Speed Gibson

I did a pretty good job of quitting CBS's Survivor this season, the "fans vs favorites" edition. Too often, the unworthy somehow end up winning this thing, something only a liberal could love. But I found myself watching the finale tonight with the wife, and sure enough, a second class player, a fan favorite for reasons that escape me, wins the prize, again for reasons that escape me.

And of course, now she explains all the clever strategies she employed. Yeah, right.

I managed to watch maybe only a third of the episodes this season, a pretty good "quitting" score. With this result, I am again enthused to quit the whole thing, as they're probably going to do another one.

Previously: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Minnesota Representative Alma Sargent entered the meeting late as usual, offering her usual apologies as she sat down.

"All right, we're all here. How do we do this?" asked Senator George Babbitt. Sitting in Babbitt's other visitor's chair was Edith Cortwright, Chair on the Senate Education Committee.

"You'll do nothing if you're smart, George," replied Cortwright. "You can't force a merger with someone who doesn't need you." She was known throughout the Capitol for being direct, often blunt. But she also had a sense of humor, smiling broadly now. "You have to admit, it's a classic twist of fate. You finally get elected head of the Chamber of Commerce and Wal-Mart opens on the edge of town." Babbitt gave no reaction. "And you can't stand it, can you?"

"That isn't the way I'd look at it. The merger would have been good for both Zenith and Gopherville." The Senator was referring to a consolidation of the two school districts. It had been talked about in both towns, in response to their mutual problems of fewer students, aging buildings, and tighter budgets. But no one had put a proposal on the table to date. It fell to him, George Babbitt thought, or had thought. He took no real pleasure from it. It just had to be done.

He had been quietly searching for an opposite number, some Gopherville graduate or official with whom to share the stage, to balance the ticket so to speak. It just wouldn't look right otherwise. He was Zenith's favorite son, co-captain of his football team and the most feared linebacker for 50 miles in his day. After a full athletic scholarship at the University of Minnesota, lettering twice in football, he went on to law school when no pro team picked him up. After cutting his teeth for a a couple of St. Paul law firms, he had moved back to Zenith in 1989. He never married.

Alma Sargent represented District 88B, which includes both Gopherville and Zenith. Jane Cavanaugh served District 88A, Babbitt the Senator for both, District 88. "George, there's no hurry, especially not now." Alma said.

"I'm more interested in what's going on in Gopherville proper, this sugar daddy of theirs," said Cortwright.

"You know what we know, Edith. Do you know Reisling at all, Alma?"

"I do," Sargent replied. "We worked professionally on a nursing home project in St. Clair, have a few common clients." Sargent's husband Eddie was a mechanical contractor, primarily commercial.

"And?"

"And he's a good accountant."

"So why is he doing this? Since when does an accountant of all people write big checks for no reason?"

"Maybe you should ask him."

"I was hoping you would," said Babbitt.

"What's the point?" asked Cortwright. "Once he hands over the money, he's out of the picture, for at least a year as I understand it."

"I want to know what he wants in return."

"Again, what's the point? Money? Sex? Afraid he'll run for your seat? It could just be that he's just a nice guy."

"He is that," said Sargent. "He's been all business in my dealings with him, competent, pleasant, bought his share of the coffee. Whatever he does for church and charity, he keeps it to himself."

"Until now," said Babbitt. "I tell you, ..."

"Let it go, George," observed Cortwright. "Speculate on your own time. The merger's off and unless you can come up with some other specific need for that $140,000 you had earmarked for that, we're done here."

Babbitt sighed, shook his head. "Part of that was to expand and remodel the district offices in Zenith, maybe 30 grand or so?"

"What did you promise, George?" asked Sargent.

Cortwright picked up the copy of SF 1073 from Babbitt's desk. "I'll get you $20,000 for a remodel, but no more and no expansion. It'll happen next year, you wait. Let's get on with the college's wish list." She saw Babbitt looking at the wall. "George?"

"Sorry. This whole business still bugs me. I'm going back this weekend."

Powerline, as further recounted on the NARN today, has taken issue with Rep. Mindy Greiling's attack piece on Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist Katherine Kersten's two columns on the state's first Islamic charter school, the Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy in Inver Grove Heights.

I call it an attack piece because it has no other purpose. As Powerline's Scott Johnson recounts, Greiling takes no issue with any of the many facts Kersten reported, nor the testimony of the substitute teacher. On the basis of an anecdotal "I had a nice time" visit to the school, Greiling calls for the paper to fire Kersten.

