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TimestampFull NamePlease add a comment regarding any of the following:
- your experiences at JJ Hill
- your concerns with the proposed budget cuts
- concerns about retaining teachers and staff of color in Saint Paul
- ensuring Montessori schools can continue and thrive in Saint Paul
- whatever else you want to share!
We will print these comments to present to the Saint Paul Board of Education and Administration on Tuesday, May 23!
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19/05/2023 22:54:32Allison PittsOur staff being cut have been part of our community for many years longer than their current union seniority depicts. This staff cut is gutting our school of very important community members. My family selected JJ Hill for the community - learning and growing in community, for multiple years is the Montessori way. This will directly impact and damage learning. Please reinstate our teachers and change contract language to protect BIPOC employees.
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20/05/2023 21:11:06Sarah Cook My family has been a proud part of the JJ Hill community for 6 years. We chose it over the other neighborhood school options in large part because of the appeal of a Montessori elementary education in a diverse public school atmosphere, and have been grateful for our experiences thus far. The recent decision to cut funding for valued staff has been a shocking blow to the community. It seems to be based on faulty interpretations of the available data, and was done in such a way that suggests a direct attack on JJ Hill and the Montessori method. It's not too late to admit your mistake and reinstate the funding for the lost positions.
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21/05/2023 21:30:26Mark Pitts
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21/05/2023 21:39:51Rachel SotoRepresentation matters!
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21/05/2023 21:40:05Kimberly Rosauer You have wonderful, energetic, kind, and talented teacher in Ms, Shevie. If SPPS has decided to let a teacher like that go, I am more than concerned with how they make decisions.
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21/05/2023 21:42:17Breanna StrobelStudents need more good teachers not less. BIPOC students cannot lose the representation, advocacy, and support of teachers who look like and understand them. These things need to be a priority. Put students first, raise more funds. Teachers can't be budget cuts.
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21/05/2023 21:44:25Garth Strobel It is vital that there be a diversity of voices involved in the teaching of our children, which needs to be particularly emphasized in the Montessori setting.
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21/05/2023 22:00:03Patrick KiloranRemoving vital staff of color creates a massive blindspot for admins, other staff, and students.
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21/05/2023 23:23:36Brenna ProczkoThe process for reviewing budget cuts has not been transparent, and it is insulting and disheartening to have the administration make it so difficult to find out the real rationale for cutting four staff at our school. We disagree with the decision and find the information incomplete and incoherent - we have the waitlist to support a seventh CH classroom for next year, and they have no data on why retention rates (which are at or above average for the district) are not as high as they seem to want - not that they've provided any specific targets they're trying to hit.
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21/05/2023 23:29:16Rebecca Sanders
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21/05/2023 23:38:03Julianna Sheridan
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22/05/2023 02:07:16
Stephanie de Sam Lazaro
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22/05/2023 05:31:08Christina StreetMs. Amber is an exceptional teacher and we need our students to thrive. My child was so sad knowing that his teacher is not going to be there next year. He has learned and grown so much this year.
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22/05/2023 05:59:46Sarah JastramMontessori education is unique and should be available for those who want it- this means investing in it. With kids on a waitlist there is interest in attending, it is detrimental to cut a children’s house class.
Research supports the need for black teachers to support black students- cutting the only black teacher is detrimental to the students (all of them) at JJ Hill.
I was a Montessori student- it helped develop a love of learning that is with me now. Cutting teaches and supporting staff decreases the ability for other students to develop that same love of learning.
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22/05/2023 06:31:15Leonard A Madsen
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22/05/2023 06:50:04Ginny WayThe Montessori is a unique teaching model that is a sought after community within the SPPS district. JJ Hill offers the district a chance to benefit from parent’s desires to use this model. The waitlist numbers for our school clearly show that parents want their kids to join our community. I implore you to consider JJ Hill as an opportunity to allow options for parents. It might be cumbersome to administer, I wouldn’t know. But parents are actively seeking the Montessori model elsewhere. Those of us that understand its impact on our children will choose options outside the district. Please keep support JJ Hill with appropriate staff, support staff and classroom size to keep this community vibrant.
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22/05/2023 07:05:01Madeline Phipps
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22/05/2023 07:25:20James Moore
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22/05/2023 07:47:21Thomas G. ParkerI love the Montessori program, JJ Hill culture, and most of all Shevie Brooks (my child’s teacher). Please invest in JJ Hill, invest in Ms. Brooks, and set up the Montessori program for success when it moves to the larger Obama facility.
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22/05/2023 07:47:21Emily Allen
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22/05/2023 08:14:59Elizabeth KarreThese decisions undercut 2 priorities the district has claimed to have in recent years—attract and retain staff and teachers of color and support Montessori education in SPPS because it is popular and effective. How do these decisions make sense to light of Envision plans for JJ Hill and the move to the Obama building? Why would the district restrict enrollment and cut services at JJ Hill?
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22/05/2023 08:25:24Ryan AndersonOur son, Ivyn, is finishing his 2nd and final year in Ms. Shevie Brooks's classroom. She has been nothing short of incredible. We have a spirited but talented little guy and she has worked hard to pull out his potential, encouraged him to take on challenges and leadership roles, and called him out when his behavior didn't meet her high expectations for him. He has matured and grown under her care. The value of him, a white male, having a teacher of color to love and care for and teach him, cannot be measured but is something we are extremely thankful for.

