By MaryHelen Swanson
Camels and horses and elephants, oh my.

All three animals were mentioned at the St. Croix River Education District’s 18th Legislative Forum this past Wednesday, Jan. 6.

In meetings such as this each year, school board directors and administrators discuss state education policy as well as preview the upcoming legislative session with local legislators.

Speaking to representatives of school districts in Chisago and Pine Counties (Rush City and North Branch included) Brad  Lundell, executive director of Schools for Equity in Education (SEE) told the group that “we are at a point in Minnesota history when some things have to change.” He said it’s not a matter of the straw that broke the camel’s back, but the whole bale of straw.

Still, he said “change for change sake has never been a good idea,’ and it was his guess that many children would be left behind in the “change for change sake” arena.

Lundell said it was extremely important to look at innovation in education so that 20 years down the road people in Minnesota didn’t say “Why didn’t we think of that?”

At the legislature this year, Lundell said he hopes people can reach across the aisle to get things done because there are some very big challenges that need bipartisan support.

If there was one word he supported as crucial it was “fairness.”

He said the people in the room that night need to be concerned with fairness.

The most important thing, he explained, is that children throughout the state have access to the programs they need.

Read more about the legislative forum next week in the Post Review, what Rush City Dist. 139 Supt. Vern Koepp had to say that night,  as well as words from a panel of legislators involved in state education policy and budgets.

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