Readers write for April 20, 2010

Your editorial ("Early ed: Don't cut programs that work," April 13) underscored the critical role that quality preschool programs have in closing the achievement gap for Minnesota students.

In the past 10 years, the St. Paul Foundation has witnessed significant results of positive early intervention via our Words Work! program, an early literacy project now run in 106 Head Start classrooms in 20 Minnesota counties. In one independent study, researchers tracked Words Work! students from Head Start though seventh grade in St. Paul public schools. Compared with other children with similar at-risk factors, Words Work! graduates outperformed on multiple measures, including that they were up to three times more likely to score above the national average on tests. The results of Words Work! in St. Paul and the preschool in Bloomington confirm the life-transforming impact of investing in early education.

To help close the achievement gap, we urge legislators and other Minnesota leaders to continue to invest in early childhood programs, teachers and curriculum. We have Minnesota evidence that it pays.

CARLEEN K. RHODES, PRESIDENT AND CEO, St. Paul Foundation

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As a teacher, I've witnessed that there is one school reform that has shown consistent positive results: quality preschool education. If we are truly concerned about the achievement gap, not to mention our future workforce, we will fund early childhood education. It will, without question, have payoff later.

KARI HANSEN, ST. Louis Park

Employees mostly drive in to work, eat lunch at their desks and drive home. We also know that existing empty school buildings are not financially viable to transform into business or administrative uses due to enormous rehab costs.

So in choosing from the top three proposals for the headquarters, we're largely talking about just building a new facility on its own island. Not very visionary for educational leadership in the 21st century.

In various other large districts around the country, innovative leadership has seen the benefits of co-locating with other complementary community services. This saves on costs in a number of ways, including providing services to students and their families in one location.

The key is to create a headquarters that is physically, economically and socially embedded into improving the educational outcomes and lives of students and their families. You have to think about it as more than just a building but a generational investment in the city's future.

PATRICIA DEINHART, VICE PRESIDENT, Urban Design Lab, Minneapolis

And thank goodness the DFL conventioneers have such a good track record for choosing winning candidates.

COREY SEVETT, MINNEAPOLIS

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In your article about DFL gubenatorial candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher ("From Farm to House to Summit Avenue?" April 18), I was quoted as saying I didn't recommend that a woman run as a "woman" candidate. My point was that any woman who relies solely on her gender to win is making a campaign mistake.

Margaret Anderson Kelliher isn't doing that, however. Rather, she is emphasizing the many reasons voters -- men and women -- should support her candidacy: her understanding of statewide issues, her leadership skills and her much-needed collaborative policymaking style. In discussing her primary election strengths, she points out that 58 percent of primary voters are women, a key part of her base of supporters. There is a significant pent-up desire on the part of many, if not most, female voters to vote for a highly qualified woman governor candidate this year. That translates into an extraordinarily motivated, major segment of Minnesota's voting population. Margaret is wise to emphasize her support from women.

Considering paroling Ming Sen Shiue is a terrible affront to the lives of his victims ("After 30 years, will killer be freed?" April 19). The psychological babble masquerading as science arguing he could be "treated" in a less than secure environment made me shudder.

PAUL BEARMON, EDINA

The Gervais family would like to express deep appreciation for the April 18 memorial at the site of the Lake Street fire ("From the ashes rose prayer and hope," April 19).

The event was solemn, peaceful and a beautiful tribute to our loved ones who perished.

Special recognition should go to the Longfellow neighborhood community, the Longfellow Community Council, Father Joe Gillespie of St. Albert the Great Parish and the Minneapolis Fire Department.