We are extremely saddened that JJ Hill will lose Ms. Shevie next year. And honestly, we're also frustrated and confused, as the numbers - as presented by the district administrators - just don't seem to justify such a decision. I also call for the district to revisit its policies to ensure that they don't undermine its own goals of recruiting and retaining teachers of color. It is the diversity of the people in the school district that drew us to SPPS and it is now it's lack of commitment to it that has us questioning whether or not we will stay.
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22/05/2023 08:28:59Kyla JansenEvery bit of it is concerning to me. If we want to change what the world looks like, we need to start by investing in our youth. If we do not invest in our youth, we are going to continue to have a fractured and divided country. They are our future and they will make it a better place if we guide and invest in them.
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22/05/2023 08:29:55Stephanie Malon-RufiWe have been at the school for 9 years (under 5 different principals). The community and the Montessori education are why we have stayed despite the incredible leadership challenges and constant cuts and changes to our budget and operations. This decision to eliminate a Children's House this year is highly problematic. The projections are the reason given for the cuts and yet the projections support keeping a Children's House.....we can fill a class and still have a waitlist. In addition, if you remove one Children's House, then you are cutting off a flow of students to the upper grades. This is also concerning especially when JJ Hill has one of the highest retention rates in the district and it is well above the district average. Why does the district want to shrink and hurt a thriving school that is a top choice for many families? Why can we not have a true answer to why this is occurring? And why can the community not be included in the budget making process? The lack of transparency is shameful. This entire situation is yet another example of why families are leaving the SPPS school district every year. Not to mention the challenge of keeping committed teachers and attracting and retaining much-needed teachers of color. What is the plan for that?
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22/05/2023 08:39:21Julian Carter
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22/05/2023 09:13:03Katie ParkerWe specifically chose to live in St Paul and send our children to SPPS because of the diversity of staff and students. It is so important to me that my children see teachers and staff of all backgrounds.
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22/05/2023 09:23:55Andrew KarreOu family has been at JJ Hill for a decade. The teachers and staff at the school have worked tirelessly to create a strong Montessori learning culture with, at best, halfhearted support from district leadership. J.J. Hill is a program worth preserving and to do that, it needs to retain its team, especially as the school relocates to a new site. Restore the funding for these positions.
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22/05/2023 09:24:03Leah AvalozWe need have more teachers of color and keep the ones we have.
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22/05/2023 09:58:47
Georgina Chinchilla Gonzalez
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22/05/2023 10:01:52Michelle Gibson
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22/05/2023 10:22:24Cathie Duncan
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22/05/2023 10:31:44Ryan WhinnemMs. Stevie is a valued and exceptional teacher. If there is a true commitment to diversity and inclusion in the SPPS, then this decision needs to be evaluated on something other than a formula.
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22/05/2023 10:37:54Nathanael StellerThis is another example of the decisions being made for schools and staffing continue to be made without considering the weight of consequences to the schools at large. Decisions are being made based on numbers and not the holistic health of the school, staff and students. The elimination of an excellent teacher like Chevie and the loss of representation that comes with that will have devastating impacts on the school community and morale as well as the trust in the school system of St. Paul’s ability to make sure every voice is being heard and utilized.
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22/05/2023 10:38:02Rhonda K RoundsI have concerns about the agenda the school board and assistant superintendents seem to have surrounding axing Montessori programs in Saint Paul. It IS an agenda--by cutting Children's House you are removing an introductory program that leads to kindergarten, which leads to continuation through E1 and E2. Retaining Saint Paul teachers and keeping them happy, particularly our SP teachers and staff of color, is of the utmost importance.

