opinion

I started my column in January with this statement: We have a lot to be proud of in the South Washington County School District. After a difficult month of conversations around the topic of budget reductions, I have been reminded of another reason for that pride: our community. Throughout...

As a District 625 (St. Paul) resident, I’m so grateful my daughters have the great opportunity to attend Valley Crossing Community School. It breaks my heart that children who may not have a top-rated neighborhood school — even those in District 833 — may be denied this chance...

Valley Crossing Community School is an educational Lexus — ‘A Learning Environment eXcelling in a Unique Setting.’ It has received high state and national reviews. Valley Crossing’s 2014 MCA scores showed 15 to 21 percent more students proficient in math over state averages...

I see where the government is preparing to spend more than a hundred million dollars on more preschool programs. This is another attempt for a quick fix for the “achievement gap.” This gap has been with us for at least the last 50 to 60 years. An inordinate amount of money has...

David Carr returned to his native Minnesota in 2012 to address a ballroom full of “my people,” as he would refer to us in a playfully fraternal way. Carr, a New York Times media columnist, was a keynote speaker for a newspaper convention and kept the roomful of reporters in rapt...

My first month as Washington County commissioner has been a busy one. I have been meeting with county staff and learning as much about my new role as possible. We truly have some of the most dedicated and hardworking employees at Washington County. As residents, we should all be...

I’d be lying if I said that the purchase of Valley Crossing Community School wasn’t the biggest disappointment that I’ve experienced in a long time. It completely irritates me that three school districts full of professional educators are unable to see the value that this school...

District 833 has difficult budget decisions to make. We feel that instrumental music at the elementary school level should not be considered. We do not advocate for music just for the love of music but for the benefits it creates for our students and our community. Music instruction...

Stone Soup Thrift Shop in St. Paul Park is a great place to shop for a wide variety of items, and it has allowed me to obtain useful items for my own household as well as gifts for others, including my own daughter. I have found several treasures but my favorite was a rocking/gliding...

I was fascinated to read in the Bulletin recently (“Jacobus receives mid-year review,” Jan. 28) that “the board praised Jacobus’ new cabinet of top administrators...Jacobus’ new standard of accountability for the district and ‘open communication’ amid difficult issues...

Judges hear disputes dealing with some of the most important aspects of people’s lives. We hear child custody disputes, restraining order requests, disagreements about contracts and estates, and a variety of other matters. With so much at stake I am frequently surprised at how unprepared...

The public stage of a process that affects a great majority of the south Washington County public begins in earnest this week when School District 833 launches community meetings on its proposed $8-million-plus budget reductions. Parents and citizens would be wise to pay attention,...

I wish to express my sincerest words of thanks and gratitude to the ladies of American Legion Auxiliary Richard Dingle Unit 98 of St. Paul Park, for their very generous donation to the American Legion Auxiliary Third District President’s Project. The American Legion Auxiliary is...

We have a lot to be proud of in South Washington County Schools. Over time we have developed outstanding programs and opportunities for our students. We have become the district of choice for the metropolitan area’s east side and we want to maintain and enhance our tradition of...