Good afternoon from Minnesota Public Radio on Kathleen hallinan a new study finds high school students in Minneapolis are better rested than students in a comfortable Urban District Minneapolis move the school day start time from 7:15 to 8:30 at the beginning of the 1997 school year since then study indicates that students have found it easier to stay awake in class and then students in the other unidentified district and letter grades for Minneapolis 10th 11th and 12th graders were significantly higher than in the comprable district which start school at 7:30. The International Association of machinists is accusing Northwest Airlines of meddling in a union battle to represent Northwest mechanics and cleaners last week the aircraft mechanics fraternal Association won in the election and the right to represent the 10,000 employees and amphora Fishel dismisses the complaint as an effort to stall and collect more dues. I am spokeswoman Mary Beth Christensen tonight.She says mechanics and cleaners pay the highest dues and the election is important to the union. I'll be able to continue to represent them about 43% of the people spoke up for I am in the actual account. So you have a large faction of people there is a still want that represent patience Northwest officials say they didn't take sides in the dispute the national mediation board has 10 days to decide whether to launch its own investigation Duluth teachers have approved a new contract converting a threatens drink at least six other districts are still negotiating contracts. It will be mostly sunny and Breezy and Southern Minnesota today and partly cloudy in northern Minnesota. That's the news from Minnesota Public Radio on Kathleen hallinan. Thank you Kathleen 6 minutes now past 12 programming on Minnesota Public Radio is supported by standard heating and air conditioning the Twin Cities Home Comfort Experts for 69 years featuring York Heat.and cooling products Good afternoon, and welcome back to mid-day on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Gary. I can glad you could join us Minnesota Lieutenant Governors have not traditionally been accorded all that much respect. Generally, they've not had all that much to do other than cut the occasional ribbon last week. In fact a conservative study group said the office should be abolished all together because there was no need for a lieutenant governor. But Minnesota's new lieutenant governor may break that mold Jesse Ventura says Minnesota's lieutenant governor elect Mei shung will not be a mere figurehead, but rather will serve as his point person on education, perhaps the biggest single issue facing in the state of Minnesota Masonic brings a lot of Education experience to the job. In fact, she's moving to the capital directly from the classroom. She's better Frontline teacher and administrator for 36 years. Most recently at Phalen Lake Elementary in St. Paul. So who is our new lieutenant governor? Well today we get a chance to find out more about lieutenant governor may shock. She's joined us here in the studio to take your questions, and we invite you to give us a call Twin City area number is 227-6002 276 thousand outside the Twin Cities. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800 to +422-828-227-6000 or 800-242-2828 or guess this our Minnesota's new lieutenant. Governor. Elect mechant. Thanks so much for coming in today. Did you have Honestly, did you have any clue you were going to win? Well, you know I went into this. Really appreciating what Jesse stood for and I liked what the he was saying and and I felt that yes, we do need to change and if I can help him do this this is what I want to do and maybe we can pull it off and as we went through the through the campaign and it just seemed as though we gathered more and more momentum and Young Folks came on and and many other folks came on. And in that last 72 hours. I had a very strong feeling that this could happen. Now they are people first contacted you last summer right to school vacation, you know, you finished a busy year as a teacher and it catching your breath and all of a sudden the phone rings out of the blue. Yes, and this was a summer that for the first time I can't even remember when I've had a summer off. I've either taught summer school administered summer school gone to school myself went to workshops and took care of my mother and all of a sudden my third day and vacation. I was polishing my Cabinetry and in the kitchen and Along Comes this phone call and asking me if I would be interested in running as Jesse Ventura CA lieutenant governor running mate, and I said what It again here also, they repeated it again. And I said well, maybe you have the wrong face with the wrong name at all. I couldn't believe it. And so we had an hour telephone interview and then it went into two more interviews in person and finally in the fourth interview. I met Jesse and I was very impressed with him. Has it been fun so far? I mean, I can't I can't give you must be busy as all get-out because you just stop teaching hear what a week ago. Actually it was that the week of the election and when is it it seems like it was a long time ago. That was November 3rd. So I finished out that week and Jesse called and said may your office is ready. It's right across the hall from me. Can you be here ASAP? And I said, yes, I will be and I close. Shop, and it was very difficult, but it was a good thing that it was