http://www.stillwater.k12.mn.us/district/district-news-e-news/march-3-public-hearing-and-vote-bold
February 11, 2016
Dear
As the events have unfolded since the announcement
of the BOLD proposal in December, I’ve watched.
I’ve watched, I’ve read, I’ve listened and I’ve learned. I’ve learned a lot about the community from
which I come. I am so intensely proud to
be a part of a community that fights so hard and so tirelessly for what they
believe in and what is RIGHT! I’ve also
learned a lot about the Administration and their philosophies.
The current Administration and the team which was
assembled to come up with this proposal called BOLD are anything but bold. It seems they have purposefully disconnected
themselves from what used to make this district and this valley a great place
to live and a wonderful place to educate your children. They have forgotten what used to make us
great. We did not strive to always have
the biggest and best buildings, or the shiniest and most innovative things. We did strive to educate our children with
the tools we had in some of the best schools in the state. These schools were/are the best because of
the COMMUNITIES that they are a part of.
Our schools succeed due to the wonderful teachers, support staff,
children and parents. This greatness
cannot be shuffled around. It cannot be
moved. To imply that YOU will be able to
recreate this magic that is present each day in my child’s learning experience,
after you close the school and move them around is preposterous. YOU did not create this environment. We did; our community did.
People have provided facts to the contrary of
every point of the BOLD proposal. Each
“fact” of BOLD has been refuted by the parents and community who have provided
actual FACTS backed by actual research.
Nearly each “fact” within this faulty proposal is actually a “fallacy”. And why?
To what end? This proposal has
divided a community, and has been led by an individual who has not even been
here long enough to understand 1/16th of what this district stands
for. I’ll go one step further with this
and say that if Ms. Pontrelli had taken any time to observe and spent any real
time in Marine, Withrow or OP interacting with students, teachers, parents and
the community before this proposal was announced, it never would have come to
fruition, because she would have already known that this is NOT WHAT HER
DISTRICT PARENTS AND TAXPAYERS WANT.
Closing these schools is wrong. It will devastate communities, it will
shatter tradition and excellence, and it is a betrayal of trust. It’s a lie.
I ask you to reject the recommendation to delay
the vote. VOTE NO this evening, and
let’s move on. Let’s come together and
find a solution to problems that are laid out in a manner people can decipher
and understand. Let’s stop the bleeding
here. Tonight’s the night for you to
vote to reclaim our district and our community.
VOTE NO.
Sincerely,
Ami M. Keller-Johnson
