Yesterday Today & tomorrow
This last week of campaigning has taken me in unexpected directions and down roads many probably do not travel. I was met with wonderment on many occasions and told, “We don’t get many people out here.” From the doors of businesses to the doors of country homes, I have walked, talked and listened.
I am reminded of our districts history when I venture off the beaten path. Many children of the district have grown up to establish families and businesses of their own here. I talked to so many business owners and land owners who spoke with nostalgic fondness of this land they grew up on.
My husband is one example of a child whose family raised him here in the 70’s, when development was just beginning to boom, then moved back to the district with his own family in 2010. We now live just minutes away from his parents, who still live in his childhood home of Park Hills.
You probably know of someone in the district with a similar story. Maybe it is YOU with that same story.
There was a time when farmlands were not dotted with homes … when the rich soils of Cottage Grove made the land home to Minnesota’s first creameries and dairy farms … when there were very few businesses … when brand new school building were half full. It wasn’t that long ago when, in 1988, Woodbury voters approved spending $4.4 million for the city hall, public safety building and fire station.
The need for “Safety and Growth” is not a new one, and it won’t end with the passing of all three ballot questions. This is the perspective many taxpayers have when SoWashCo Schools asks them for more money every year. I’ve heard it at the doors for three months straight.
"Show me a rate of success that matches the rate of funding and I will consider voting yes."
They are not wrong. I agree, the school district needs to be held to a high standard of academic outcomes if it is to deserve more money from taxpayers. This is one of the reasons I am running for school board, and I will not make a voter feel bad for voting “NO” to tax increases for this reason.
Public Office Holders
Not only do many of our district children stick around to establish businesses and build our local economy, but some of those children run for public office in order to shape the future of the community they grew up in. These leaders have personal experience with our schools, and they most likely understand, from a historical context, how much has changed.
- Cottage Grove Mayor, Myron Bailey
- Cottage Grove City Council Member, Tony Khambata
- Cottage Grove City Council Member, Justin Olsen
- Woodbury City Council Member, Kim Wilson
- Former Minnesota State Rep. Keith Franke
- SoWashCo School Board Member, Melinda Dols
- Minnesota Senator, Nicole Mitchell
(This list in no way is meant to imply these elected officials agree with my article or that they support my cadidacy for school board.)
In order to lead effectively into the future, a healthy understanding and appreciation for our history is important. This is not to say that we prosper only under the leadership of those who grew up here. I value the fresh perspective that many residents have who come from far away lands. Sometimes we need that balance in order to see what is an obvious solution right under our nose.
This is why balance is so important on our school boards and our city councils also.
Family cycles
South Washington County is a district that retains many of its children into adulthood. They grow into workers who own houses here, raise families here, grow businesses here, and who prosper our local economy here.
And grow, the district has. The population of SoWashCo school district is now 113,887 residents strong (adults and children). Think of all those homeowners who pay taxes to the school district.
Though District 833 experienced a decrease in market share last fiscal year (down 82.3 percent from 85.7 percent in 2017-18) the majority of school age children in the district attend District 833 public schools.
Our local economic future is directly dependent on the SoWashCo School District’s ability to successfully educate it’s own population.
Hazel H. Reinhardt states in his February Demographic Study, “Based on the estimated 2022-23 enrolled population of 22,053, the South Washington County Public Schools (excluding Early Childhood) captured 82.3 percent of the district’s school age population.” (18,148 attend SoWashCo District, 2,145 attend other Public Options, and 1,760 attend Non-Public Settings).
what does this mean for funding?
Funding for education CAN be good for business and for economic growth, but only when it is used efficiently. It is important for taxpayers to consistently see that the product they receive is worth all their hard earned dollars.
That said, the district is asking voters to approve three ballot questions on Nov. 7th. They have done a very good job laying out all the information on their website, so please go to https://www.sowashco.org/facilityplanning to learn more. You will find details about the expansion/renovation plans, safety and security enhancements, tax impact, potential boundary adjustments, the community feedback leading up to this, the demographics report, surveys, and listening sessions. There are also a couple nifty tools you can plug your address into.
I was a strong advocate last year for the VOTE NO campaign to demand a better plan from District 833. Many of us worked very hard to defeat that referendum which ultimately would have closed an elementary school and negatively impacted the entire City of Newport.
There was a lot that was learned through this process, the most notable for me being : Numbers Can Lie. I am grateful to the community for recognizing that the original $462 million bond referendum was far too extravagant in areas where our district would see the least amount of growth (in elementary buildings). The numbers were based on outdated information from a pre-pandemic Davis Demographics Report, not to mention it was risky given the economic instability and uncertainty.