that fast because it was hard. Now you are saying before we went on the air that you plan to go back to the classroom. Yes. I would like to go back and do a volunteer teaching with the students at Phalen Lake school or maybe even at other schools. But of course, you know, my heart is at Phalen Lake right now just because you enjoy it so much or you want to keep your hand in it or what? I truly enjoy it. I am energized with kids and I truly enjoy teaching and I want to go there because I it's my passion. I love it and also because I want to I want you know, I think if we need to understand what's happening with kids and how they're learning we need to be there working with them a bit too. So even though I have this other big job now with the whole state of Minnesota with Are kids I still want to be I want to work with an intimate group in terms of your your new responsibilities. Do you see yourself primarily as a person who will be promoting education issues or actually developing policy very I will be working with the I'm going to have an advisory Council for Education particularly and I'm thinking possibly of having a Metro advisory Council + also having a real advisory council meeting with these two groups and then maybe a x bringing them together and discussing issues and policy because you know things are different in the metro area than they are in the Burl areas in that their needs are different and lots of other things. I need to even find out about yet. And so I don't know all of the answers myself and exactly how this is all going to happen. So I need to work with other people. I'm going to be out there walking the talk. Can we make some news today any names that you're considering for Education commissioner going to school every day. We've been visiting all of the Departments and we have about maybe seven or eight more days of this happening and we go all morning. We started this morning at 8 finished at 11:30. And when I get back from the station will be attending more classes to wear visiting all of the Department's getting a nice overview meeting people and hearing about what the different job responsibilities are in particularly of the Commissioners and talking to them and when we get back we need to study and we need to review all of this so Naming Commissioners and naming people to jobs. No that is not taking place before we have completed. Our studies is our guest this hour and if you have a question for lieutenant governor shot give us a call to 276 thousand is our Twin City area number to 276 thousand. I'll try the Twin Cities 1-800. 242-282-8227 6001. 802-422-8284 Scholars from St. Louis Park Gym. Go ahead place we met met before the election. She was at a presentation by Pennsylvania Representatives. Daniel Roar, who was a staunch opponent of what's going on with the profile learning school to work. And if she shows that same kind of open-mindedness, I think we'll have quite a debate. I wanted to ask her about how she evaluates the profile at this time and I also How to make this comment out there is a still a mess of confusion out there and a lot of teachers do not support the profile perfectly those her academically oriented back a recent survey by a task group that I'm with David over half of them would just like to get rid of it allowed in afraid to speak up what happened on cable TV here in St. Louis Park is typical what's going on in school board the AAA still in the school system gave a presentation out the profiles going and talked about the standards the so-called high standards his, this is a quote. If this is what the last five years has been about it's in the frig the superintendent of schools in St. Louis Park thin intruded and said, well, you know past test scores like 87 or 92 on a standardized test. That's really mean anything in and these new high standards. Will I consider that to be highly an inaccurate and I wondered if you would have your advisory Council perhaps have a hearing again on the profile and really allow people To get that it to State their opinion to get a wide range of opinions on this. Yes, and thank you for this call. I am I have as I've traveled around the state. I have heard a lot of concern about the graduation standards and I to have concerned about them and I am looking at a way that would be fair to all people to look at this. And again, I am my plan at present in this is without you know talking to an advisory Council yet. My plan for this would be as I foresee it to call in representatives from all of the school districts and let's talk about the graduation standards. Let's hear what is not working. And what is working to me the pathway to learning is always under reconstruction and it's it's not ever written in stone if it is our education. The system is down the tube for sure. So we need to look at it very carefully here from all people and like I say re-evaluated and throw out what's not working and keep what is working and let's build in some new kinds of lessons or or maybe change objectives that would satisfy the needs of the Learners and I understand that that our students in in the metro area may have different needs than students out in say Southeastern are Northeastern Minnesota, and we need to consider that very carefully. So yes, my plan is to look at it carefully with the representative groups of people and re-evaluate it as a matter of fact, and I attended a meeting a week ago and there was some