Elizabeth J.

Warpinski
*** *th St SE
Apt *
Minneapolis, MN 55414
11/20/2014
The Honorable Patricia Torres Ray
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 309
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606
Dear Senator Torres Ray:
My name is Elizabeth J. Warpinski, and I am a reserve teacher in the Minneapolis
Public Schools district. I am also a graduate student, studying for my licensure in
secondary communication arts.
I am writing you in regards to the bill concerning school start dates. Prior to the end of
the 19th century schools were open for as long as they could afford to be and had
students attending them. As school calendars were dictated by the needs of the
community, many were open for the full twelve months, with more than 200 days of
instruction. The 9-month school year was originally implemented at a time when a
plurality of families were still farming, school buildings were without climate control, and
public schools wanted to be unified in the way they were organized. The 9-month
arrangement allowed children of farmers to receive adequate education and still be
available to help with the majority of farm work.
This is no longer the case. While some communities may still be dominated by farming
families, the majority now live in towns and cities where a seasonal based education is
no longer necessary. Furthermore, for children in poverty, sometimes school is their only
available option for a number of resources, such as meals, health care, access to
literature, and adult supervision, and a long summer break puts these students at risk.
As Minnesota is a diverse state, with rural, suburban, and urban communities, it is
improbable that a single calendar or school start date would work for all of them. It
should be the prerogative of each individual district when to begin classes each year
and how long their year should last.
I appreciate the work you do and ask that you please send me a response letting me
know what we can do to improve the options regarding school start dates in the state of
Minnesota.
Thank you for your time and considering my request.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth J. Warpinski