Minnesota Educator December 2009 : Page 1
A publication for the members of Education Minnesota DECEMBER 2009 Pressure increasing on local voters to fund schools Results in levy elections shows widening gaps between districts that can pass ballot measures and those that can’t Mixed results in last month’s operating levy elections again make the urgent case for the state to meet its obligation to fund public schools equitably. Voters in 41 of 58 Minnesota school districts approved at least one levy proposal but in 17 districts voters said “no” to any operating levy proposal on their ballots. “These levies are critical because they often pay for the basics to make up for what the state no longer provides,” Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher said. “Our schools are becoming more and more dependent on an inequitable system of funding that varies from district to district and ZIP code to ZIP code. Students in some districts have access to courses of study and other learning opportunities that students just a few miles away do not. That is not what Minnesota is about.” Counting in bond or capital projects measures, two-thirds of the 93 levy and bond questions on local ballots statewide were approved, leaving one-third of the requests unmet. Looking at the recent history of operating levy requests reveals how much more local districts must rely on local citizens to meet basic educational needs. Since 2003, revenue raised locally rather than from direct state support has skyrocketed (see graph at right). In the 17 districts where operating levies failed, further school budget cuts are likely. Several other districts were able to renew or replace an existing levy, but not to pass a second or third ballot question to cover rising costs. OPERATING LEVY QUESTIONS AND REVENUE RAISED: 2002-2009 120 140 150 100 80 60 40 20 0 $721,058,244 $644,192,179 $598,707,404 $544,105,732 $534,503,560 $505,416,876 $427,273,049 $294,390,579 $800,000,000 $600,000,000 $700,000,000 111 117 89 106 86 132 68 78 $500,000,000 $400,000,000 $300,000,000 $200,000,000 $100,000,000 0 Source: Education Minnesota Research 000 Number of Levies Total Revenue from Operating Levies Dodge named Education Minnesota ESP of the Year Shelly Dodge, a certified sign language interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing in Lakeville schools, has been chosen to represent the state’s ESPs as Education Minnesota’s 2009 Educational Support Professional of the Year. Dodge will be Minnesota’s candidate for National Education Association ESP of the Year. She is the second Minnesota ESP of the Year in the union’s program to recognize the work ESPs do every day to support students and other educators. The program was initiated last year. “Being recognized for my profession and my union and to be an active member of my community.” Dodge, who is employed Shelly Dodge accomplishments means a great deal to me,” Dodge said. “I have worked hard to promote and improve my by Intermediate District 917, is president of the Dakota County Federation of Interpreters-917 and active in the union at all levels. She was recognized as Education Minnesota ESP of the Year both for her professional leadership and her accomplishments as a union leader. In a nomination letter, John Lipke, a longtime ESP leader in Education Minnesota, cited Dodge’s accomplishments as a mentor to pre-certified interpreters, both as a guide to how they can gain certification and as a mentor in the workplace. Dodge’s supervisor, Kitri Larson Kyllo, called her “greatly respected and highly spoken of by all the many teachers, principals and school personnel with whom she works.” Kyllo praised Dodge for “serving as a solidly wise, experienced, sensible, realistic and articulate guiding ‘rock’ to the staff.” In 2006, Dodge was named Employee of the Year for Intermediate School District 917. In 2005, she received the Lakeville Area Public School’s Outstanding School nurses celebrate centennial A workday for Nurse Virginia Rice might include health screening among students who have no other access to health care. Or she might provide health information to immigrant families who don’t speak English. Or she might use best practices to control spread of flu in schools or manage any condition a student brings to school. She might do any of these tasks in 2009. But she really did them in 1909 in St. Paul as the first school nurse in Minnesota. That was only seven years after the concept of school nursing was introduced in New York. The School Nurse Organization of Minnesota marked 100 years of school nursing in celebrations last month during the organization’s annual conference in St. Louis Park. Festive observances were threaded through the conference, which featured professional development work and social gatherings of school nurses from throughout the state. Two hot topics were flu and addressing the childhood obesity epidemic. School nurses are on the frontlines in meeting both these challenges, speakers pointed