evaluation going on about the assessment in In the graduation standards and you know, I was glad to see that happening amongst a group of leaders that were representative from various school districts forget about that for a moment all the paperwork that you hear people complain about and set that aside for a moment just in terms of academics. Is it is it a tough enough standard? Is it a good regular standard that that we're asking kids to meet now under this new program it is it is and we have the standards that meet the needs of the regular classroom. There are also the standards of accommodation which would be for students who are accelerated and then you know, that's for the students who have special needs and then we have the standards of Distinction for students who are accelerated and there were a group of kids here last week that were testifying to a committee. That we're listening to them and I talked to the kids myself there high school students and they told me that they loved what they were doing with the graduation standards. They were very happy with their license, but they also said that there were some parts that. They didn't like and they would talk about it. So I think it's great that the students came in from actually they came in from Perham Minnesota and that the students were here to testify, you know, who why not. They're the ones that are doing the work. And so I think this was a good idea. What are your question please in my area focus is education. I want to talk to you about teacher preparation specifically. I have a question for you and then I'll hang up and listen. Okay you and as you probably know the new rules governing teacher I'm sure we'll be adopted unless there's a public hearing or a comment made by December 2nd. Will you have an opportunity to look at the rules and comment the part of your role? Well, I sure would like to make it my responsibility to know what's happening in this policy and actually to tell you the truth. I have not seen the writing on this any specific concern Gloria abroad question, but teacher preparation of what do you see is key. Needs to change for teachers to be effective today and as they teach students for the 21st century and I'll hang up and listen teacher preparation is really very crucial a teacher needs to be prepared to teach coming out of college. We need to I think we need more prepped. I'm more about more time in learning how to become a teacher. I would like to see students student teachers being a classroom with a mentor teacher for a year. I think this will give the student the student teacher plenty of time to really see what the process of teaching is all about and what it all involves so that I know it's a big job for a mentor teachers to to do this for a whole year. But I think it is a way of producing teachers who are prepared to do the job that they need to do give a teacher shortage that apparently down the road here. Do you think it's time that we change it to some degree the way we certified people to be teachers that is to say to put more emphasis on taking people. Who are Learn it in a particular area and get them into the classroom. Even if they haven't finished formal education degrees before you even encourage a person to go into the classroom. I think they have to have that heartfelt desire to be a teacher. I mean you're working with kids all day and it's not an easy job. It's you have to have I think I just think that you have to have a passion for it and it's an art it's a it's a it's a science and I think you have to you have to want to go there and I have worked with the young people who have come out of business wanted to become a teacher get a program that took about a year where they are also in the classroom working with the teacher. We work with on a program like this through the Q program through state. Thomas and I saw some very very good teachers come through this program, but I also worked with some people who after they got through the program said no, this is not for me. I thought it was different. I'm going back into the business field. I mean, I I I worked for the teacher who came through got the regular degree in education and then went on and got the Masters in Education and found that it was not for him and he decided to go back into the banking business shortage the projected teacher shortage if we substantially raise the salaries of teachers or is that not much of an issue. I think that is an issue. I talked to many of the new teacher starting out in and starting at 25 or 26 28,000. That is not enough for young people coming into out of college with the debts to pay College debts. They want to buy a new house. They need a car in many cases. They have children. It's hard to live on that kind of a salary. What about the higher pay scales? Are they about right to think or to the more experienced teachers? Are they getting paid about what they should be getting paid or they need a pay raise to what you getting more credits in that moved me along the line to higher salary and then I went to the getting a master's degree and then going on to a specialist project than all of those moves help me to make more money if we do if all teachers do that and they should because it is a way to keep you updated and and networking with the teachers and And what's new in education, you will work into a good salary and I'm very satisfied with what I'm making at the top of the scale, but it took