To Sartell-St. Stephen District Community Members,
As members of the Sartell High School English Department, we feel the need to respond to public comments that have become repeated on various social media sites. Over the last two years, our teaching integrity has been challenged by some very aggressive individuals in this community. On multiple occasions, our work has been posted online, out of context, or without full explanation of the curriculum. We have been forced to give up many hours of valuable teaching time with our students to address false accusations regarding our intentions. The negative climate created by this practice, along with specific verbal attacks, has been intimidating and exhausting. Regretfully, one of our best English teachers, who was universally adored by her students, left our district due to this divisive and hostile environment. If we can’t find a way to come together, we are afraid we’ll lose more.
We are sad, discouraged, and quite frankly tired of being silent, while a few people falsely accuse us of pushing a political agenda. This is the furthest from the truth. We seek to provide your children with a comprehensive and well-rounded education that enables them to critically examine the world and learn to think for themselves.
As professionals, we believe that teachers must remain part of the educational conversation in our community. Together we have a combined total of over 150 years of teaching in the Sartell-St.Stephen district. We come from different political backgrounds and viewpoints, but we come together to do what is right for your kids. We love your kids – OUR kids. We do our best to take care of each of them while they are at school. We are passionate about the education of Sartell students, and we ask that you trust us to educate your kids like we’ve been doing for many decades.
SHS English Department Members,
RK Anderson
Anne Bang
Terri Benson
Kelsey Box
Niki Huston
Michele Nelson
Jared Saue
Emily Schmit
Lisa Wilson