This is bad enough, well over the lines of civility and professional conduct. It's actually worse than that. Greiling is, by extention, accusing the substitute teacher of lying as well, again unsubstantiated.

I'll go still further and point out that she has hurt her DFL party as well. She is carrying the P. S. Minnesota proposal to add $1.7 billion to K-12 spending in the 2009 session, another 'Minnesota Miracle'. She will need a big tax increase to do that, which in turn requires support beyond her far left base. Needlessly going out of your way to pick a pointless fight with the press without cause, nicking a civilian in the process, doesn't help.

Education Minnesota might want to consider a leadership change for its K-12 bills next year.

In "Common Sense School Reform" (available in the Strom Showcase), author Frederick Hess talks of two kinds of reformers, the "Status Quo" reformer and the "Common Sense" reformer. The Status Quo Reformer is incremental, one who says follow me a little further and things will get better. But in government run education, this seldom happens; often, things get worse.

Is ECFE - Early Childhood & Family Education the exception? It a minimum, it is tremendously popular, including among my extended family. At the District 281 visioning sessions, there wasn't a single complaint, only a privoso, that it be free ECFE.

I posted yesterday that I'd like to see Community Education be split off from the school districts, to help them focus on their raison d'être, K-12 education. Would I want the same for ECFE, for the same reason?

Before I answer that, let us address how many educators point to the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Senior VP Art Rolnick's strong endorsement of the ECFE concept. Rolnick did not envision a one size fits all government solution, however, preferring multiple marketplace offerings. On the other hand, and unlike Community Education, there is something to be said for integration of an ECFE program and the K-12 schooling to follow, administratively at least.

Returning ECFE to the home and the private sector would not be a bad decision, an option available now. That the government schools offer unfair competition to such providers bothers me a bit. But the fact remains that "free" ECFE from the public schools is what the parents want, perhaps the districts' most successful offering. The customers are very happy and the costs are modest.

I therefore will now make the jump from K-12 to E-12 in my thinking.

With the departure of District 281's award winning Community Education director to the Wayzata schools, it seems a good time to discuss the concept and future of Community Education.

It seems that every public school district has a Community Education program, even the smallest like Brooklyn Center (#286) and St. Anthony (#282). They vary in breadth and depth, but they all offer classes and activities for those of us over 18, i.e., beyond the K-12 zone.

Question: why is this a Public School District function? I ask for two reasons. One, there is obvious duplication of services. Two, there doesn't appear any significant connection between K-12 and Community Education. You could graduate from Robbinsdale and then take Community Education classes at Osseo (#279) or elsewhere. Or vice versa.

Having just returned from the St. Petersburg, Florida area where the school district is a massive county wide operation (17 high schools!) suggests that we could do the same here, make Community Education a county wide operation. That alone should provide better efficiency and consistency.

Since this is my fantasy, I'll further require that my County Education operation be run as a county agency, like the library system. The latter is also a "community education" service, so a merger seems desirable as well. Furthermore, a number of city programs that overlap in this area could also be supplanted by this agency.

What I don't want is a joint powers arrangement amongst the school districts. It would be too messy and besides, my goal is for the school districts not to worry about it at all. I want them to focus on K-12 exclusively. (I'll look at ECFE in a later post.)

Part of my reasoning is to avoid the co-mingling of funds and related resources. It will often work out that the County Education agency will rent space and facilities here and there, a source of income for the school districts. They could employ district staff as the district deems them available as well, but under separate employment arrangements including payroll.

Now of course, some of you would simply abolish the current Community Education system, the politicians letting the private sector take over. That's your fantasy.

Reading the Letters in the Minneapolis Star Tribune is usually just an exercise in frustration. Occasionally a thoughtful, well written letter slips past the goalie, like this May 9 letter. In response to a May 3 opinion on the Central Corridor light rail line by Kate Wolford, President of the McKnight Foundation, the writer challenges whether she had "taken a good look at key elements of the actual plan."

Big problem: how to best serve the University of Minnesota's needs as a major transit stop without creating dangerous street congestion, and while helping -- rather than harming -- nearby neighborhoods. The university's proposed alternative route at its main campus solves this problem; it is a faster route at a lower cost than an expensive major upgrade of the Washington Avenue bridge that would require considerable additional mitigation because of altered traffic patterns. The Metropolitan Council, however, remains stuck in its own bad plans.