It is now one year later, and I have appreciated the hard work put in to this second round of facility planning. The district has given the community more opportunities to be involved in the process, something I have not seen in the past, and I DO think this is a BETTER PLAN because the district has scaled back to its needs.
I want to look at the BIG PICTURE though. I want to look at children of the district who become adults of the district.
At the door of business
Last week I visited every kind of business there is to visit across the district … retail, warehouse, grocery, clinic, dentist, preschool, church, etc. While going door to door, I talked about the connection between proficiency in school (reading writing math) and the success of business operation.
I asked business owners what kind of employees they see graduating from our public education system. Just about every business I talked with told the same stories …
Though half of their young employees are excellent workers, they would say, the other half do not demonstrate the competency needed to maintain a thriving business. This boiled down to three characteristics : accountability, communication, and basic math skills.
we can do better, and by that I mean THE SCHOOL can do better and THE HOME can do better.
Achievement Trends
The policy and procedure this school board approves must ensure that 1) our kids are ready for school, 2) third graders are proficient in reading at grade level, 3) we are closing achievement gaps in math and reading, 4) our students are college or career ready, and 5) we are on track with graduating rates.
Under the current leadership of District 833, we do not meet any of these five basic standards of proficiency. This is MDE’s World’s Best Workforce, and every public school district in the state of Minnesota is required to report. Third grade reading proficiency has dropped 12.9% from 2018 to 2022. Only 52.7% of third graders are achieving grade-level literacy (as of 2022 WBWF report). This should be alarming! This needs to change.
Note: The MN legislature this year voted to change the 5 listed criteria above so that WBWF reports will no longer measure proficiency in things like 3rd grade reading competency and grade-level math. Very interesting.
The most recent 2022-23 WBWF report is typically presented at the first school board workshop of November. That would have been last Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. I guess the district was not ready? Maybe results will be revealed after the election.
Opt-outs do not effect Test results
At the LWV forum on Sept 19th, Incumbent Melinda Dols dismissed this data as irrelevant due to the adverse effects opt-outs have on test results. This took me by surprise because why would a department of education intentionally skew their own data. My team contacted MDE directly to find out if opt-outs count against achievement levels. You can see by his answer that opt-outs DO NOT impact the report in any way.
we have a Responsibility
There is tremendous responsibility upon the shoulders of our school district to meet standards of proficiency and to use our tax dollars wisely. Our economic prosperity depends on it.
So when people ask me, “Why are you running for school board if you don’t have kids in the district?” this is why. And I think it is a pretty good reason WHY all of us should be paying close attention.
VOTE for Jaime Kokaisel on Nov. 7th.
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THE BIBLE IS: The Great “I AM”
GOD IS EVERYWHERE. He is Painter, Designer, Sculptor, Architect, Author, Poet, and Musician. The Subject Studies of education include Math, Science, History, Art, Reading & Writing, and they all find their origin story from the Bible. In the Gospel of John we get to see God the CREATOR through the giftedness of an artistic painter of words. In the Gospel of Luke we get to see God the PHYSICIAN through the giftedness of an educated doctor. THE BIBLE IS Literary Artistry. THE BIBLE IS VISUALLY God sculpting into shape the heavens and earth, the mountains and valleys, the people and places and spaces all giftedness shines. THE BIBLE IS AUDIBLY God speaking the breath of life into men like a musician breathing life into his orchestra. Without his breath, we cannot sing. Without his light we are formless and void. This series, The Bible Is Literary Artistry, shows how the Holy Bible qualifies, and even surpasses, the criteria listed as District 833 Literacy Skills.
Four Governing Bodies
I think many people have this glamorous idea of what it means to run for and hold a position of public office. They see the official looking campaign websites and flyers, the well-dressed candidates lined up behind official looking microphones sitting in places where important decisions take place by our city councils, school boards, state reps, governors, presidents, etc. , and many in the voting public forget that these are simply people just like you and me. Being in the public eye takes a lot of time … time that could have been spent around the dinner table or sporting event with family. Being in the public eye takes a lot of energy … energy that could have been used helping friends or serving at church. Being in the public eye takes a lot of money … money that could have been donated to improve the life of a stranger through important charity work. Being in the public eye takes a lot of courage and confidence to (knowingly) open yourself up to a public that will HALF love you and HALF hate you. However, when we understand the four mechanisms through which God has chosen to rule, we realize that taking our place in civil government is not only one of the most selfless acts of service we can offer to our neighbor, but it is also part of God’s great plan. Running for and holding a place of public office takes patience in yourself and in the process because your personal message will take on a public life of its own, and only through humility will you learn that self-control is the ONLY control left to claim.