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April 6, 2000
GFW students discuss gradstandardswith SchunkBy GUY PRIEL Journal Staff Writer GIBBON -- The purpose behind Minnesota graduation standards and efforts for improvement became the focus of discussion at GFW Schools Wednesday when Lt. Gov. Mae Schunk visited the district. "I listen to groups like this and take concerns back to the governor, so we can work to make things better," Schunk said during a question-and-answer session with student council members from the high school and middle school. "I see a lot of needs across the state." One student said that he didn't see the need behind the grad standards and felt they were not needed because his older siblings didn't have to deal with standards. "I don't know that we ever had standards before this," Schunk said. "We have many students that haven't mastered basic skills, which is why they were developed in the first place." Standards establish a beginning point that helps prepare students for college and helps demonstrate what is needed by graduates as they enter the workplace, she said. "We have a committee that is looking at the number of standards," she said. "We realize that things need to be changed in the standards. They should have been started in kindergarten. I'll agree with that." Teachers are able to write their own curriculums to fit the standards. Schunk wants teacher to have more staff development time for that task. Minnesota is one of the last states to establish standards. "Two grades are given to students," she said. "One for the standard and one for the class. Are we doing right by having two scores? What is interesting is that private schools don't have these standards in place." "Everyone has different learning styles, and this needs to be taken into account when changes are made," Schunk said. "Students need more time to demonstrate what they know." An organization known as Achieve is helping state officials determine whether 24 standards are enough or too many, or if there should be more, she said. "We have to decide why our (students) are doing poorly in math and science as well," she said. "Reading scores have come up, but math scores have not. A lot of this is up to students. We are also looking at assessments to decide if we're doing enough tests and at the right grade levels. I think we do too much testing." One student commented that tests were not effective, because teachers have a tendency to teach toward the test, then reteach what was missed, then test again. "We really need to look closely at this issue," Schunk said. "Learning is hard, there is no doubt of that. There will be bumps in the road. We need to do what we can to make it so (students) will want to learn." Following the meeting with the students, Schunk spent some time visiting with board members and staff. Discussions ranged from the recent district-wide cuts; the need to offer enough classes to meet grad standards; the idea of using lottery money, or a portion of the state surplus to fund education; special education funding; and ways of dealing with declining-enrollment issues in rural Minnesota. "This is the first group of students I have visited with who asked questions about the country," Schunk said. "They are very aware of what's going on nationally. That speaks well of your community, your district, and your teachers." Superintendent Stephen Malone encouraged her to urge state officials to look at the referendum policy throughout the state, because school districts don't have resources to meet basic needs and programs without having a referendum. She presented a book entitled Minnesota, Land of Ten Thousand Lakes to Malone following the visit. The book contains information about tourism, industry and other related information. Schunk and her staff also visited Sleepy Eye Schools.
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