By Aaron Vehling

When almost 6,000 Minnesotans gathered at the Capitol Feb. 28 to rally for education at least two of North Branchís own were there.
Superintendent Bob Stepaniak and school board member Jeanne Walz went to St. Paul to join the crowds of people attempting to relay one message to the legislature - public schools need more funding.

ìWe went down there to show our support for the idea that schools need to be funded appropriately,î Walz said.

The rally was organized by the Alliance for Student Achievement, a group made up of a variety of educational groups, including superintendents, teachers, parents and principals, Stepaniak said. This was unique, he said, because many times they donít agree on things.

There were a variety of speakers at the rally, including the superintendent of Edina schools and a student council president from Hopkins, with whom both Stepaniak and Walz were impressed.

ìIt was great to hear from him,î Walz said. ìIt feels like we have a future for our kids.î
The rally made enough of an impact with Governor Tim Pawlenty that he said he was going to try to improve on his original proposal of two percent funding a year, Stepaniak said. He hopes that the funding increase is not at the expense of another service.

ìThe fear is that he is going to ërob Peter to pay Paul,íî he said.
Walz lamented that the public seems to misinterpret the financial situation of public schools. ìPeople say itís a spending problem.î she said, ìbut itís actually a funding problem.î

Stepaniak, who is a self-proclaimed ìnon-rallying type,î said that everyone at the rally was well-behaved, but were also very passionate about their cause.

ìMany of us are at a point where we are worried that if we donít make some kind of stink about the economic condition, the legislators wonít pay attention to us,î he said.

ìWe canít let that happen.î

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