On Nov. 7, I will cast my vote to re-elect Representative Al Juhnke and Senator Dean Johnson. I hear both candidates speak on health care, employment, transportation and education in general, which is good; but I want to know if I am getting more than lip service on a general issue; I want to know how informed they are about that which affects my family.
For example, I want to vote for a candidate who will promote early childhood and family education. Last session, I approached Representative Juhnke giving him my "stump speech" asking if he knew 50 percent of Minnesota children aren't ready to learn when they enter kindergarten explaining half don't know how to hold a pencil, don't understand letters make up words and can't sit still for 10 minutes.
Representative Juhnke interjected, citing other statistics I was prepared to share. We talked about funding for ECFE and how it has decreased since 2003; how he and Senator Johnson successfully voted for an increase this year and yet it is only one percent of our current state budget. We talked about our joint belief that school success starts with the youngest kids, giving them and parents tools to succeed from the beginning.
We talked about the Federal Reserve Board study showing return on tax payer investment with lower unemployment rates, lower crime rates, etc. in communities with more early childhood education. We discussed the benefit of parent education, like my family has taken at Washington Learning Center, to learn things like allowing children to draw on a vertical surface such as an easel develops the brain to read left to right or how to avoid melt-downs at the grocery store.
Senator Johnson routinely talks about early childhood education and funding and is attending a meeting on the same with local early childhood education advocates and parents in November. Recently, Johnson and Juhnke attended an event promoting literacy and safety for kids under 5 at the Willmar Fire Station. As long as they are there for my family, I will be there with my vote for them.
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Thank you!
Jill Gould
Willmar
