CHOICE. MAKE A GOOD

7 CHOICE, BECOME EDUCATED ABOUT IT. AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL

8 GIVE ME YOUR VOTE SO THAT I CAN REPRESENT YOU AND TO RESTORE

9 INTEGRITY AND MAINTAIN HOPKINS' LEGACY AND MEET THE

10 CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING. WE EITHER GROW OR WE GO. I

11 KNOW HOW TO GROW. I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN. THAT'S WHAT I DO.

12 THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WELLIK.ORG IS MY WEBSITE. SO,

13 W-E-L-L-I-K DOT ORG.

14 >> BEN: THANK YOU. ELLEN DUSTMAN.

15 >> ELLEN: WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TONIGHT AND

16 LISTENING TO ALL OF US TALK ABOUT THE DETAILED PLANS AND

17 SPECIFIC PROPOSALS THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR DISTRICT. I

18 STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT DETAILED PLANS AND SPECIFIC PROPOSALS

19 CANNOT BE IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT STRONG, EFFECTIVE AND

20 OPTIMISTIC LEADERSHIP. AND I ASK THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE IN

21 THIS AUDIENCE AND HAVE CHILDREN IN OR LIVE IN THE SCHOOL

22 DISTRICT TO SHARE THAT SENSE OF OPTIMISM BECAUSE IT'S TIME

23 THAT WE QUIT TALKING ABOUT LOSING AND START TALKING ABOUT

24 CHOOSING. BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE RESOURCES IN THIS DISTRICT

25 TO SHARE A FINE VISION FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE HAVE MORE

78

1 ASSETS THAN WE HAVE DEFICITS AND WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON

2 THOSE ASSETS. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT AND I ASK

3 FOR YOUR VOTE ON NOVEMBER 6th, E.M.D., EAT MUCH DAILY, I

4 DON'T KNOW.

5 [ Laughter]

6 >> BEN: ALL RIGHT. WELL, I WOULD LIKE EVERYBODY TO PLEASE

7 THANK THE CANDIDATES FOR COMING OUT. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR

8 COMING OUT, AND, PLEASE, I KNOW YOU ALL WILL VOTE, BUT BRING

9 SOMEBODY WITH YOU WHEN YOU VOTE. THE ISSUES ARE IMPORTANT.

10 THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

11

12 [ THIS TEXT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT

13 IS NOT NECESSARILY A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE AN

14 OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS. ]

Board Workshop on Enrollment

2007-10-31T06:52:00.000-05:00

On Monday, October 29th, the Hopkins School Board had a workhop on enrollment in advance of their regular November Board meeting. The reports presented by the assistant superintendent and director of business services and other staff come at a very important time for Hopkins Schools.

I appreciate the opportunities afforded residents to review information, data and reports this fall: together with the Superintendent and Parent Learning Academy from October 15th, I sense a more proactive effort to involve the community in issues that affect the future of Hopkins Schools. For these initiatives and several others, we have Superintendent Schultz to thank. I know there will be future opportunities to have public input and involvement in the direction of Hopkins Schools, and that makes me hopeful.

Coming in the wake of last year's closure of Katherine Curren, the issue of enrollment, transparency, and meaningful community input are paramount.

That is why I was somewhat disappointed by the information presented at the Board Workshop: trends in enrollment provide only an overview and we need to focus on specific causes and conditions.

Highlights of the enrollment picture presented in the report include:

297 fewer students (adjusted ADM) this school year (07-08) than last (06-07). (p. 18.)
124 more open enrolled students this school year than last. (p. 21)
167 more Hopkins students left Hopkins Schools this year over last year. (p. 21)
(These numbers reflect Fall enrollment, numbers change over the course of the year.)

The meeting left me with more questions than answers: I will do more research myself into the enrollment reports issues by the Department of Education. Some questions I have:

1) Where do Hopkins Students enroll outside of Hopkins Schools,
2) How has that picture changed over the past ten years?
3) What drives Hopkins open enrollment come from and how has that changed?

The Hopkins School Board has a statutory obligation to provide education for students living in the District: over 500 students are choosing neighboring public school districts-these are the first area of concern if we are to improve our enrollment picture. More to follow.

Parent Teachers Organization Forum, October 23

2007-10-28T10:32:00.000-05:00

What a great night! Even if the crowd was less than full capacity, there was a lot of time for candidates to explain their platforms, discuss issues affecting Hopkins Schools, and responding to an excellent set of questions over the course of an hour and half at the all-district PTO forum at Eisenhower Community Center theatre on Thursday night.

My thanks to Pam Carman and the Glen Lake PTO for spearheading this event: I felt a lot of collegiality with the other candidates as we address the road ahead for Hopkins Schools.

Even after the forum ended, I stayed for over an hour to talk to parents and families engaged in the Hopkins Schools: I am ALWAYS open to questions and discussion about the future of public education, and am excited to join others in this important work.