me all these years to get there too. So I let you know and wet and you know, the Young Folks need their money at at the beginning so there needs to be a change here, but just exactly what it will be and how it will be. I do not know it's something we need to work on. The question I have more of a comment 78-79. I was a student of Michelle sinks at these Bluff Elementary School. I feel as though she done a real good job, and I know and have confidence that she will do a good job for the state of Minnesota and I'm very proud that you were able to get in such a spot. My question would be how does a woman of your stature get involved with a man like Jesse Ventura student has Dale Peterson. I don't know if you remember me or not. We've been 78-79 sixth grade class. I believe it was like your second sixth grade class at Dayton's Bluff Elementary School in comfortable with the education that I received and I thought for sure you'd always just be a teacher. So I'm wondering how and I don't know if you've covered it cuz I've been on the phone for some time. Now. How do you get Involved with a man like Jesse deal. First of all, thank you for calling him and for making those really need comments. If I get just put your I don't know if you do have red hair. It's almost seems like you did but I don't know. But anyway, I'll get on with my with your question. How did I get involved with Jesse? Actually, I did not know Jesse when I started the in this campaign, but here is how it happened. Jesse realize that education is a number one priority for the people of Minnesota. And he Jesse is a is a very honest man, and he said I need to have someone with me that knows education and I need to have I want someone who is there in the trenches who understands kids who understands what their needs are in education who's worked with educator? Who's had a variety of experiences of find that person and as it happened one of the people that works on his committee is a person who was a parent in a school that I worked in. I was cracking him specialist at Capitol Hill Magnet School in St. Paul and she was a parent there and had a had. That's where her children attended the Rondo education center and she let me go. Let me just think this through here. She recalled having various conversations with me about my floss fee of education and such an and I helped her to solve some problems with her children and then also know she got recommendations on my work and that's how I'm here. That's how it happened. It's it's just that simple for you know, he said fine. Who's in the trenches who's had a variety of experiences and I'm here and I'm really glad about it. And because I can make a difference. I feel I can make a difference in 4 years for all of the students in Minnesota. And I'm going to work very hard towards that dedication and commitment governor elect event or a very intelligent man, very articulate in the sense that he can can sure get his point across but you know a fracture is that grammar sometimes known as a teacher working teacher, do you correct him? But let me go back to say Jesse. He is a very intelligent man. He's and he's a very deep thinker and he's also open to many ideas and every time I hear him he seems to bring out what's really common sense for people and talking about his language. Hey, I'm I'm not here to teach Jesse. Jesse knows it already and if the teachers didn't teach shift up front, I'm not going to teach it in the end. It may shock is our guest this hour talking about her role as I Minnesota's new lieutenant governor. If you'd like to join our conversation. Give us a call 227-6200 area number. 227-6000. Side the Twin Cities 1 800 to +422-828-227-6000 or one 800-242-2828 before we get to our next caller. I need to ask you about one of them one of the big issues. It seems like that's going to face the bench or Administration as things now stand with the students expected to pass this basic skills test before they get a diploma. It looks like right now anyway that a lot of lot of students aren't going to be able to pass the test in Arkham to be able to get a diploma. Do you think the state ought to actually withhold diplomas from these students? They didn't have the benefit of the the more rigorous grade school education that the that the students now will be getting should we stick with a door or back off of that a little bit? Well, I think we need to consider each of the cases here. And again Gary, you know, I'd I need to really work with some people with a group of people on this. I mean, this is not a one-person decision. It takes a group of people to make this decision and we need to consider the students. You don't want why are they failing? You know, why do some kids pass? I mean if they're there or just filling a chair then they'd They deserve what they earn you know, but but if they're they're working and doing the doing the job to the best of their ability, they deserve everything that they have coming the other side of that issue. It seems to me is that there's been so much focus at the last couple of years about trying to make sure that all the kids are going to pass that test that at least they learn the basics so much energy and time devoted to that are the are the better students getting neglected. I think those are the kids that you've been working with it at Phalen Lake. I've been working with the the students were well, we call it gifted and talented or we call it