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st. louis park high school | 6425 w. 33rd street, st. louis park, mn 55426
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wednesday, october 20, 2010 | volume 8 | issue 03
Dayton presents agenda Candidate responds to Park’s educational leaders
Budget cuts cause educators to urge help from state government
views on education reform at the campaign event, their responses to his plan are mixed. Junior Sahaam Abdi said she feels taking the tests twice each year is not the solution and takes too narrow of an approach to Kelsey Reid | editor-in-chief judging student learning. “The tests are not really an rom a closed school to effective way of measuring how postings of cut classes, we’re doing because you can easthe impact of budget ily have an off day or get tired becuts on students is clear. But cause the tests are so long,” Abdi the solution is yet to be found. said. “It would be better if they Superintendents, school Photo I Alex Kersten measured based on what we are acboard members, teachers and Giving the Pitch: Gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton addresses issues involving school funding, tually learning in our classes.” parents from various metrospecifically for special education, during a campaign event in C350 Oct. 6. Minnesota House Speaker Mararea schools presented to Dayton’s policies for high schools include recent loss of opportunities for students,” garet Anderson Kelliher said she feels the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party gubernatocurrent administration has put too much rial candidate Mark Dayton about the im- increasing funds to lower class sizes, reduc- Dayton said. One of Dayton’s plans is to reform the emphasis on standardized testing. pact of recent budget cuts on education Oct. ing activity fees, offer a greater variety and “It’s become the Department of Testing, number of elective courses, give students current standardized testing model to one 6 in C350. Dayton also presented his education plan experience with technology and increase the that measures student improvement from not the Department of Education,” Kelliher said. “Standardized testing isn’t education.” the beginning to end of the school year. and received feedback from local school number of students who attend college. Though Dayton didn’t hear any students’ “We have to be concerned about the leaders.
F
Dayton | 02
Mark Dayton
tDemocrat-Farmer-Labor
General education policies: Increase state investment in public education to address problems such as class sizes and increase spending on education every year he is governor. “We need to ensure we offer a menu of different educational opportunities to our students,” Dayton said.
Plans that could affect Park: 1 Reduce high-stakes tests and focus on constructive diagnostic tests. 2 Emphasize science, technology, engineering and math.
Tom Emmer
Republican
General education policies: Give certain schools exemptions from local and state mandates and issue spending freeze on education.
Tom Horner Independent
General education policies: Reduce rigidity in the education system, such as rules regarding teacher seniority.
“We’re looking at ways to work with and better the schools that aren’t performing at the levels we need them to be,” communications director Carl Kuhl said.
“We need a little bit of flexibility from everybody at the table,” press secretary Matt Lewis said.
Plans that could affect Park: 1 Giving students from underperforming schools the opportunity to attend higher performing ones.
Plans that could affect Park: 1 The advocation of more charters schools, such as Quest Academy in Park.
2 The support of “alternative teacher licensure,” which would allow experts in certain fields to become teachers without as much acedemic training.
2 Investment in technology as a complement to faceto-face interaction with teachers.
Information compiled by Brandon Klugman | health editor sources | www.horner.com, markdayton.org, www.emmerforgovernor.com, www.minnpost.com, www.startribune.com, www.mncharterschools.org, minnesota.publicradio.org
School violence proves to be blown out of proportion Despite rumors of more fights, statistics do not support claims Josh Crandell | opinions editor
T
he old saying, don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill, seems more relevant than ever at Park. Since the start of the school year, multiple confrontations have occurred. Sept. 21, several students in world drumming locked a substitute teacher in the band closet. Oct. 5, a physical confrontation between two students outside the school occurred. Oct. 6, three students engaged in a verbal confrontation in a sophomore English class.
Additionally, the number of cases of In School SuspenDespite the gossip about fights running throughout the student body, assistant principal Clarence Pollock said the sion from Sept. 1 to Oct. 13 have dropped from 194 cases in number of fights and assaults is actually lower than last year, 2008 to 170 this school year. However, some students like sophomore Greg Jacobs attest to a feeling of hot blood runand no connection exists between fights. ning through the student body. “These fights are occurring among less “There is definitely a different feeling than 2 percent of the student body,” Police this year,” he said. Liaison Troy Peek said. “The reason [for the The fights are While Jacobs may be referring to the fights] is usually a personal issue between stuoccuring among student environment where 25 more susdents, but it is rarely anything more serious.” less than 2 percent pensions occurred than last year, Peek Freshman Naris Uzzell said he thinks the of the student said he can’t contribute any of the hapfights are fairly isolated. body penings to any single cause. “The fights are mostly over stupid things,” Troy Peek| Police Liaison Despite rumors, according to the adhe said. “Some are as stupid as someone pushministration violence is average this year. ing someone else accidentally.”