We're seeing this trend more and more, where those around the project get to vote, but not those affected. Is this the new model, deliberately crafting projects to openly rob Peter Victim to pay Paul Voter?

Biggest problem: slow transit time resulting from the route on a busy street where the train must stop at red lights, subject to traffic delays. On University Avenue's 6.1 miles between Huron and Rice, there are 25 stoplights on a major street lined with retail businesses and offices. By comparison, the Hiawatha Line runs on a spacious divided highway and the train has priority at the eight stoplights between the Metrodome and Hwy. 62. Officials admit that the Central Corridor line as now planned will be much slower than the freeway express bus, making it a billion-dollar same-speed replacement for the limited-stop street bus, much too slow to attract automobile commuters off the freeway. (The Met Council and Ramsey Rail Authority threw away an expensive study that preferred a much faster, less costly rail route along I-94 that was expected to draw much higher use than a University Avenue line.)

I highlighted that last sentence to once again say that Light Rail is Pork, not Transportation.

A third problem, never discussed in the media, is difficulties arising from Central Corridor and Hiawatha lines running on the same tracks between the Metrodome and the western terminus. The exact coordination necessary to use the same tracks would be easier to maintain if the Central Corridor ran along I-94 on a faster, more predictable schedule. Otherwise we can expect snarls and delays of perhaps 10 minutes.

We're not supposed to care how long it takes! We're being green! We're creating jobs! We're investing in infrastructure!

Whether you believe in Light Rail or not, whether you believe our K-12 Public Schools are short of money or not, we still have the specter of our school children pressing their noses against the glass, watching the elites wildly overspend on this project.

I give Mr. Markle my thanks and the last word:

All three of these problems should be dealt with before pushing ahead with a badly planned project -- apparently the most expensive public works project in state history -- that we'll later regret.

I won't get a chance to see Monday's presentation of the Strategic Planning Process Outcomes to the District 281 School Board until sometime Thursday via Cable Channel 22.

One thing I'll be watching for is that School Uniforms recommendation that came out of the blue at the wrap up meeting. In the published document, however, it says "Establish a dress code." That's a (clothes) horse of a different color. Both uniforms and a dress code may be driven by the same concerns, but these solutions are quite different.

I'm wondering who changed this and why. Even if I am not very convinced about uniforms in the 21st century, I am willing to hear the arguments directly.

Dancing With the Stars is ramping up, but American Idol hit the skids last week, and only partially rebounded this week. Also unlike DWTS, the loser this week is painfully obvious: Jason Castro. Despite the judges' reviews, I actually think Castro did a little better this week, but still well short of those already gone, and (Lord have mercy), well short of winning this year.

The obvious three were all good, nobody with a clear edge but I'll give Syesha the slightest of edge again. David Cook seemed a little dull. As for Archuleta, one ballad a night should be the limit, again being a little dull. But these are small distinctions indeed.

Syesha again found herself in the bottom two, but for once, this is nothing to worry about given Castro's week, the worst final four Idol performance I can remember. She's going to really have to bring it next week, though, and maybe hope one of the David's struggles.

For it's looking like an all guy finale.

There's no suspense this week in that I watched both the Monday dancing and Tuesday results together via DVR. Good thing, because it was another great round of performances. It was the most even round I think I've seen on the show: no losers in sight.

Someone had to go, besides Kristi that is, and it turned out to be Mario, perhaps a victim of some harsh judges' comments.

The final four is set, Kristi and the dreamers, one of whom just might overtake her.

I can't track down the exact quote, but I heard Senator Barack Obama decrying the failed Republican energy policy written by the oil companies with Dick Cheney. Now wait just a minute, here. Whose policy is in effect? The Democrats, thanks to some mushy Republicans like our own Senators Norm Coleman and John McCain.

We want to drill, in Alaska, offshore, North Dakota, wherever the oil is. Despite the small and ever decreasing environmental risks, they don't.

We want to build new oil refineries. Despite the construction and manufacturing jobs that would also create, they say no.

We want to kill biofuels, to stem it's now obvious ripples of poverty, starvation, civil unrest, all with increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. They have a dream.

We can do the math on wind and solar. They still think this can be significant, assuming the environmentalists and the elite will let you erect such garish structures in their back yards.

We agree with the French: nuclear power is safe and efficient. They're still watching The China Syndrome reruns.

We like coal, especially now that we have clean burning technologies. They shriek how that's pure CO₂, still preferring Al Gore to M.I.T. research.