at their accelerated. Do you know when particular areas your question? Are we are we missing those kids. Maybe not giving them as much attention as they deserve. Well, they certainly deserve more attention than they are getting if we you know, probably where it is. Most highly address is at the gifted and talented magnet in St. Paul. And this is a school that I'm familiar with hear their needs are truly being met but not all of the kids who qualify for that school are there so how do we meet the needs of the kids that you know can't get into the program. So we do it with another program call Sam or its schoolwide enrichment model. It's a Joe Renzulli model that where you work with kids level 1 level 2 and level 3 kinds of activities level 3 being an activity where the students have done research have analyzed their research and have put it together in a presentation. That would go to. Audience and audience that would hear it or read it or or wood would be presented in a video. So and those kids out, you know, when I think back at Phalen Lake I saw these kids only into 50 minute. So weak that is not very much time to meet the needs of gifted kids and they're very anxious to be in those classes. So what do we do? I think it gets back again to going to smaller classroom sizes. If a teacher has smaller classroom a number of students she can work. He she or he can work individually with students according to what their needs are and what their potential is and I think that's one way of meeting the needs of gifted and talented kids or kids who are you know at the other end of the spectrum who need remedial work? You think the two to get to that was lower class sizes. We keep hearing will it it's going to cost a lot of money to do that. The legislature has already appropriated substantial amount of money for that purpose, but it sometimes gets used for other things, which presumably you have to make up for should the should we re adjust what the schools are spending their money on top emphasis on on smaller class sizes and maybe move away from some of the other other programs at schools are offering a dino in a position where I can look at this more carefully. I can look at the whole big picture and I am I truly feel that it has money has been allocated for that purpose that that is where it should be going. We've tried other programs. We're losing kids through the crack. So to speak I started out teaching while it's actually was 40 years ago that I started teaching took five years off to raise my child, but you know, I started out with 36 kids in the classroom and and we're still at 25-30 today and dumb are scores are going down. We've tried various programs. We keep pumping money into the into programs, but our scores are not coming up maybe very slowly. Let's try The smaller classroom sizes. I've been there. I've been with the big glasses. I've been with the small classes and I see the difference. I see what can be accomplished with a small classroom size. I can spend more time with each of my kids. I can put them on projects that that are at their interest in their learning the basic skills and going on with it. I just think that it is the answer that I think that's I think we need to put the dollars where we say, we're going to put them and have it go there, Your question for Mission place has to do with the teachers service pays more and more we hear on TV that the teachers are getting more and more time off for in-service days conventions in service work. So on so forth and I know teachers themselves with Scheduled Vacations or move vacations and take time off around these periods of time and less and less teachers are attending these times. I have a real problem in pain was teachers wages for that time off if they're not going to attend what the time off was specified for don't you think there should be a way most corporations have in-service training and when they do they make you sign in and out of these things and you don't get paid if you don't get if you don't show up don't you think there should be some program like that for our teachers if there if we attack players are going to pay for their time for being in a tent service conventions or workshops or whatever. Okay, thank you for your question. Yes. I mean, I believe that if you were given time off to go to an in-service or to a convention. It is our duty to attend that convention or in service or whatever the only days that I know that this might happen around would be teachers convention time. And this past year. I know in St. Paul. We had only one day for convention and I truly I I did read the numbers on how many teachers of 10 that out of the teachers that could attend. And I I can't I can't speak to it right now because I don't really remember what it was. But you know, when when we have in-service days during the year, we are attending them. I know this to be true in St. Paul because we do sign in and we are there of the meeting lasts until 4. We are there until 4 or administrators see to it that it does happen that way because their administrator has asked them to make sure that it happens that way so I don't know if you know where your where you get your information from. But as a teacher I say that I and all my colleagues have attended the in services and and the time that were given to do, you know the staff development were there of the only day that it might not happen might be during that teacher convention