Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

I was sent a copy of a video taken at the last school board meeting, I have watched it three times and am very disturbed by the attitudes of several school board members. I would encourage everyone to watch this video.

The school board is elected by the residents living within the school district and are charged with the responsibility of carrying on the business of the school district and the education of our youth. However, that does not mean the public should have no voice or a very limited one. It is our taxes that make public schools possible, and we have every right to be heard.

It’s been a long time since I attended a school board meeting, but I assure you I would have very vocal if I had not been allowed to speak because of some arbitrary rule intended to limit public input. A limit of 10 minutes for public input on an issue as important as education is ridiculous, especially in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic and the disruption it has caused in our educational system. Parents have every right to be concerned and their voices need to be heard.

I have no idea what subject several members of the board are tired of hearing, but if it remains a hot button for the public, board members have a responsibility to listen with an open mind.

When I first heard about the video I expected that it was the audience that was out of line, yet as I watched, the public was well behaved and it was board members who were disrespectful. Especially Mr. Dieser, a man who in the past had my full respect. However, because of his distasteful comments toward the residents he was elected to represent and the language he used, I believe he should resign from the board. Words have consequences.

With the issues now being advocated by the state and federal Department of Education, along with the agendas being pushed by teachers unions, I have serious doubts if I would send a child to public school. I would do my best to enroll them in a private school or with a help of like-minded parents develop a home schooling cooperative.

Perhaps it is time parents take school boards to task for the methods being used to indoctrinate our youth. If this requires civil discord so be it.

I encourage more residents to attend future board meetings so that can understand how the board functions and if the board “leads” or is a rubber stamp for the administration and teachers union.

Don Sorensen

Albert Lea