Does the Governor of Minnesota value working together?

The following is a recent posting on the Citizen's League Open Forum, It sure would be nice to know the Governor's bottom line to this. May I have an appointment with the Governor? Thank you. Tom Wolfgram 763-550-0769

One of my next steps is to understand why a sense of public good as it relates to at-risk children would not bring us together. Society could think and write forever about how all conceived permanent improvements need to start with the children. The issues are just starting to align themselves because of constraints and accountabilities.

More for the Governor to consider as he finds funds for our State to deliver the gift of early reading skills to 100% of the children before kindergarten.

I sent this letter to Nick Coleman of the Star Tribune with a copy to the Governor asking the Governor to find the funds for a focus on the gaps of early reading skills for 100% of the age 3-6 children in the State. It is the fastest way to deal positively with poverty. Even if he has to start an assessment program on state spending. If not that, then at least a voluntary giving program headed first by the State, its employees, and its vendors and then the rest of the effective citizen population. As we can see from the budget process, there is no entity that spends more money in the State than the State or has more employees than the state. That is $24.5 billion dollars of spending a year, not including county, city, and other local government spending. Alternatively, there is enough money in the state, to be rearrange, to cover the gaps of learning that prevent the most at-risk age 5-6 children from entering kindergarten and the race to opportunity on "equal" terms. This gap could not cost more than $200,000,000 per year if it is approached one-size-fits-one and uses effective citizens and resources in the process, accountable to the school systems and the State supplemental education system.

Why the Governor and the State:

Frankly the effective citizen is or will be hurt when they examine and learn how simple the delivery of Early Reading Skills and basic concepts of social skills can be. Honestly, This quality is expected -- as part of what we are already paying for public service now -- that it has been defined by science as critical time sensitive brain development and the State is the last to get it in position is part of the disappointment.

·Sensitive period to learning languages is age 3-6, not kindergarten or first grade.
·At age 3-6 the teaching is an individual gift to the child. Not complicated, but it must be arranged so that one-size-fits-one.
·The resources are there for the asking. Costing $5,000 per child not $15,000.
·It would be the States role to insist on inoculation against disengagement if it could be done with a shot.
·The State just started holding Principals accountable under NCLB (2002) for learning that starts at age 3-6 when the child is fortunate to have an individual giver of early reading skills.

Without the gift at-risk children will be behind, the State has the clout to control the gift delivered to 100% of age 3-6 children. Effective citizens pay later when early reading skills are not delivered, It should not be optional but delivered in partnerships of state-school-community-effective citizens. In an overdramatic statement only the Governor can lead us through this turnaround to the promise of a return on investment. Our effective citizen base is still getting up to speed on what is critical, and will always need this leadership.
·Consumer Education-- the ability to read is the ability to keep up and is the ability to stay engaged. Behind at the start breeds disengagement.
·Consumer Education-- the gift is simple to give because it is naturally received at age 3-6.
·The prescription is best given by an adult, who cares and makes it one-size-fits-one. Could the classroom be made optional? It is now! How can technology be used?
·Expect schools to burst into proficiency because 100% of the children start kindergarten ready-to-read with basic social skills.
·Expect principals to fully engage a network of adult attention to age 3-6 children, focused on the goal and this new input to the systemic process.
·Deliver the gift money from the effective citizen directly to the principal in the neighbor developing and controlling the network. Start now, it will develop fast-- because it is based on truth.
·Expect your own State supplemental education systemic process to do double duty to get the money to the networks because it will in no time reduce the need for supplemental education after grades 3-4. Fight the Federal Education Department to use the Federal supplemental Title I money on kids age 3-6.
·Recognize all the Federal Education and other Federal Agency money that exists for this focus. Help Mayors and School Superintendents and Education Service Cooperatives design the school changes.


Governor-- You are the leader with the biggest bat to start the giving, This citizen likes no new taxes. This citizen thinks the gift of early literacy has to be given outside of the government anyway. Who will lead the largest employer in the state- just to the starting line. See also the citizen league forum. http://citizensleague.net/forums/index.php...hp?showtopic=15

Sincerely
Tom Wolfgram