i love morris: Our school's current travail a wakeup call?

Friday, April 25, 2025

Our school's current travail a wakeup call?

So easy to sign on to the "liberalism is bad" attitude over our recent past. The Morris area has been wholly receptive. It appears our DJT sycophant Michelle Fischbach has a lock on her position, maybe permanently. Oh but politics can be so fluid. The pols themselves can be fluid. They want to get reelected.

But there are hardcore principles that most of them don't want to drift away from. If you want assurance that the Federal government will be around to hold our hands, you should vote Democrat. But try selling that on "talk radio," at least the kind of talk radio that has been the norm. Some people must listen to this for many hours at a time.

I checked the schedule for an average day for the iHeart station in Omaha NE - a good Midwestern barometer if there ever was one - and it's a succession of "the usual suspects." I wonder if they'd even go along with MTG with her celebratory remarks after the Pope's death. The "liberal" Pope Francis. Can't we just remember him as a truly caring and empathetic soul? What exists deep down in MTG's soul?

Here I'll insert that "all politics is local." So people really can put aside certain gut biases and care about how people and kids are faring where they live. And schools are always going to be a high priority.

A gut punch to the ribs here in Morris now? I mean with the sudden announcement of staff cuts to our Morris Area system? So soon after we passed a referendum? The superintendent "lectures" us on how the referendum was a completely separate matter, separate from school "operations." Meaning what? That we're screwed on school operations and will have to pass another referendum soon? Oh, joy. And then the school administration and certain sanctimonious community spokespeople will tell us we "have to" pass it.

"Anonymous"

I would not even know about the local school cuts were it not for word circulating from a certain Facebook page. Word really seemed to get around in a short time, perhaps making the supt. want to gnash his teeth. He and the board would be on the defensive. Word sprang from the "Anonymous" Facebook page or so it has come to be called.

And so there was a school board meeting on Monday night. How are the newspaper and radio station doing with covering that meeting? I know from the minimal coverage by the radio station that 100 members of the public were there. I'm trying to picture that: must have been a full room.

I'd like to see more "real" coverage because I assume some citizens must have had something to say. I know that's a mere assumption. If there was any back-and-forth, it would be nice to know at this time about the content. Anyone showing emotions?

I bring up the "macro" picture with Fischbach and others because of course we hear all the talk about Republicans wanting to tear down our government apparatus in Washington D.C., like to even wipe out the Federal Department of Education.

I recall reading that DJT would like to be done with FEMA and to have states pay for disaster relief. But here's the problem: states cannot operate on a deficit, right? Whereas the Feds have massive flexibility even though the deficit itself is an issue. Well, we'll get to that I suppose.

Morris is never an isolated situation. The BOLD school may be isolated with its outright "criminal investigation" with school finances, but Morris is not, I presume.

If it could happen at BOLD it could happen at any outstate school like ours. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? Shall we call for an audit here? Look how the City of Morris decided to train its eyes on the library. Stuff happens.

So now after electing Republicans all up and down the line - we love "fiscal responsibility" - guess what? Well, Minnesota schools get about ten percent of their funding from the Federal government - around $1.4 billion last year. It covers everything from Head Start to teacher training to special education.

Gov. Tim Walz

The Morris cuts look like a precursor or a canary in the coal mine. Gov. Walz expresses concern about the Federal government taking the ax to the Dept. of Education. Walz has said "the president has no idea how education works." When school administrators can't feel certainty about the $ coming in, it's trouble.

Walz has spoken recently with a bridge-building tone with Republicans. The problem is that some Republicans just can't handle it when a Democrat criticizes Trump. One Republican was quoted saying that Walz's positiveness was "overshadowed by a quite frankly angry rant about Donald Trump."

So Republicans refuse to even listen because their "god" of Trump does not get total respect and deference? Does Trump ever get mad at people?

The truism

We will be reminded again I'm sure that "all politics is local." And where can I find some coverage of what all happened at the Morris Area school board meeting? Do I have to go to social media? Think twice before advertising any more with our "legacy media." They take so much for granted.

More of my thoughts on our apparent dicey school situation is on my companion blog of "Morris of Course." This is a fresh post. I invite you to read:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2025/04/was-board-meeting-as-tame-as-was.html

I keep checking the SCT site in case they surprise us with something fresh and helpful, as they did recently when the library story first broke. But now I'm so sick of seeing the same cotton pickin' photo of the two guys fencing! And, the Pablum-like article about the "junior city council member." We have had some real hot-button issues in the community recently. We need to learn more about these. Otherwise, speculation takes over.

And how about the sports link on the paper's website? Seems to be nothing but UMM Cougar sports. If I had to answer for this, I'd be called every name in the book.