The Fate of Empires Depends on the Education of Youth

An Open Letter to the residents of District 110 (as published in the Waconia Patriot 01/01/09):

In the next few months there will be much in the news about the Minnesota budget shortfall and the national, state, and local economies. The Obama Administration and the 111th Congress will gather in Washington next month, and the Minnesota Legislature will convene in St Paul to face some very harsh economic realities. In the interests of the 3,000 students in District 110, and the fifty million public school students across the country, I urge them to make public education a priority in deeds, not just words.

Major tasks await them. The No Child Left Behind Act is badly flawed and woefully underfunded. Special Education funding has been an unfulfilled promise for thirty years. We need Washington and St Paul to finally allocate the resources to help our schools provide every student with the education and skills necessary to succeed in this rapidly changing economy. Congress especially must do more to respect the judgment of local school boards and educators - those closest to the teaching and learning that takes place each day - instead of imposing one-size-fits-all mandates on every school in the country.

You may be reading this and think I am crazy expecting more from our legislators in a time of recession. But I believe the worst of times brings out the best in people. I am not talking about simply throwing money at the problem, I mean to affect real change and better outcomes. We are compelled to provide the best possible education for our future generations, regardless of the economic conditions. It will take strong political will, creative solutions, and bi-partisanship, but the highest ideal that parents and citizens can strive for is to provide more for those that come after us.

The President, the Congress, the Governor, and the Legislature must become partners with local school districts, working with us in our shared goal of offering a world-class education to our students. Aristotle said that "the fate of empires depends on the education of youth." His wise words are have been proven true over two millennia. Let us not forget them in 2009.