Why should we in the outer ring suburbs care what happens to our counterparts who live in Minneapolis or St. Paul? Why should we care if a business that we never patronize is destroyed? Why should we care if injustice occurs, so long as it does not have a direct effect upon our lives?
As time goes on in these unusual times, it has become evident that we need to learn to live with the coronavirus. Life is different, we are doing things differently, and normal as we knew it will not exist. We will have a new way of doing things because we are learning that some of these cha…
A little more than a month ago, District 191 and other schools around Minnesota were given a challenge: Create a way to teach while students are away from school, continue to feed our community’s children and provide care for the children of health care and other essential workers.
I am so grateful to all the Minnesotans that are taking this pandemic seriously and doing such a good job of flattening the curve. Though it may not seem like it you are saving lives, it is first and foremost what we need to be doing right now.
The world and our PLSAS community have changed incredibly since I wrote my last column. COVID-19 has caused us all to live, work and adapt to a new way of doing things. Our school district is no exception. With all that has changed, I know some things remain the same, including the way our c…
We are in a public health crisis, and many are making sacrifices that most of us cannot even imagine, especially our front-line health care workers and emergency responders. We are all doing our part in Minnesota to save as many of our neighbors as possible.
The current novel coronavirus pandemic has led to the deaths of over 10,000 Americans, dozens of executive orders that have limited access to everything from work to travel to leisure activities, and the closing of schools across our state until at least May. One thing is certain: We, at lea…
Our state is currently in the midst of a public health crisis that is unprecedented in modern times. The tireless work of our first responders and healthcare workers — to whom we owe a deep debt of gratitude — in conjunction with the compassion that our community members continue to show eac…
I wrote my first message 10 days ago, and much has happened since then. On March 28, Gov. Tim Walz issued Executive Order 20-20 for us to stay at home. I urge you to stay home when not at work, keep a safe distance and wash your hands. Travel only as needed. We need to be safe.
Recently I attended a Prior Lake Chamber business luncheon with several students who participate in Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools’ Minnesota Center for Advanced Professional Studies program. This event was a terrific way for students to connect their learning to the real world, observe prof…
Today, our news is filled with reports of new cases of coronavirus in our state, across the country and across the world. Our natural response is concern, and rightly so. But preparation and working together is key to getting through this public health issue.
Promise yourself “to think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words but great deeds; to live in faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you,” as Christian D. Larson said. These are the last two stanzas of a c…
The No. 1 thing I hear across Minnesota’s Second Congressional District is if health care isn’t affordable, it’s not accessible.
On Nov. 5, 1965, the group known as the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology cautioned President Lyndon B. Johnson that continued accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from fossil-fuel burning would “almost certainly cause significant changes” that could har…
One of our promises to the community through our Strategic Plan is to maintain the financial health of our district through continued fiscal accountability. One of the ways we do that is to review our budget on a regular basis and make adjustments as needed.
Here we are in a new year and a new decade!
Five years ago, Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools set out to make a long-term facilities plan to create more learning spaces for our growing student population. At that time, the year 2020 seemed like such a distant future. Now as we turn the calendar to this new decade, we are seeing years of …
Imagine if you didn’t have to worry about which school your child attends. Wherever they go, they find welcoming, caring, talented teachers and staff.
One year ago, you sent me to Congress to begin the most important job of my life: fighting for you in Washington, D.C.
Live long and prosper. The words of Spock on “Star Trek” could also be a greeting for true Optimists.
You may have noticed my columns have largely centered around our theme for this school year, “Relationships Matter.” I believe this is true not only within our school walls but outside, too, with community stakeholders.
Thanksgiving is not only a special time of year to gather with family and friends; it is also a time to reflect and recount the many blessings we experience as freedom-loving Americans.
Promise yourself to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
In this season of thanksgiving, it is fitting that American Education Week is also celebrated this month, November 18-22. I want to share my gratitude for the amazing staff at Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools and for our community that provides ongoing support for the work we do in educating s…
This week, our community showed their support for District 191 by approving a levy that will provide additional funding for our schools.
