LETTER: SLP School Board Member Has 'Never Been More Proud' of District

Although this past school year was a difficult one in St. Louis Park, I have never been more proud of who we are and what we have accomplished. We have a bright future in store. The tragic events at Lilydale Park have only strengthened my belief that this community can surmount any obstacle it faces.

Like every school district we face a persistent achievement gap, but we have shown real, measurable progress. For example, the SLP black student graduation rate in 2012 and the increase from 2011 to 2012 were the highest in the state. Additionally, within the last few years we have gone from 12 black and brown students taking AP and IB tests to 113. These students have taken a total of 270 AP and IB classes!

All of our students are getting a rigorous education. The Washington Post has ranked SLP High School as the second most demanding public school in Minnesota. This year’s graduates will be heading to the most reputable colleges across the country including Yale, Northwestern, Wellesley and Berkeley.

These successes have occurred during a decade of stagnant funding from the state. Dr. Debra Bowers, our outgoing superintendent, presided during a time of difficult budget decisions and has laid a solid foundation for the next decade. Thanks to her and her very capable staff we have built a $4 million plus fund balance from almost nothing, and thanks to our local legislators (Reps. Simon and Winkler and Sen. Latz) and their colleagues, we can look forward to increased investment in education from early childhood scholarships, all day kindergarten starting in 2014-15 and better per-pupil funding.

We as a School Board unanimously chose our current High School principal, Mr. Rob Metz, to serve as our new Superintendent and build on this foundation. Mr. Metz has proven to be a highly effective leader who uses data and collaborates with all stakeholders to get results. He knows the “SLP Brand,” and I am confident that he will continue to succeed in this “diverse, tolerant community that’s small enough that everyone can participate and thrive” (his words slightly modified by the author).

We will always have challenges: from narrowing the achievement gap, to dealing with the freight rail re-route, implementing IB across the district, creating enough physical space in our elementary schools, preparing our students to learn and work with 21st Century technology, and more. But from what we have seen in the last few weeks and last few years, I couldn’t be more optimistic.

Joe Tatalovich
St. Louis Park School Board