Special Education Forum

2007-10-23T17:22:00.000-05:00

Later today, I will be at the Hopkins Special Education Advisory Committee candidate forum (see right for details). Here are the questions that will be asked:

What is your philosophy of the place of special education in the public schools?
Describe the challenges you see in delivering Special Services.
How do you plan to address the increasing diversity and needs of our student population?
The reauthorization of IDEA in 2004 was partially intended to align IDEA with NCLB. However, both of these laws enacted by the federal government do not fully fund the programs that they mandate. As a school board member, how would you work to advocate for that funding with the federal government?

Following these questions, there will be an open question and answer period and chance to visit one on one with all.

Full Day Kindergarten is a hit in Minneapolis

2007-10-23T14:05:00.000-05:00

One of the things I advocate is full day kindergarten instead of 2 1/2 hours per day for students who could benefit from more schooling at this early age. Not only does this make educational sense - helping at-risk students achieve more at a critical period in their development - but it also helps to build a strong school community and enrollment base. Check out this article from today's StarTribune newspaper on the success of a program in North Minneapolis.

Hopkins Teachers Forum

2007-10-23T05:54:00.000-05:00

Last night, I participated in a candidate forum for the Hopkins School Board at the monthly meeting of Hopkins Teachers Association. Over a two dozen union representatives, and at least one from each of the Hopkins District Schools, were in attendance, as were several negotiators and local president, Paula Klinger (who invited me and put together the forum-thank you Paula.)

I appreciated the chance to speak with teachers and hear some of their concerns, and wish there was more time for active interaction with the audience after the forum. There were opportunities for each candidate to share our backgrounds, platforms (see mine at the upper right on this page) and qualifications, as well as our views on the teacher quality and student assessment, and the challenges ahead with declining enrollment within the District.

As for my particular delivery, I told the teachers that I continued to be concerned about need to focus on the bottom line of education: delivering resources to the classrooms where learning takes place. This includes the Board's public duty to being accountable with resources so the right decisions can take place to make Hopkins schools attractive to students and families. I asked them what they needed to be more effective and what they were willing to do to advance the cause of education in the District.

My goal for Hopkins School Board are:

Open, Transparent Governance: Open up the process so more transparency, interaction, and communication occur and issues are discussed openly and there are no surprises about the challenges we face. There is a great tradition of excellence in Hopkins Schools: we must serve that legacy with more public engagement.

I applaud the belated effort this summer to begin internet podcasting and broadcasting on cable TV of the regular meetings of the Hopkins School Board. Moving ahead, we can do better with timely and broad distribution of the actual minutes and agenda of School Board meetings. We can also expand the public comment period of our board meetings to include discussion with the board instead of a one-way venue. I have read other public schools' board minutes that are almost scandalous in their level of detail and acknowledgment of contentious issues under consideration. We need to open up.
Accountability with Resources: wisely spending the public resources we have in any given year is, in my view, THE primary responsibility of the School Board. The previous Board ignored this responsibility over the course of several years and broke a public trust. It will take time and effort to restore this trust. My experience shows this can be done, but trust must be earned. The cuts of the past year are not in keeping with Hopkins tradition of excellence: they have impacted teaching and learning at every level in an effort to quickly get beyond a situation that took years to develop. Building a foundation takes time and effort.
Smaller class sizes and smaller school communities. I offer a benchmark to assess my performance if elected to the School Board:
classroom sizes will be closer to 20 than to 30 in Hopkins Schools.
I could play it safe and say class sizes with be closer to 25 than to 30, but without exception all the scores of schools I've worked with the past seven years - rural and urban, suburban, poor, rich, public and private - ALL have class sizes closer to 20, and they do so with fewer resources. My commitment is to put Hopkins Schools on a performance track to open new smaller schools to meet INCREASING demand.

The legacy of this country, of the American Experiment, is that we improve upon that which we have been so freely given. We leave to the next generation a stronger foundation, a better place, and greater opportunity. And we then ask them to do likewise and expand on that legacy.

I feel I have an obligation to apply my skills, knowledge and experience to build Hopkins Schools in an era of rapid change and competition. My family has been part of this community for 80 years (starting as bakers in Robbinsdale), and I want all children to have the benefit of an excellent education for years to come.

(The teachers also have good taste in laptop computers: Apple! Every five to six years since college I've gotten a new computer, and it has always been a Mac.)

Touring Hopkins Schools

2007-10-07T16:14:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday and Thursday, October 3rd and 4th, Superintendent John Schultz set up tours of all the Hopkins District Schools for the candidates for School Board.

This was a great chance to meet district administrators who oversee the six elementary schools, two junior high schools, and Hopkins High School, as well as those involved with the Chinese Immersion Program, Harley Hopkins Center and new bus depot in Golden Valley. We also did a drive-by of the now-closed Katherine Current Elementary School.

Driving around with fellow board candidates and meeting staff at all these sites made a large impression.

First of all, without exception, I was impressed with the dedication, experience, attitudes, and knowledge of everyone we met.