The classic jock persona may have been left in the 1980s, but the popularity of sports still remains a reality in many communities. From very young ages, sports are often a part of life for many families in the Savage area. Many families, educators and peers encourage students to play sports…
All Minnesotans deserve access to a great education — it shouldn’t matter what school district they live in, and it shouldn’t cause an ever-increasing burden on local property taxpayers. During the 2019 legislative session, my colleagues in the House and I sought to invest in education while…
Minnesota has a proud history of the highest voter turnout in the nation, and on Nov. 5, we have the opportunity to continue that tradition by showing up to vote in our local elections.
Last fall, more than 125 school and community members came together to review the most important document in Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools: our strategic plan that defines our mission, core values, vision and strategic directions. It was a great opportunity to share all that we are doing in…
This week, most school children across Minnesota will have Thursday and Friday off for MEA Weekend, a break that happens every year and coincides with a teachers’ convention in St. Paul. As our children enjoy the long weekend, I thought I’d take the opportunity to discuss education in our state.
I’m still pretty new to the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 community, and I’m still learning every day.
Earlier this year, when I met with leaders from several southern Minnesota rural electric cooperatives, their communities were still reeling from the devastating blizzards and high winds that knocked out hundreds of power lines across the region and left thousands of families and businesses …
Grievously, we lost a very spirited and sincere man, Joe Vaughan. Mr. Vaughan was a kind, warm-hearted person who brought caring-ness to others, including me. Who was Joe Vaughan to me and others? Mr. Vaughan was the CEO of CAP Agency, a loving friend, a rock solid mentor, a gracious helper,…
Promise yourself to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
The 2019-20 school year is well underway with students settling into their routines. The start of this school year was extra special as we opened new learning spaces and continue construction to benefit our growing student population.
We know there are very real emotional, mental and physical health risks that come with social isolation in seniors. It can lead to higher blood pressure levels, higher rates of mortality and a quicker cognitive decline. The debilitating consequences of this are only amplified when compounded…
Homelessness is an utmost need within our state and Scott County. There are over 7,000 homeless people in the state each day with over 16,550 public school students homeless at some point each school year, according to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
This week, on July 30, we commemorate the 63rd anniversary of when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill into law designating “In God We Trust” as the official national motto of the United States.
The science is clear: Carbon emissions sent into the atmosphere from a variety of human sources threaten to upend our economy, our health, our national security and our very way of life.
Promise yourself to think only the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best. The fifth stanza of the Optimist Creed summarizes the wish we have for all of the new graduates as they embark on the next stage of their lives. Congratulations to the class of 2019!
It is the unofficial start of summer! School is out and nearly 700 Prior Lake High School and Bridges Area Learning Center students have been launched into the world, poised to do great things after receiving their diploma on June 7.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The purpose of the month is to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of mental illness. Through research, it is known that mental illnesses come from genetic, biological, psychological and/or environmental factors. It is not a personal choice or a charac…
Commitment to continuous improvement and strong customer service is not unique to the business world; school districts also look for ways to measure progress on our mission. One of the ways we do that at Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools is by conducting an annual survey of parents, staff and s…
I’ve learned the lessons of depression the hard way. It’s something I experienced first in my late teens and then again in my 30s.
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of delivering a state of the schools presentation to business owners and community members from both Savage and Burnsville. It is always such an honor to share our story with the community and then hear their reactions.
Air is all around us. We feel this air in everything we do, and it’s moving right now through your nose, into your lungs and back out. This air makes up the skin of our planet. Our planet’s skin is thinner comparatively than the skin of an apple. From your backyard, it may look infinite, but…
As winter finally loosens its grip and we begin to embrace spring, at Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools we are already thinking ahead to fall and kindergarten registration. This means we are asking parents of incoming kindergarten students to register online now.
