Published the week of 6/12/05

No, teachers can't take letters from graduates to the bank. But after 33 years of teaching, K 12 and college, I've concluded that these notes are what a TV commercial calls "priceless." Here are a few, along with a request. Please take five to ten minutes this summer to write one or two of your favorite teachers. You'll both get more from it than I can convey.

Karen Balmer wrote, "During my tenure at the Humphrey Institute, people frequently would ask, "What will you do with a degree in Public Policy?" While I knew that I wanted to pursue education policy, I did not have a clear picture of what that would look like upon completion of the program. My background included several years as a second grade teacher and I was serving as a locally elected school board member, but it was still difficult to envision how education policy would become a full time vocation.

"I am now working at the Minnesota House of Representatives as a Research Consultant for the Republican Caucus. I serve the members of the Education Policy and Education Finance Committees by preparing committee briefs. I serve all GOP members whenever they have education related questions specific to their local districts or when they need help drafting legislation (or understanding someone else's legislation). I also prepare bill summaries for education bills that make it to the House Floor for a vote.

"I truly believe that the time and energy (and money!) I spent pursuing my degree at the Humphrey Institute was a wise investment that has already yielded great returns."

Neeraj Mehta wrote: "I am currently helping develop a new nonprofit organization in North Minneapolis, the Sanctuary Community Development Corporation. We are... building on the strengths in North Minneapolis to ensure that people of our community are educated, employed and physically and spiritually healthy.

"What helped me the most from attending the Humphrey Institute... two things: First, the push to look at social issues or concerns with depth and holistically. Too often we look at things from a very limited or one sided viewpoint. At the Humphrey I was pushed to dig deeper into understanding the entire scope of both policies and their impacts in the real world. The second thing is related and that is spending lots of time pushing to effectively and clearly define the "problem". A great solution to the wrong problem tends to be a big waste of time!"

Stella SiWan Cheung wrote: "The skills and recognition gained at (Humphrey) allowed me to start my own research and evaluation corporation, ACET, upon graduation.... We serve a variety of PK 16 education and community based agencies."

And from Lisa A. Hinz, "My experience at the Center... got me interested in (combining) education and community development work. So, I became an Extension Educator with the Extension Service of the University... I spent the last 8+ years in south central Minnesota (helping) people... strengthen their communities... I learn constantly while sharing what I know."

Please share with a favorite teacher what YOU now know, and have a great summer.