out. At a working dinner on Nov. 6,Dr. Kristin L. Nichol,a flu expert who is chief of staff for research at the Veterans Administration Medical Center and a University of Minnesota professor, presented an extensive overview on seasonal and H1N1 influenzas. She Nurses, see page 7 Inclusive Educator Award. “I am a strong believer that a student’s success in school often depends largely on ESPs,” Dodge said. “That is an awesome responsibility and one that I take very seriously. Already, since news ofmywinning this award has come out, I have been able to promote ESPs to teachers in my building and among friends and acquaintances. Many people have never heard the term ‘ESP’ before and often don’t think beyond teachers when they think of schools.” Sue Schema, a teacher Dodge, see page 4 LOOK FOR IT TAKES HOLIDAY The Educator’s contest to find a hidden object is taking a winter break for the December issue. We’ll be back with the challenge in January. Meanwhile, congratulations to Joseph Rajkowski of Stanchfield! His correct response to the location of the turkey (page 7) was drawn as the November winner of a gift card. 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
PRESSURE INCREASING ON LOCAL VOTERS TO FUND SCHOOLS
Results in levy elections shows widening gaps between districts that can pass ballot measures and those that can’t
Mixed results in last month’s operating levy elections again make the urgent case for the state to meet its obligation to fund public schools equitably. Voters in 41 of 58 Minnesota school districts approved at least one levy proposal but in 17 districts voters said “no” to any operating levy proposal on their ballots.
“These levies are critical because they often pay for the basics to make up for what the state no longer provides,” Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher said. “Our schools are becoming more and more dependent on an inequitable system of funding that varies from district to district and ZIP code to ZIP code. Students in some districts have access to courses of study and other learning opportunities that students just a few miles Away do not. That is not what Minnesota is about.” Counting in bond or capital projects measures, two-thirds of the 93 levy and bond questions on local ballots statewide were approved, leaving one-third of the requests unmet.
Looking at the recent history of operating levy requests reveals how much more local districts must rely on local citizens to meet basic educational needs. Since 2003, revenue raised locally rather than from direct state support has skyrocketed (see graph at right).
In the 17 districts where operating levies failed, further school budget cuts are likely. Several other districts were able to renew or replace an existing levy, but not to pass a second or third ballot question to cover rising costs.
SCHOOL NURSES CELEBRATE CENTENNIAL
A workday for Nurse Virginia Rice might include health screening among students who have no other access to health care. Or she might provide health information to immigrant families who don’t speak English. Or she might use best practices to control spread of flu in schools or manage any condition a student brings to school.
She might do any of these tasks in 2009. But she really did them in 1909 in St. Paul as the first school nurse in Minnesota. That was only seven years after the concept of school nursing was introduced in New York.
The School Nurse Organization of Minnesota marked 100 years of school nursing in celebrations last month during the organization’s annual conference in St. Louis Park. Festive observances were threaded through the conference, which featured professional development work and social gatherings of school nurses from throughout the state.
Two hot topics were flu and addressing the childhood obesity epidemic. School nurses are on the frontlines in meeting both these challenges, speakers pointed out.
At a working dinner on Nov. 6, Dr. Kristin L. Nichol, a flu expert who is chief of staff for research at the Veterans Administration Medical Center and a University of Minnesota professor, presented an extensive overview on seasonal and H1N1 influenzas. She contrasted the two and identified the challenges of expanding vaccination across age groups.
A panel of nurse leaders followed, presenting on programs they used locally to encourage seasonal flu vaccinations among students in St. Paul, St. Cloud and Minneapolis. Mary Bielski Heiman, nursing services manager for Minneapolis Public Schools, described a pilot project last year in eight schools to deliver flu shots to students. Heiman said it was a useful pilot, but any long-term program would require more focus on how to get parent consent forms returned and how to evaluate the vaccination program. Ann Hoxie, assistant director of student health and wellness for the St. Paul Public Schools and president of the nurse organization, reported on a clinic held during a parents night when the adults were on school premises with their children.