We don't like energy taxes, but we're willing to pay them if they truly go for related infrastructure like roads and bridges. They earmark much of the money for light rail and other pork.

We do like freedom. Freedom to pull heavy boats up north to the cabin or resort. Freedom to drive past the stores "they" want you to patronize. Freedom to set our own Cylinder Index and miles per gallon. Freedom not to take public transit. Gasoline is freedom. Guess which side "they" are on.

To sum up, our current defacto energy policy is theirs, not ours. The only complaint they might have is that we haven't given in completely, by imposing fascist control over the entire energy industry like Senator Hillary Clinton advocates.

We're back from 6 days of perfect Florida weather along the Gulf Coast near Tampa. It was sunny and 86 when we left, 54 and raining when we landed. But at least I have Internet access again, and the TSA had my cell phone waiting for me. The only real negative? Public transportation.

Someone told me how much easier and cheaper it is to park at the Humphrey terminal. The Hiawatha Line takes you to the main (Lindberg) terminal for free, just 3 minutes according to the airport web site. They fail to mention two important facts:

1. The light rail does not stop at the Humphrey terminal. The station is actually at the edge of the parking ramp, a lengthy (1/4 mile?) distance from the terminal entrance. You simply walk through a labeled section of the ramp, some of which you share with the traffic.


2. The light rail does not stop at the Lindberg terminal, either. It stops at the rental car garage, where you must take another tram to the far end of the basement level.

All told, to be safe, you need to allow 35 minutes for this journey, to cover maximum wait times for the Hiawatha and Tram. Best time is about 25 minutes, carrying your luggage, most of it walking and 5 stories of escalators.

It is cheaper and not as full, but next time I'll allow the needed extra time plus enough to drop off everyone else and the luggage first.

We constantly hear the various education "experts" around our state express concern how the sky is falling on our K-12 public school districts, finanancially that is. And it's been falling for some time they claim. It could be worse.

Here in Pinellas County in Florida (St. Petersburg), this huge system serving over 100,000 students, it is worse.

Three months ago, they passed a referendum for at least $40 million in higher property taxes. About 80% is supposed to go for higher teacher pay, the rest for arts and technology. Now, they face a $43 million shortfall, allegedly the work of the Florida Legislature.

They've whittled this deficit down to about $11 million by layoffs and school closings. The next move being considered is a pay cut. The 14,000 teachers would see a 2% reduction, and the support staff 3% to 6% reductions.

They're not talking about reduced growth rates that may or may not keep up with inflation or other indexes, what the Minnesota education establishment often inaccurately calls a cut. Floridians make real, Funk & Wagnalls, Merriam-Webster cuts. So I don't want to hear how tough it is in Minnesota anymore. It could be worse.

It certainly is here. Not surprisingly, the Pinellas County Schools Superintendent resigned April 17th to become Vice President, Education and Corporate Relations for Scholastic Corporation.

I debated taking the laptop to Florida with me, left it home, only to find the hotel is all WiFi with no lobby computer. It had to happen I suppose, but we'll check our bookings more closely next time.

I also managed to lose my cellphone in the MSP airport so I am traveling unplugged, this transmission via an Internet Cafe I happened to walk by.

Ask me if I care. We're staying right on the gulf, with a handy "sand bar" serving wonderful Bloody Mary's. And the weather is perfect. I'll start catching up Wednesday...

No, I'm not going to start a weekly post on this show. But I'm in a compressed Reality Show mode, and it seems a good time to at least say why I really like this show.

Food competition is an eclectic taste. Given enough time, a million cooks with a million dollar kitchen and pantry will eventually turn out Lobster Thermidor and Crêpes Suzette. Unless dancing or singing, you have to constrain something. You give them only so much time, or so many ingredients, or isolate them on a beach with primitive facilities.

Hell's Kitchen is unique, however. The thing to fear most is not a constraint, quite the opposite: mass production! It's the only show where you get to see the life of a line cook. You don't get to perfect a single entree. You have to turn out dozens of them. With something like Beef Wellington, where you have this delicate race between pastry outside and steak inside getting to the proper doneness together, this seems almost impossible to do consistently.

But good line cooks do it. It's their cooking you're usually enjoying in better restaurants, and they deserve great credit. Gordon Ramsay's fits and rants are fun to a point, but sometimes get in the way of this fascinating peek into the kitchen.