time, but I know that most of my colleagues are there. Joe your question, please thanks for taking my call. I need to tell you a real short story to lay out the my theory earlier in the front one in the process of selling my fifth and sixth children to the public school system as it's going on. I've noticed the thing to generate to the point where it's useless 2 years ago in a 14 year old and 13 years old and 8th grade was failing Spanish. We set up a meeting with a Spanish teacher the assistant principal in his counselor. We got to the meeting is a little piece of paper there. That's a contract. I asked to Spanish teacher. What is that? She said it's a contract. They said the contract for what she said. Well your son will do this this and this and in return I will do this this and this I took the contract and read it over quickly tore it up and said number one East 14 13 writer. He can't sign a contract number to he will do the world like you're abusing him or humiliated in front of his fellow. He will do your work or he will not talk on the telephone at home. He will quit the sports. He's involved in. They won't watch TV will be grounded. The next day is counselor who is and I'm not trying to be sexually prevalent prevalent here one way or another we happen to be a single female in the middle thirties would never been married with no kids brought him into her office and ask him if he was being abused at home. Now. We haven't the kid was got a little testosterone starting at that age. He's got a whole set of new ideas to work with it. Not only doesn't bring a sense of discipline him in school where there's no imperative need that you would sell Sun you need to do this for the rest of your life so that you can enjoy life later on but now they made it difficult for me to discipline my son at home because I get you're abusing me or abusing me or abusing me what can be done to put a sense of urgency or structure or discipline to the effect that this is something you need to What are going to be things in life you'll have to do with you like them or not? And you're going to do them for your own good so that you see where I'm going with this. I'll hang up and listen. Thank you. Yes, you are a thank you for the question here and and your concern really what we're talking about. Here are expect a patient's you know, what expectations does a teacher have of the student to complete the lessons and then you as a parent. What are your expectations? And I don't understand you know, what the contract hear what you're talking about. It seems like a kind of a harsh way to go about it to to me to me. I believe in no talking in conversation. And and I think there's a lack of communication here between teacher and student and probably between parent and teacher and student the whole communication system seems to be Short circuited hear what we need to do is you know, I believe that to get kids to to study not every topic or every subject is going to be the most interesting Spanish. It can be in any language can be difficult particularly as the students get into it when they're older but I think communication and you know putting expectations out you do your best that you can do be the best that you can be and not to be punitive about it. We cannot be punitive with our kids. We need to you. We need to talk to them explain. I mean if they don't understand what the expectations are we need to talk to them about it and I think it's we talked about it. We're communicating and that should be helpful. Also sir. You need to talk to your administrator in the building if your hand if there's a CERN with the teacher. Mmm. You know and what's happening here between teacher and student. Thank you. I know you've emphasized the need for Parental involvement in education. And it seems to me there are two sides to that coin on the one hand. There are parents who just don't seem to care very much and for whatever reason then on the other hand it would seem like often times you end up with parents who metal in a teacher's business more than they should is that a fair assessment part of Fortune Eden and right, you know what you were talking about. We're all people and people You know, we need to we need parents support. I mean I've seen kids that have parents support and I have seen those and work with those that do not have it and support to me means that the parent is they're saying to you know to their child or children. You're okay. You're doing a you know, these are the expectations. I mean, you don't set out and say these are the expectations but let's talk about the expectations and then the parents should provide a place at home where the student can study and a time and getting across the whole idea that education is important and it's important to the whole family. It's important to Mom and Dad and it's important for you. And this is what we're going to do to help you then for parents to be involved in the school. Irepair can be directly involved in school, but come to the classroom spend some time helping the teacher or working with other students not necessarily with your own student, but just being there to help students who needs some remedial work or just to help out in reading a story and there are many other ways that teachers can use are or you know, involve parents in helping in the classroom it I mean, it's it's crucial that parents are involved the kids deserve and need that pat-on-the-back. You're okay. You're doing the best you can do whether they're getting C's bees are A's and maybe even not making it let's help to make it down your question. Please have a student in the lowest. She's in kindergarten and We've got a sheet home that said that they wanted donations for science equipment and I'm just wondering why there's not enough money in the public schools. 