Readers Write: Education, President Donald Trump, Minneapolis mayoral race

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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A July 30 letter writer (Readers Write) expressed concern over the increase in non-teaching staff at public schools from 1992 to 2009, but fails to mention the reasons for this increase.

In 1992, the law that created special education as we know it (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) had only recently been passed. Services schools are required to provide have increased significantly since then due to its expansion. Many students now have a legal right to special education paraprofessionals, some with one-on-one support. Schools also hire lawyers, secretaries or clerks and administrators to navigate special education requirements.

The school shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999 and other mass shooting events resulted in schools providing increased security and mental health services.

Former President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, which required schools to take data on standardized test results. While NCLB has been replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act, the standardized testing and data mandates remain today.

The role of the internet in our lives has expanded greatly since 1992. Students are taught how to use the internet and schools provide public data online. This means schools need IT teams not only to assist with technology, but also to defend against hackers.

As for Rick Fraser’s demand that every district should have to publish exactly how education dollars are spent: That’s already happening. Contact your local school board if you want to see your district’s budget.

Matthew Byrnes, Hopkins

It is flabbergasting that neither the Minnesota Star Tribune, the Associated Press, the New York Times nor the Washington Post have any mention in their coverage of the so-called tariff agreements and how they are illegal and unconstitutional. Congress must approve tariff or trade agreements. It’s in the Constitution! The president can only adjust tariff rates in specific situations. President Donald Trump’s excuse for exercising tariff powers is that we are in an economic emergency, based on trade imbalances, which have been present for many years and have created no emergency situation. The U.S. Court for International Trade has declared that this rationale is invalid, illegal and unconstitutional.

When covering these vital issues to our economy, journalists must put them in proper context and keep the public fully informed.

Gary Fifield, St. Paul

If we have any real interest in winning back the White House and restoring strong, stable leadership, we must move toward the middle. The country is not made up of extremes — far-left or far-right. The majority of Americans live somewhere in the middle, and they are looking for leaders who reflect balance, pragmatism and real-world solutions —not just rhetoric. When voices within our party, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, call for efforts like impeaching President Donald Trump at this stage, it comes across as political theater. These actions may energize a narrow segment of the population, but they do not reflect the priorities of the majority. They risk making our party appear out of touch and unserious.

Let’s be clear: If the Democratic Party continues to cater primarily to its most radical elements, it will alienate the very voters it needs most —independents, moderates, working-class families and pragmatic liberals. These are the people who decide elections and right now, many of them feel abandoned. I urge you to steer our party back to the center. Advocate for policies that reflect broad consensus. Show the American people that we are capable of leading with reason, unity and purpose. If we fail to do this, we will not only lose elections — we will lose the faith of the people. The Democratic Party I believe in — the one I have stood with all my life — is still worth fighting for. But it must evolve to meet this moment or it will be left behind.

Gerald Simonich, Bloomington

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I would suggest that the Minnesota Democratic Party has a prime opportunity to show the entire nation what it looks like when the Democrats choose a candidate based on electability rather than just desire. (Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton are two recent candidates that I supported but based on the outcomes were not electable) I strongly support Joe Thompson to be the Democratic candidate for Minnesota governor in 2026.

If progressives truly want to end the chaotic and sometimes immoral current government in this country, we need to focus on candidates who are electable even if they do not hold all the “correct” positions on issues.

Stanley Hacker, Minneapolis

I’m getting mighty frustrated with the Minnesota Star Tribune’s insistence on framing the Minneapolis mayoral election as a two-person race. Recent coverage of the election has treated it as a battle between a socialist and a moderate, which is just not accurate. The story of this election so far is that people are tired of incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey, are eager for change and have an opportunity to choose who they want to lead that change.

We are fortunate to have ranked choice voting in Minneapolis, which enables voters to act on this sentiment by voting for three candidates who are not named Jacob Frey. We are blessed to have three strong alternatives, including not only state Sen. Omar Fateh, but also Jazz Hampton and, my top choice, DeWayne Davis. We have the ability to rank these three good candidates in our order of preference. Leave Frey behind, and elect a mayor who has the support of the majority of voters.

This election is not a binary choice between Fateh and Frey. Please stop portraying it as such.