I also have some concerns about the way the district continues to dodge real answers, and has seemingly blamed the union's policies at one point--the union strives to retain our teachers and staff of color.
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22/05/2023 10:40:23Katina FrolekAs a parent and member of this community, I share the same thoughts, feelings and concerns as many other families. Please consider what we are collectively asking for...

1- To reinstate our CH classroom for 2023-2024 and recall ALL JJ Hill staff that were cut.
*With significant state investment, this is the wrong time for budget and staffing cuts at ANY SPPS school. Additionally, our strong retention rates at JJ Hill do not justify the cuts at our school. There are enough families on our waitlist to fill our CH class: when a projection is wrong, it's never too late to make it right.

2- To create a formalized process for district engagement with school communities, related to enrollment projections and budget planning, to ensure the entire SPPS community can share feedback earlier and participate more equitably in the process.
*SPPS could benefit from the feedback and input of its school communities. Leaving a district Montessori position vacant for months and cutting classes and support staff at Montessori schools is a disinvestment in this unique and successful educational model.

3- In the next union contract negotiations, fix contract language to ensure we can retain our BIPOC educators and so they bypass the last in, first out policy that negatively affects BIPOC educators more than white educators.
*It is extremely important that we retain our BIPOC teachers. While it is clear that contract changes are needed to address this at a systems level, adding back our CH class will save our one Black teacher in our school who is a phenomenal teacher and excellent role model for all kids in our school.
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22/05/2023 10:43:57Morgan FoxAs a teacher at the school, I've first hand seen the impact Shevie has on the students. Although she was never a classroom teacher to any of my students (4th/5th grade), she has a tremendous impact on my BIPOC students. They are HEARTBROKEN that we are losing Shevie AND they are ideas for how we can fix this. We can fix this.
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22/05/2023 10:55:02Anna McCullochThe educator in Children's House being cut adds a great deal to the school community, works to act as an advocate for children, supports students as well as families and is working to be Montessori trained. Her leaving would be a significant loss to the community.
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22/05/2023 10:56:17Alyssum AndersonMy son Ivyn Anderson has thrived in his Prek-K classroom. We have loved the Montessori model of education for him and he loves and gets excited about the learning he does and is very motivated by being able to choose his work. He has benefited so much from a diverse learning environment including learning and growing under the wisdom and care of the only Black teacher at JJ Hill. It is incredibly concerning to us that her position is being cut due to the "first in first out" contract rule and believe it is vital for that rule and similar rules to be looked at and adjusted so that BIPOC teacher's and staff can be retained and thrive for their own benefit and the benefit of all of the children they work with. I am very concerned that a classroom has been cut while there is an active waitlist for JJ Hill. The messaging I heard around JJ Hill when we were looking for schools for Ivyn for his Pre-k year was that it was really hard to get into. I wonder at how many people did not even put it as a lottery option since the narrative is that it is hard to get into and so don't "waste" a lottery choice on it. I also wonder at what it would look like to take kids off the waitlist and let the broader St. Paul community know it could be an option for their kids if there is still spaces need to be filled.
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22/05/2023 11:09:19Jacquelyn PropersiI am the parent of two children at JJ Hill and a 3-year old, who will hopefully someday be a student at JJ Hill.
Whatever projections or data administration was working with to plan for these cuts was wrong. JJ Hill has full E1 classrooms and has enough children on the PreK/K waiting list to fill another Children's House classroom. According to data provided on spps.org, our school has one of the best overall continuation rates in the district. If there is concern about future enrollment at SPPS, cutting classes is not the answer. Future enrollment for JJ Hill is in the surrounding growing community and is also here within the families of multiples, like my own. However, I know of at least three families who have older children at JJ Hill, whose PreK or Kindergarten children are on the waitlist for the 2023-24 school year. If those kids don't get in to JJ Hill, they aren't staying in the district, they are going to be attending private Montessori schools. Parents at JJ Hill recognize the importance of Montessori education. It is amazing that we have it as a public option.
All teachers and educators are amazing and doing the most important job out there, but Montessori education requires even more certification and determination. There is a shortage of teachers. Please let's not cut the ones who want to be here, doing the most important job! It is clear there was a mistake made when choosing to cut classes and staff at JJ Hill. The mistake can be fixed. The budget bill that just passed is reason enough to redact any cuts to the district for 2023-24. There is no reason we (or any school) should be enduring any cuts.
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22/05/2023 11:09:34Andrea M GrossThis Montessori opportunity is so important to the larger community; teaching children to approach things in a different way will only serve the whole city later. Our experience with two children at JJ Hill has been invaluable to their growth, in part because they experience people of color in positions of expertise and leadership. I'm very concerned that the reduction of a children's house teacher (which makes no mathematical sense) will result in one fewer teacher of color at the school .
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22/05/2023 11:15:02Emily Stahn
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22/05/2023 11:23:35Julianna Sheridan
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22/05/2023 11:24:43Alex CookGiven the large number of St. Paul parents attempting to get their child into a Montessori education, it is inconceivable to me that the District would cut capacity and teachers in this area. Please do not foist this decision on us.
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22/05/2023 11:32:21Emily TopinkaI am extremely concerned about the proposed staff cuts at JJ Hill. I ask you to reconsider these cuts, which are detrimental to a currently strong Montessori program. Additionally, the district is cutting the only Black teacher in our school. SPPS has set a goal of recruiting and retaining BIPOC teachers and this cut goes against that stated value. Our family stayed in St. Paul Public Schools because of this Montessori program. Please keep it strong for future generations.
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22/05/2023 11:40:14Chelsey SmithDistrict needs to demonstrate their commitment to the staffing goals of BIPOC teacher and staff, with this children’s house position.