1st and equipment like this that we have to send in private donation money. And also I'm very uncomfortable with the goals 2015 are schools because a lot of it teaches values that we have Christian parents. Do not agree with Thanks for your comments. First of all, should the schools actually have enough. It seems like the state budget for Education gets bigger and bigger and bigger. Should there be enough money available? So schools at least can provide the basic equipment public education and I think before apparent to you know gets upset about this. I think you need to ask your administrator a question here. First of all, ask the teacher. Why why are you requesting money for science materials? You don't get an answer there ask your administrator. Ask your school board. Why is this happening for never done this but my guess is well. It is somebody else is to blame and everybody a lot of finger-pointing. Science equipment what about values education in the schools that there are people who say we need more of that kind of thing. I think we need to you bet. We need to teach about it. You know, maybe this is one area that we need to do more work with its you know, family values need to be taught more specifically at home values about respect for each other about our integrity or honesty, all of this needs to be dealt with and you know, I always dealt with it in the classroom and seem to get very good results. After teaching, you know about this, but it needs to be reinforced day after day year after year. It's it's just part of education but it's also part of the family education till is a big family responsibilities hear. The caller Dawn does raise the issue though that some of the things she thinks her children are being caught are really inappropriate for the schools to be involved in this is about the goals 2000s what I understand but I am in the reading that I have done with the Gold's 2000i at yes. I've seen some of that literature and I disagree with it very strongly and this is why I'd like to you know reiterate again that we are going to review graduation standards are goals 2003 evaluated and we're going to get all those parts out. We certainly don't want Parts in there that are going to destroy fan. Personal values Steve your question, please. About the profiles of learning and my concern really is with our lack of investment investment in the gifted and talented students might do my son's go to anoka-hennepin school and I'm probably about 8 years ago. They began budget-cutting severely is to all the gifted and talented things are gone and our school district. I mean, it's totally wiped out and we did get some money $5 us to this last year, but my concern is that we're not developing these assets that we have in our community and what really bothers me is that the profiles of learning requires a significant amount of project paperwork, which I think is really directed towards them low and average students rather than the gift is doing so now my son's or all the other gifted students are going to be faced with all this paperwork and are going to be able to take some of the college preparatory work that they need and it seems like that's an area a bit concerned cuz we're not investing in our gifted and talented students. That they'll do. Okay, we spend tons of money on the special ed and the lower kids and the gifted and talented are just left alone. So that's my concern. That is very true. Thank you for this concern and I've always been a promoter of gifted education myself smell actually got involved with it starting in about 19 1982. I believe when when I just saw a need for it, and actually I didn't have enough time in the classroom to meet the needs of gifted and talented kids. And now that we have a well in St. Paul we have a school now, we have programs in our other schools the same programs and we're meeting with kids in all like 2 hours a week to 50 minutes to periods a week, which is not enough time. We do need to put more efforts towards that goal of meeting the needs of gifted and talented kids and it is not with paperwork. Yes, there's some paperwork involved with their analysis and and and you know talking about conclusion. Such but not to the extent that is being called for in the graduation standards or in the standards of Distinction for those kids. And again, let me reassure you that in this Administration then to a shank. We are going to review and re-evaluate this and make some changes and we will call on you to help us do that. We will call on the kids to help us do that. So please rest assured on that Arnold your question, please thank you. I would like to ask my Esurance reaction to a statement that I've heard. Yes events were made during the campaign more than once and it was to the effect of a sudden coming out of high school is smart enough to do college work. There should be smart enough to get their own financing that to me sounded like a position against student loans by government. Yes. Jesse did make that that statement but what he meant by it was it's not the not the