Having worked with dozens and dozens of school administrators over the past fifteen years, I have some background to judge others. New operating procedures, renovations, and attention to improving quality were evident in our tours and conversations: thanks to Superintendent John Schultz and his team for taking time out to show us around.

Second, and probably just as important, I can testify that the facilities of the Hopkins School District are in good condition reflect the substantial support and investment of our community over the years.

The building referendum passed several years ago put tens of millions of dollars into upgrading the infrastructure of our schools, technology, energy management, and adding learning spaces. In some cases, I would have forgone these improvements (sprinkler systems instead of drought and traffic resistant turf, fully computerized board room and parking lot upgrades).

Hopkins is probably ahead of the curve on reducing energy costs and addressing major topics that affect the learning environment: increasing daylight and fresh air within classrooms. Not many schools have learned these lessons, or had the resources to put them into practice. Hopkins has and will see the benefits of this investment in the years ahead.

Thirdly, we witnessed firsthand the impact of budget decisions adopted by the current board.

I do not view these immediate and harmful reductions of the past year as prudent. The responsible course to reverse the Board's poor budget decisions of the previous five-years is not to increase class sizes, close a valued elementary school, and reduce the hours of educational aides in the classrooms.

The facts are between 2001 and 2005, the Board approved spending that reduced a strong operating reserve to the point of being a deficit so large that ran afoul of public law. Minnesota State Statute permits a school district three years to change course, the current Board chose to compress those cuts into twelve months.

Here are the consequences we witnessed:

-Grades that had up to 89 students at the start of school were limited to three teachers (sections), meaning class sizes were up to 27 or even 29 students instead of a more realistic 22 to 24 students with four teachers (sections). In two cases after the cutoff decision date enrollment changed but, as presented to me, there was NO flexibility to add teachers (at a cost of $70,000 each, including benefits) or to accommodate additional students (at a bonus of $10,000 in state revenue).

This is shortsighted and shortchanges our students and staff.

-Teacher Aides who once worked four hours per day in a classroom have been limited to one hour in a classroom at the elementary level.

Again, this kind of cut that directly affects classroom learning and hits teachers and students the hardest must be avoided at all costs.

The areas where we witnessed cuts were NOT the reason for Hopkins Schools sliding into debt. It is regrettable that they bear the brunt of the Board's mis-management.

League of Women Voters Candidate Forum

2007-10-06T09:37:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, October 2, the League of Women Voters hosted a public forum for the Hopkins School Board candidates.

It was wonderful to be invited and meet my fellow candidates. I got to sit next to the only incumbent running for re-election, Yvonne Selcer. She was first elected in 2003 and is the current Treasurer of the School Board. I sat most far from Irma Coleman, a veteran school administrator with experience at the state and district level. Candidate Wendy Donovan sat next to Irma, she is a parent inspirted to run, in part, by the closing of Katherine Current Elementary. Filling out the slate of candidates was Ellen Dustman, former member of the Legislative Action Committee and Dan Bloomquist, a philosopher and former legislative candidate who sat next to me to my left and graciously gave me his bottled water after I consumed mine!

The forum will be broadcast on local community cable access channels: please watch and invite your neighbors and children well. It would be a good exercise in civics!

The League moderated the forum, allowing each candidate an opportunity to reply first and last to a series of questions that were gathered from the audience and presented by the moderator. (A timer kept track of each candidate's time: my apologies to the League for running over with my time on several questions!!)

Here are the questions framed by the League. I will soon post notes of my responses, other candidate's comments, and my afterthoughts, so check back soon.

1. What do you consider to be the most important issue?

2.What has been the effect of No Child Left Behind?

3 Do you support vouchers?

4. What about the needs of special education students?

5. How important are class sizes?

6. What is your position on creationism and intelligent design?

7. What about meeting the needs of gifted students?

8. Does enrolling children in Hopkins District Schools qualify one person to be a better board member?

9. How important is parental involvement in education?

10. What more can Hopkins School District do to help students who are trying to stay sober?

11. On statewide rankings of 850 elementary schools, Hopkins Schools are ranked 80th, 223rd, 253rd, 260th, and 431st.

12. Teachers' contract

Closing Statement

Jamie Wellik for Hopkins School Board

2007-10-02T23:05:00.000-05:00

Out of my longstanding concern for effective public education, and because of the unique experiences offered to me working with schools of all kinds these past fifteen years, I am a candidate for the Board of the Hopkins School District.

I offer my skills and qualifications to help Hopkins Schools succeed and thrive.

As one who has worked around schools since 1992. I've seen firsthand how schools and districts manage their mission and the challenges they face. I understand public education funding, fiscal restraint, compliance with state, federal, and local laws, and I have helped schools allocate their resources wisely. I know what makes schools successful and attractive to new students, and have contributed to growing schools that encourage strong academics for all students and foster family and community engagement.

Most of all, I understand the meaning of board leadership, fiscal oversight, setting goals, teamwork, performance, professionalism and accountability. I promise hard work, open communication, and stewardship of public resources towards great schooling.

Our children and those who support them deserve results.