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I am a public school parent in Maplewood, MN.  I have a 15 year old, a 10 year old and an 8 year old attending school in the Maplewood, North St Paul Oakdale school district 622.  I have another child who will soon be four and who will also be attending public school when she is ready.

I have been a public school advocate in our district for quite some time.  I’m beginning to believe my cheerleading for the public schools is for naught, but still I fight and write letters to voice my opinion.

I’m very disappointed in our public school system as of late.  I am very disappointed that my children are in classrooms filled with 29-35 children.  I am very disappointed in my school board blaming the legislators and the legislators blaming my school board members.  I’m very disappointed that Levy funding is a way of life in our Minnesota schools.  We happen to live in a district where Levy’s cannot pass due to the ever increasing elderly and middle aged male republican population.

Why should our schools have to rely on Levies to maintain their bottom line?  Why is there not enough money going to our schools to properly educate the children?  Why are teachers expected to teach classrooms filled with over 25 students? 

Our classrooms are over filled with students who have many special needs, students who are ESL students, emotionally challenged students, ADHD, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, etc. 

Please don’t get me wrong; these students need an education as much as the next child.  These students have been historically able to mainstream into public schools quite well.   But, how can we expect our teachers to continue to teach in overfilled classrooms with a student body that keeps getting more and more challenging?

As a daycare provider I am allowed only 12 children by law.  I can only be expected to take care of 12 children safely.  I’m not expected to get those children to pass standardized tests, I’m not expected to teach them Geography, Science and English.  WHY DO WE KEEP EXPECTING OUR TEACHERS TO DO THESE UNBELIEVABLE TASKS?  WHY?

Why do we keep expecting our public school parents to do the footwork to get levies passed?  Honestly I’m too busy helping our teachers educate the children in volunteer time to spend time politicking for a levy.

The message I see year after year is if I want my children in public schools in Minnesota I better be willing to move where levies can be passed.  Is this any way to run our PUBLIC school system?

Please – join other legislators and work to give our schools the proper funding so we as parents can get back to parenting and can quit working to get levies passed.  I am outraged!

Jodi JP Diekmann
Maplewood, MN