Dr. Sanne Magnan, Minnesota’s health commissioner, congratulated the school nurses on their centennial of service. She noted their importance in the fight against obesity.
Also reporting on her research was Virginia Rice, the pioneering school nurse, portrayed by a costumed Jeanne Sedgwick, 2008 Minnesota School Nurse of the Year. What Rice and her doctor-partner in St. Paul Public Schools reported resonated with the nurses now. But she also had a duty nurses have long since handed off— attendance clerk.
Some other notable differences in the professional journey for school nurses are, of course, much advanced professional training for nurses and a substantially higher number of student patients with special needs. Children with disabilities were often barred from public schools a century ago but now are included in mainstream education as much as possible.
DODGE NAMED EDUCATION MINNESOTA ESP OF THE YEAR
Shelly Dodge, a certified sign language interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing in Lakeville schools, has been chosen to represent the state’s ESPs as Education Minnesota’s 2009 Educational Support Professional of the Year.
Dodge will be Minnesota’s candidate for National Education Association ESP of the Year. She is the second Minnesota ESP of the Year in the union’s program to recognize the work ESPs do every day to support students and other educators.
The program was initiated last year.
“Being recognized for my accomplishments means a great deal to me,” Dodge said. “I have worked hard to promote and improve my Profession and my union and to be an active member of my community.”
Dodge, who is employed by Intermediate District 917, is president of the Dakota County Federation of Interpreters-917 and active in the union at all levels.
She was recognized as Education Minnesota ESP of the Year both for her professional leadership and her accomplishments as a union leader.
In a nomination letter, John Lipke, a longtime ESP leader in Education Minnesota, cited Dodge’s accomplishments as a mentor to pre-certified interpreters, both as a guide to how they can gain certification and as a mentor in the workplace.
Dodge’s supervisor, Kitri Larson Kyllo, called her “greatly respected and highly spoken of by all the many teachers, principals and school personnel with whom she works.” Kyllo praised Dodge for “serving as a solidly wise, experienced, sensible, realistic and articulate guiding ‘rock’ to the staff.”
In 2006, Dodge was named Employee of the Year for Intermediate School District
917. In 2005, she received the Lakeville Area Public School’s Outstanding Inclusive Educator Award.
“I am a strong believer that a student’s success in school often depends largely on ESPs,” Dodge said. “That is an awesome responsibility and one that I take very seriously. Already, since news of my winning this award has come out, I have been able to promote ESPs to teachers in my building and among friends and acquaintances. Many people have never heard the term ‘ESP’ before and often don’t think beyond teachers when they think of schools.”
Sue Schema, a teacher colleague who also works with deaf students, said Dodge “has always been a superior colleague, due to her skills in American Sign Language, her professionalism and her flexibility.” Schema also noted that Dodge volunteers in her church, which has deaf parishioners who rely on her so they can participate fully in Sunday services.
In her union life, Dodge serves as chair of the Education Minnesota ESP Council of Local Presidents. She is a charter member of the council. She has been her local’s lead negotiator for 12 years and served the local as vice president, a member rights advocate and a health care advocate. Dodge has been a delegate to the Education Minnesota Representative Convention and to the National Education Association Representative Assembly.
Dodge said “Education Minnesota has been crucial in my development as a professional. By providing training on union issues and professional development opportunities, I have achieved knowledge and confidence needed to reach my goal of being an effective leader for my colleagues and advocate for their needs.”
The NEA will select its ESP of the Year in the spring. As Minnesota’s candidate, Dodge will represent more than 7,700 ESP members of Education Minnesota. ESPs are the fastest - growing category of the union’s membership.
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