To schools doing well.

Realistic expectations for improvement. That’s what came with the state’s waiver from No Child Left Behind. What Minnesota once called Adequate Yearly Progress has altered proficiency measurements and is called Multiple Measurements Rating, or more commonly MMR. Instead of punishing strugglers and ignoring achievers, it recognizes achievers and bolsters strugglers — a much better approach.

All that said, Albert Lea did well. We are glad to learn that Albert Lea had two school buildings in the top 15 percent in the state. No other school district in the Big Nine Conference can tout that. The district saw increases at all the elementary schools. So did Southwest Middle School and the Area Learning Center. The numbers were down at Albert Lea High School, so — as always — there is work to be done.

 

To vandals at the fairgrounds.

What in the world were the perpetrators thinking when they smashed up two golf carts for a joy ride underneath the Grandstand at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds? They should feel ashamed, and if they were teenagers, their parents should feel awful for not teaching their children to respect other people’s property. No one has the right to break in and destroy what doesn’t belong to them.

 

 

To the mail slowing down.

We understand what the U.S. Postal Service is going through. On one hand, it is expected to act like a business. On the other hand, Congress is its board of directors — not very business-like at all. Meanwhile, more people are using email. This leaves the Postal Services between a rock and a hard place when it comes to managing expenses. Still, no one likes hearing news that parcel delivery will take longer now, sometimes as much as three or four days extra. The Mankato plant will do less sorting of packages, so they now must travel to the Twin Cities.