Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from the speech Albert Lea school board member Jill Marin gave at the Nov. 17 meeting.

Guest column, by Jill Marin

… In all this, I have heard three types of voices. I have heard two vocal minorities. One says, “Don’t even consider the calendar, it is a bad idea, no matter the benefits.” The other says, “Go ahead with

the calendar. It is a great idea, no matter the consequences.”

The largest voice I have heard and what I consider by far the vocal majority says this, “We appreciate our school district and our educational system. We are trying to inform ourselves on this proposal. If this proposal would really cause positive change, my family would try to make the necessary sacrifices to make this happen. But, we are just not seeing that, and we would like the district to consider other options to meet their goals.”

The community has always been supportive to the district, whether it be with the passing of a referendum or meeting a need in another way. I believe we are in jeopardy of losing that support if we do not get their message in this.

I appreciate many of the potential positives of a balanced calendar. I like the condensed quarters and the semester break before the end of the year. I can see the benefit of additional classes for credit being offered during the October break.

I do, however, have major concerns about how this particular proposed calendar will impact all our students and community. I appreciate our value of trying to do “what’s best for kids.” Another value we have considered important in directing decision making is to “not make things harder on families.” The community as a whole has these same values. And we, as the governing board of the school district, must consider ourselves in a partnering role with the community.

I do not feel the proposed balanced calendar is the right fit for this community at this time. Even though the present-day calendar may have originally been based on an agricultural system and farming systems have changed some since then, the community we live in and its economic system do continue to operate on a seasonal calendar.

During the busy summer months, businesses provide services for those traveling through our area as well as provide services for our community, including recreation, production and construction. These opportunities are naturally limited by change of seasons and amount of travelers passing through at different times of the year. With students not being available to work and families not being able to use these services during the majority of August, this calendar will disrupt the economic system of our community. I do not believe this is best for kids, and I believe this makes things harder on families.

The proposed balanced calendar will make things harder on our free and reduced students and families. The very students we are trying to target to help. Many of our families are already struggling with balancing needs in their lives. They are trying to choose what is best for their kids with what they can afford. They are struggling to pay for pictures, fees, and equipment. They choose a smaller home or an older vehicle to make more resources available to their children.

These families are not concerned about losing their preferred week to take their vacation at their cabin or out of country. These families don’t have that luxury. They are concerned about losing the ability to take vacation time at all. They will not be able to get away from work because of scheduling requirements.

These include hard-working families in our local companies and in our local law enforcement, who put their lives on the line for us every day. Do we really want to make it harder for these kids and families to be together? We may call the calendar flexible, but to these families, it is anything but flexible. These parents work to provide for their families, and day care costs will go up for these families.

Many of these students seek out and find employment, especially during the summer months and these jobs are not available in October and March. These kids don’t have a college fund set up; they are paying their own way through life and college. Some also work during the school year, which does have an effect on performance in school. Many of these kids are our high-performing kids.

I understand these families, and my family is one. Do we really want to cause this struggle to be harder? Do we want to force our students to work even more during the school year or come out of college with greater debt because they weren’t able to set enough aside? I do not believe this is best for kids, and I believe this makes things harder on families.

Also, our high-performing students will face challenges. Currently, many students are involved in multiple activities in the fall semester. Many of these students will need to drop an activity or two because it will not be physically possible to attend school, work and attend the required practices for their activities.

These types of problems weren’t accurately addressed during our community survey, when questions were asked such as whether one would support the calendar if they knew that sports issues could be addressed. …

Finally, as I have considered this proposal up until this very moment, another concern has arisen very greatly within me. I do not have all the answers, but I am offering my experience. I have worked with poverty families and ethnic minority families for over 26 years, 22 right here in Albert Lea. I am aware of resources currently being offered and many perceptions the community has concerning these populations. I am involved in many groups including Leaders Partnering to End Poverty, the ACEs (or Adverse Childhood Experiences) task force, and other groups which aim to meet community needs.

The community is working toward reducing stereotypes, isolation and social stigma of ethnic groups, but it is not where it wants to be yet. Social stigma with poverty is alive in this community as well. Many families who qualify for free and reduced lunches do not apply for the benefit because of stigma.

We already know that is the probable reason our high school numbers of free and reduced are lower — the students do not want to be associated with free and reduced because of stigma.

Many of these families are hard-working families who are making their own way in life. Many of us here are those families. As a community, we are working to reduce this stigma. Many programs are in place in the community to help address needs of kids and families in poverty and at risk. Some of the programs will be forced to provide fewer supports to these kids with the proposed calendar. This is not best for kids and makes things harder on families.

I am also by choice a member of an ethnic minority family. I do hear things differently than the majority based on this fact, and people will say things to this face not aware of the fact that my family is ethnic. I have heard the people groups I celebrate being referred to as undesirables, lazy, criminals, unmotivated, you name it. …

Let me say I love the way members of the community are beginning to rise to address this issue and advocate on behalf of poverty and minority families. When it comes to this proposed calendar though, a sense of dread has grown within me during the past period of time.

I see our ethnic families about town and I know some of the struggles they already face when it comes to stereotypes and perceptions. They do not want to be the focus of attention, but now all attention is being placed on them. Who do we envision when we speak of remedial students and free and reduced families?

It is the ethnic minorities that come to mind, not the white family or student. If the community is not ready for this change in calendar, who will be bearing the brunt of that anger and frustration in the grocery store, or on the street, or on the playground in August when families have to end their summer and send their kids to school?

The ethnic minority kids and families. Who will bear the brunt of the blame if scores and rates don’t come up? The ethnic minority kids and families. This increases social stigma and isolation. This is not best for kids, and this makes things harder on families.

These are unintended negative outcomes of the issue we are deciding on tonight. These are what the facilitator stressed were the most important to consider during this process, yet we have not worked through those together as a board. …

Jill Marin is a member of the Albert Lea school board, which meets Monday to consider the calendar proposal.