Watching online the Dancing with the Stars episode I somehow FAILed to record has won me over. Even at the modest resolution of compressed video on a 1024x768 laptop screen and the generic audio heard over some old but responsive headphones, I was amazed. It wasn't emulation of a TV set. It was emulation of a home theater experience. I am more than familiar with every piece of the technology involved. I know how it all works. Nothing technically surprised me. But the total experience sure did.

I should probably temper that with the fact I was watching a top flight, highly visual production with a full musical score. It obviously wouldn't be quite the same watching a snore fest like Washington Week in Review.

Technically, television as we know it is on the way out, including much of what is today cable and satellite. Nothing new there. But the economic models that will take us there are equally dramatic I suspect.

This 70 minute broadcast including maybe five 30 second spots (commercials), and a couple of promos. Where are the other 20 minutes or so of advertising going to go in the Web TV world? That represents most of the income and all of the profits.

It may be that lavish productions like Dancing with the Stars and American Idol will prove just too expensive for Internet only distribution. But I also saw in this case that a sponsor had its product logo prominently above the image, and an ABC logo and a KSTP logo.

This reminds me of the old days of TV, where sponsor banners were commonplace. Lawrence Welk had a big Geritol sign hanging behind the orchestra. What's My Line had a big desk where the four panelists sat, and emblazed on the front was the sponsor's logo, like "Phillip's Milk of Magnesia." Even "Old Gold Cigarettes" logos were proudly displayed on the host podium for a quiz show, and the contestants often received a couple of cartons as a parting gift.

The old shows also pioneered product placement. Burns and Allen conveniently opened a kitchen cabinet to see the can of Maxwell House coffee. As in old time radio, sometimes the spots are written right into the script. What's old is new again, and this will be a big part of the new model, because the audiences of tomorrow will not be content to watch programs at the station's convenience or endure ever lengthening commercial breaks. I timed a recent prime time show break at six minutes!

It's going to fun. The one thing to avoid is getting locked into low speed Internet solutions like most DSL and municipal Wi-Fi offerings. Fiber to the home (FTTH) and cable's 50-150 Mbps enhancements will be the new standards.

After a smashing week of Dancing With the Stars, what a huge letdown to watch American Idol this week. Both shows have entered the two performances each mode, but Dancing gave it the 90 minutes needed. There was no concealing how rushed Idol was.

On the other hand, maybe this was a good week to roll the credits and run, on Neil Diamond week.

Jason Castro and Brooke White have already overstayed our welcome, and tonight's four numbers all fit that motif. I'll say right now that Brooke White is going home tomorrow night.

A bit surprisingly to me was that David Cook wasn't in top form. Neither song really suited him, but his vocal skills made the second ("All I Really Need Is You") still very enjoyable. I can't give him the high marks the judges did, though.

David Archuleta finally became human, missing a few notes in his first song, "Sweet Caroline." I probably can't blame him, given the third rate arrangement underneath. He did better with "America" but like some other Idol contestants, his youth only let him hit the notes, not the soul of this classic. But - a big finish, and enough to give him second place this week.

For Syesha Mercado took the week handily I thought. My girl, my girl, my girl, I'm talkin' 'bout my girl! She did a simple number to start ("Hello Again") and it was a good decision. Less was more here. She was a little pitchy in spots though.

But her "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" finish was a clever Motown cover of classic Neil Diamond, and well done even if the judges didn't seem enthusiastic. Why Simon thinks she's at risk for the number is totally beyond me, but he really has never liked her to date. She does seem to have trouble ringing the phones, that is true. She doesn't have the teenage girls fawning over the Davids or the 21-35 males ogling Brooke. I decided to vote for her, but got nothing but busy signals.

With Carly leaving unexpectedly last week, anything can happen this week.

We're somewhat dislocated because of construction, and somehow between 2 DVR's we didn't get Dancing with the Stars last night. Having just watched it on the Internet, I'm not sure I can't say more than this was one of the best weeks ever. Cristián had a muscle spasm cut his second number short, but otherwise we had 12 very competent performances.

Kristi is still so obviously the one to beat, but the gaps are closing.

Who goes home? I have almost almost no idea. Perhaps Cristián, who understandably had to lose some judges points. But if it were up to me, I'd oh so gently send Shannon Elizabeth home. She's just not quite at the same intensity level as the others. I'm posting this 15 minutes into the Results show which hopefully is recording.