harsh as it sounds what he meant by it was that you know, there is a lot of fun. There was a many people saying, you know where that we need to give freshman and sophomore year students tuition money to go to college. Well, imagine what a burden this would become on a taxpayer's so our students need to look for other creative ways to to afford college and part of this is by grants by through loans. There are scholarships or any of the students that are performing B+ and better in in high school are there are many scholarships that they can look into there's also programs through the National Guard and also through the Military service and you know, there are jobs that students can take to help them to help pay for their college tuition and I do believe and we both Jesse and myself do believe that for students who who have economic concerns. Yes. We do need to help those students and we need to talk about some ways that the students can be helped with tuition in their freshman and sophomore years, but you know, if people really wanted we're looking at possibly giving tuition monies towards their senior and Junior here, but of course, you know, this is something that has to be taken up by the legislature and you know one if the people are agreeable to that taxpayers are agreeable to that then we would consider it, but you're not going to push for eliminate. The Student Loan program absolutely not is a matter of fact are you know, my son had a loan while he was in college and and we paid 6% on that loan. And as soon as he's finished with school that goes up to 17% This doesn't make sense because actually, you know, what? They're just starting a new job. They've got their on the lowest the lowest Ladder rung of the ladder for pay and now they have to pay a higher percentage on that loan. We'd like to see that loan stay at 6% through the duration of the completion of the payment. We're just about out of time but let's get at least one more call around here Abel play in the school system exactly. What do you plan to do about it? I have to believe that students feel that they can Misbehavin classes and and go with impunity. I think teachers need to be imported to the tick step total many miles did the huge issue of in discipline the school system exactly. What do you plan to do or to top of that big problem? Thank you for the question here. And I do agree with you that in some schools. This is a problem. However, I think that this is a very local problem local to the point of the school. And then if it's if it's still a problem, I think then it's a problem of the school district and our kids have to be disciplined and part of this is Parental and the other part of it is a teacher expectations again and Expectations by the building administrator and that are passed down by the District administration. You know, what do we expect of our kids as far as discipline is concerned set up a plan in your in your building. We did this in my building we have what's called five our room and if the kids are disturbing the the learning process or the teaching process the students are removed from the room and when they are ready to go. Back to the classroom after depending upon the severity here talkin to the the disciplinarian and in that particular room and then talking to parents and conferencing about it. Do you know what what is the behavior that we do not expect to take place in the classroom here and what can you do about it? Let's talk about it. And let's see. Let's have some action here rather than to you know, just let this kid do what he or she wants to do and Disturbed that teaching and learning process but it is not one teacher that is going to solve the problem. It's all of the teachers and all of the administrators working together one last quick question here before you wrap up the tax credit deduction program. The state has expanded their back in the summer of 97. You think that's a good idea or should we maybe phase that out? This is the program that Parents can use to pay for theaters tutors in the rest of the program that was put in place with the Carlson Administration here and I believe it went in with the legislature voting on it. So it would have to be something that the legislature with would consider again. Although I myself feel that it should be so it should be in fairness to do everyone who has kids in school not to just a certain group of people having fun. I am having a lot of fun in that. I am learning. I am challenged and Jesse always says me we're going to have fun doing this, you know, so but I I'm also overwhelmed there is just really a lot to this job. so and learning is not easy. I mean learning takes work is back at school in the classroom. Again. Thanks so much for coming by today and good luck to you. Thank you very much Gary. This was the fun. Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you and same one too. Same to everyone else. There are guests of this our lieutenant governor elect mechant joining us to talk about her new job and does some of her ideas on education and shonk has been teaching in the schools for the better part of forty years basically most recently at the Phalen Lake Elementary School in St. Paul, and she is now getting ready to officially become Minnesota's new lieutenant. Governor will be broadcasting is programmed by the way at 9 tonight in case you miss part of the program like to thank all of you for a joining us this hour and