Dear Neighbors,
This year's Teacher of the Year will be chosen from a field of 75 teachers, among them our own Alice Nevins of Pierz Public Schools and Ann Hutchison of the Pillager School District! Our community's teachers have worked valiantly to make this past year a productive and educational one for our students. I wish both of our nominated teachers the best of luck as they await the announcement, coming this spring!
With thousands of Minnesota students still in remote learning, and school reopening guidance rumored in the coming days from the Walz administration, I led a news conference Thursday to push for legislation that would empower local school districts to make the best decisions for their districts and remove the Governor's ability to unilaterally keep schools closed. A similar proposal cleared its first committee stop in the Senate earlier this month, and could come up for a vote in the coming weeks.
Getting kids safely back in the classroom has to be our top priority, and we can't have a situation where the Governor is able to stand in the way. This bill simply restores power to our local school districts to make decisions locally. We want to empower parents, teachers, superintendents, and locally-elected school boards to plan and decide what works best for their community.
As a reminder, this weekend is I.C.E. Fest 2021! I.C.E. Fest is a weekend full of fun family events, including the World's Largest Ice Carousel. There will be activities for all ages, plus hot beverages and a warming tent. It runs from 10am-6pm this Saturday, Feb. 13 and Sunday, Feb. 14 at Green Prairie Fish Lake.
The event will benefit Flyer Pride Pack, a weekend food backpack program, and Kare Kloset, a resource to provide students in need with food, clothing, and other necessities. I encourage everyone to head to I.C.E. Fest this weekend!
Our community has always been an incredibly supportive one for those in need, so I have no doubt this will be a successful event! For more info, check out the event's facebook page here!
