Shakopee Opinion

Stakes are always high when you are making decisions that affect the future of students, teachers and the community.

It was the second-to-last week of school and my class gathered in the breezy shade under a patch of trees on the south side of Sweeney Elementary School. They giggled and goofed around, taking pictures with a student whose last day was today — she was headed to camp for the last week. One of…

A thriving public school district is the result of a strong partnership with the community. In fact, our public schools are the community’s schools. Our school board serves on behalf of the community.

The final chapter of another school year has been written, and it was a year like no other.

One of the most vital areas of a school board’s role, and a public school district, is to first and foremost continually focus on the positive growth and education of all students while supporting staff throughout. But arguably second is to consistently engage with the community given our se…

The for-profit National Home Builders want a one size fits all approach in Minnesota’s 850 cities and 1,700 townships. That is why they are advancing legislation in St. Paul that is a serious threat to the local control entrusted to cities in how they grow.

Over the past year, educators in every district across the U.S. have pivoted and adapted, all while continually seeking new ways to provide quality education, to all students. Our district is no exception.

We are wrapping up the 12th week of the legislative session and it’s become quite clear that the DFL members that control the Minnesota State House are intending on wrapping up most of the legislative efforts into gigantic omnibus bills. Of course, this could eventually lead to Speaker Melis…

It is hard to believe that it has been almost a year since COVID-19 began to grip our state causing a major shift in the delivery of education to students. I recently read an article about education in 1937 during the polio outbreak. The photograph with the article showed several children hu…

The Legislature is into its second month and thus far I have managed to work both across the aisle and increase accountability in St. Paul. I’m proud to say a bill I co-sponsored last month with a handful of Democrats has already become law.

First of all, thank you again for putting your trust in me to be your voice in St. Paul. Being the third generation Mortensen to live in Shakopee, it truly is an honor to be your representative. Of course, we aren’t all going to agree with one another and that’s OK. We just need to be tolera…

Personality, quality, and heart; that is what makes up a local business; it’s not about branding, celebrity endorsements, or labels. Small businesses have two priorities: what they do, and who they do it for. Their passion is their products and services, and the people they share them with. …

As 2020 draws to a close, I want to acknowledge and recognize the significant challenges we have all faced while doing our part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. We all have sacrificed so much. We will continue to be on guard throughout the vaccine period which will stretch into the new year

As a school board, we would have never guessed that we would have to grapple with a world-wide pandemic during our time on the board.

This was a year of firsts for the Shakopee City Clerk’s Office. It was the first time the city conducted the presidential primary, held absentee in-person voting at City Hall and prepared elections in a global pandemic. Through all these firsts, we want to acknowledge all those who helped us…

Minnesota’s seasons can change quickly. It often seems that just when you get settled into a summer routine, summer ends. That was doubly true this year.

Benjamin Franklin once said that an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.

March seems like such a long time ago when our staff and students were part of an abrupt change from classroom learning to distance learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of the school year, we had visions of students returning to school on Sept. 8 like a normal school yea…

What will school look like for Shakopee Public Schools this fall? This is a common question and is currently on many minds.

As a young child I was taught the concept of head in the sand. At an early age I also realized the adage, never cry wolf, and its impact on our actions and lives. This summer began with an explosive mandate on recognizing racism for what it is and how it affects all of us, not simply people …

Chances are you spent the last 90 days at home, watching streaming services and eating more processed food than normal (I know I did). You were probably sitting more often, moving your body less, and your sleep schedule might have changed due to not having your normal work schedule dictating…

This is the time of year school board members look forward to. It is the end of another school year and we are able to celebrate the achievements of all the students, teachers and staff in our district. However, this year is a little different with the COVID-19 pandemic and the altered plans…

Over the past six weeks, there has certainly been a significant amount of change in the world — change that was sudden and unexpected. There wasn’t a book to pull off the shelf to help guide us through it. When Gov. Tim Walz issued the executive order declaring that the state of Minnesota wa…

Social isolation is a real health threat to seniors even before COVID-19. In fact, the National Poll on Healthy Aging shows that one in four seniors face isolation and one in three lack constant companionship. The National Institute on Aging states that isolation is linked to higher risks fo…

Last month, I discussed the importance of listening to all stakeholders in our district. When I studied journalism as part of my undergraduate degree, I learned that if I wanted to be a good interviewer, I needed to be a good listener. This learned skill is also critical in a leadership role…

A top priority for me this legislative session is to ensure that when Minnesotans need to get their prescriptions refilled, they can afford to. For too many families in our community, paying those bills has gotten harder and harder as prescription drug companies continue to raise prices.

When considering your living and lifestyle options in retirement, you should include senior living communities. At first glance, senior living may appear to be expensive because it is more than just an apartment — it’s a community that offers a lifestyle.

On Jan. 6, I was elected to serve as chair of the Shakopee School Board by my peers. While this is only my second year of service on the board, I appreciate the confidence bestowed in me to lead the school board in 2020.

For over 50 years, the Shakopee chapter of Junior Chamber International has brought the Jaycee mission to our community, to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change. JCI Shakopee and its members were honored to receive multiple awards at the JCI M…

Shakopee is blessed with an abundance of parks. At the east entrance, Memorial Park represents the city’s history. Huber Park, at the north entrance, showcases the city’s entertainment options. And, at the southwest entrance, Lions Park highlights recreation activities.

Early childhood education is a very important part in preparing a child for elementary school and beyond. Being school ready not only includes learning the alphabet and recognizing numbers, it also includes instilling practices that allow children to have better social skills and less proble…

Where would Education Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year Kelly Holstine be without President Donald Trump? The former alternative school teacher at Tokata Learning Center in Shakopee first called attention to herself by letting it be known to the media she was skipping a White House ceremony to…

The year 2020 is here and the Shakopee Police Department is launching our “Lock It, Shakopee” campaign aimed at eliminating the most preventable crimes in our city — thefts from unlocked vehicles and burglaries due to open doors. Here’s the catch, we need your help to make this happen.

You visit your mom and/or dad and you feel like something is off; you are noticing things that weren’t there before and your gut is telling you something isn’t right. How do you know when changes in mood, behavior or wellness should be of concern?

On Jan. 1, Minnesota’s minimum wage went up.

Winter has come, and that means college students will be looking for ways to keep warm without breaking the bank. A common way students seek to do this is by using electric space heaters, but in general, using space heaters is more expensive than turning up the thermostat on your natural-gas…

While my wife and I were grocery shopping the other day we happened upon a canned energy drink from an international soda company that had the term “organic” in large letters across the entire length of the can. We were curious about the “organic” designation, so we removed the can from the …

“Hey Korbyn, what do you think about ‘Diet X?’” is one of the questions I receive most often from the members of my gym or even people in general when I tell them I’m in the health and wellness field is what I think about the latest diet trend sweeping the nation. This is an extremely comple…