THE RESULTS: I think the audience got it right, with Marrissa and Shannon in the bottom two. Shannon went this week, and Marrissa is already the easy choice to go next week. As bubbly and enjoyable and hard working as she is, improving each week as she is, Marrissa just doesn't figure in the final four unless Christián just can't go on.

We've got two of our best laid up, David Strom and King Banaian.

Various accounts are at Residual Forces, Let Freedom Ring, Ladies Logic, and of course SCSU Scholars (by Janet).

At this writing, David is still undergoing testing, having so far only eliminated bird poop allergies, frostbite, Hot Chick Fridays, and recent legislation. King's tests finally found the trouble and he is now awaiting gallbladder surgery.

I had gallbladder surgery myself 15 years ago. It took me two trips to the Emergency Room before they found it, too. I got an EKG and Maalox at my first visit, complaining of the mother of all indigestion. The Maalox only made it worse, and soon I was sweating, too. I had driven myself the first time, around 2 AM. The second time, I had my wife drive me there around 5 AM.

I remember the second doctor saying "I wonder if you've got gallstones" and off I went to ultrasound. My situation was acute, with an elevated white cell count, and a long, traditional surgery two days later. But I recovered quickly, and have had no problems since. Well, maybe an occasional one, but King's vegetarian diet may preclude any such high speed digestion.

So David - a "Speedy" recovery to you. And King, we'll compare scars when you're up and around at Keegan's, making patrons buy us drinks to put our shirts back down!

I'm going to out of town for a few days so while I'll be on the web from time to time to update my Weight Watchers points if nothing else, I won't have much on District 281 for the next couple of weeks. It therefore seems a good time to ask for a little help from my fellow travelers.

When you have time, take a look at the Robbinsdale Area Schools web site:

www.rdale.k12.mn.us

Tell me via comments what you think of it, good and bad.

• Construction: Does everything work? Is it slow? Are there broken links? Any idiosyncrasies specific to a browser? Would you rate it state of the art, old school, or somewhere in-between?


• Layout: How do you like the design, aesthetics, graphics, and overall look? Is the navigation intuitive? Can you find what you're looking for?


• Content: Once you find the page you're looking for, is the information current, understandable, and complete? How would you generally characterize the writing and presentation, e.g., competent, wordy, honest, less than honest, direct, pretentious, dull, snappy, condescending, pedantic, jingoistic, insightful, juvenile, or an engaging professional unbiased style we wish the Star Tribune would adopt? Is there content that should not be there, like an implied political endorsement? Is there content that is unfounded in fact or by the best credible research?


• Value: Is this site helpful, particularly to a student's family? How about to a family considering moving in or out of the District? Or a family considering Open Enrollment or other options?

This is not about the Parent Portal, which is a separate site with accounts and security for parents to get student-specific information.

You could obviously spend a lot of time on this, but whatever time you care to "donate" is much appreciated.

The Robbinsdale Area Schools, District 281, has been doing a fast-paced visioning process the past month. This was deemed necessary before the referendum last year, and especially after it was defeated. I have posted my support for this process and participated in six of the many community visioning sessions: two general, one each high school, middle school, elementary, and ECFE.

Today, Saturday, was the big wrap up meeting where all that raw input and preliminary scoring was presented to a group of 32 "community leaders" drawn from the School Board, District Staff (principals and below), city government, business, parents, and taxpayers. I was honored to be invited by the Board as one of those 32 evaluators.

This went from about 8:30 am to nearly 3 pm, with only a quick lunch for a break. A number of initiatives for change were developed, including action plans. Much as I would like to share those outcomes, the Board and Staff will now work this up into a formal document to be presented at the Monday, May 5 School Board meeting. I'm going to be respectful and let the Board present it at the Monday, May 5 regular session at 7 pm. I will be out of town that day, but will have the DVR record it via Comcast channel 22.

I will share this: Superintendent Stan Mack made an interesting observation at the end, expressing some surprise that class sizes didn't make the final cut. It appeared throughout the raw data, but apparently the other issues around it always seemed more important to us. I agree with Mack, this is surprising indeed, having heard this over and over at the community visioning sessions I attended.

But now that I think about it, this could be evidence of a successful process today. For while both staff and parents cite class size as a concern, when listed with other issues it took its rightful status as a symptom. Address the other issues like funding, scheduling, and testing, and class sizes will take care of themselves.

I found this whole process very helpful to me, gaining considerable understanding of how the district works and what the parents expect. But now it's time to resume my quest for understandable financials, possibly as part of one or more initiatives developed today.