District should be advocating at the highest level with the state for funding to address these budget deficits given Minnesota’s historic budget surplus.

The JJ Hill community, led by our Principal, has expressed our interest and willingness to work to meet the numbers necessary to keep our staff. I would like to see the budget reinstated and should we miss the numbers, adjustments can be made in the fall. Not the other way around.
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22/05/2023 12:35:36Rebecca VaurioI am a pediatric neuropsychologist and a parent of two children in SPPS. So I am speaking from each of those perspectives is want I g to very clearly express my concerns about this budgeting process. We very specifically chose Montessori and public school Montessori because of the very clear evidence of positive developmental and academic outcomes for Montessori educated children. This includes a strong dedication to diverse learning needs, both in terms of backgrounds and developmental differences. We have been so incredibly grateful for the community we have found at JJ Hill and the way it has nurtured our children and family throughout extraordinary challenges. When Envision was announced, we were surprised, but immediately started thinking about how we would create a community that would bring together our families and Cherokee Heights families to build an even more extraordinary community. We found absolutely no direction and no support from the district and heard through our contacts at Cherokee Heights, their experience was the same. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of families chose not to send their children across town with all of the logistical hoops that would mean. And yet, the district apparently expected our school to make that happen based on enrollment numbers we’ve just learned about. And now despite a years long track record or maintaining enrollment and retaining families that meets or exceeds the district average, our school is being targeted for cuts that directly threaten our ability to enroll and retain our students.

