The following is a Letter to the Editor recently published in the Pioneer Press:

This paper's editorial on the upcoming school board race ("No glitz, but this election is important," Oct. 1) stated: "When it comes to education, we believe St. Paul is the place to be."

Your next sentence should have been: "If you're white, that is."

Your writers covered everything from the budget to the number of employees. Funny that they didn't cover the one really important thing, the success of our learners.

Yet, even school board members are using the word "urgent" and "not acceptable" when speaking about "minority" test scores.

I put that word in parenthesis because Caucasians are now a minority as well, yet 71 percent to 80 percent of them reach math and reading proficiency. I guess a 30 percent proficiency rate in math and a 41 percent proficiency rate in reading for our African-American learners might mean St. Paul is the place to "not be" for them.

We can listen to incumbents Elona Street-Stewart talk about institutional racism and John Brodrick talk about how long he's been a teacher in the St. Paul schools and Tom Goldstein tell us he hasn't been there long enough to do anything about the dismal failure (my words) of our schools with so many students.

If the people of St. Paul decide that this is the year that they really care about education in St. Paul, they will vote for Chris Conner, Pat Igo and John Krenik.

These are the candidates who use the words "urgent," but won't make excuses for failure.

Georgia Dietz, St Paul

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