We are an engaged community who are deeply dedicated to public education. We want to partner with district leadership to enroll and retain families. And yet, instead we are being handed cuts that make no sense if the goal is honestly to retain students. With no warning, no discussion and no action thst our local school can take to do what is in its best interest as a community. This action, like so many others, was taken with absolutely no effort at all for the board or leadership to come to our school to gauge its needs, its strengths, its opportunities to grow. And I know from our experiences in other schools and from the stories of my friends, patients, neighbors and others that this is how SPSS leadership seems determined to lead. By disengaging from community and dictating actions that destroy the amazing things our schools have to offer. We are here to build a better SPPS. I am sincerely asking leadership to join with us and listen to your families.
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22/05/2023 12:50:09Suzanne RekowIf the district truly cares about options for SPPS families they need to support JJ Hill as a good and reputable Montessori School.
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22/05/2023 13:09:25Kristyn KrausmannI'm extremely sad that the school board is making these cuts. JJ Hill is a wonderful school that is in high demand which is evident by the wait list each year to get into preschool. My own son was on the wait list to get into kindergarten when he first started school. He now is in 4th grade and has a very dedicated and caring teacher that is now being let go due to these budget decisions. My son has never been so happy and comfortable at school then he has been this year with Ms. Amber. He was completely devastated to learn that he would not have her again next year. I hope the school board can reconsider these decisions and find other ways to balance the budget.
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22/05/2023 13:10:11Ellen HarrmannI have 4 children who are in or are past students at JJ Hill. We have loved every moment of their experiences. When I signed each of them up at 4 years old, I would not have sent them to any other school in the district in order to keep my family at one school. I also value the Montessori approach where the pre-k and kindergarten students are in the same classroom with the same teacher. This is vital for their important language and math learning that happens at this age. I feel that having a thriving and supported public Montessori option at SPPS is incredible. SPPS needs to take special care to keep these schools enriched and dedicated to the Montessori philosophy in order to be a model for our educational systems. We also need to retain our staff of color. We need to support our teachers instead of pushing them away and into other schools out of the district.
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22/05/2023 13:22:32Jane Sommerville
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22/05/2023 13:23:29Sally Bauer
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22/05/2023 13:35:45Anna JennerjohnPlease do not cut programs that are working in SPPS! There is a waiting list for students in PreK for the 2023-24 school year at JJ Hill. We have a thriving, racially and socioeconomically diverse community of students and parents at this special public Montessori school. Do not cut our Children’s House classroom! Also please to to bat for retaining BIPOC teachers in the next round of negotiations with SPFE. This is a priority!
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22/05/2023 14:24:02Katelyn Steller As a St. Paul resident, it is extremely important to me that BIPOC teachers & staff are valued in our schools. I also believe that transparency and communication go a long way in ensuring a healthy staff-administration-family dynamic.
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22/05/2023 15:09:23Florence KimmelAs a BIPOC Alum, and current parent of a BIPOC student, news of the budget cuts for JJ Hill Montessori have left me feeling both stunned and devastated. These decisions are absolutely NOT in the best interest of the community. JJ Hill has held a significant, and incredibly valuable role, among St. Paul youth in regards to educational/academic alternatives, psychosocial growth, and strong social justice foundational awareness.

The attack on JJ Hill is unjust, unwarranted, and a disgrace for our BIPOC families. Please correct current adverse actions against our school immediately. Our community deserves better. Thank you.
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22/05/2023 15:18:52Janelle Jolene ChungTwo of our children went to JJ Hill one is still attending. He’s in the first grade. My oldest son started at JJ Hill pre-K to fifth grade. We enjoyed his time there so much that’s why we decided to send our second son to JJ Hill and we are still enjoying it. We really love the community at JJ Hill.
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22/05/2023 15:21:07Amanda Coleman This decision did not involve the administration or the community at all, which is contrary to part of the vision of the district. The impacts are far reaching and far outweigh the added seats to other locations.
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22/05/2023 15:28:37Amber Osterkamp Let's keep all our Children's House classrooms! We need to feed our school from the bottom. Families choose JJ Hill for Montessori education. My daughter is 30th on the wait-list right now and we are looking at other Montessori options if she doesn't get in. I am also one of the staff members being cut. Teacher retention is important for retaining children, especially in multi-age classrooms.
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22/05/2023 15:39:36Lucy Ann Kelleher Support is needed as current 1st-3rd graders were NOT socialized with each other when they were younger and do not know how to learn together. This puts a stress on the current E1 teachers that will move to the E2 next year. And with a waiting list for CH, it makes no sense to take away any support or teaching posotions
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22/05/2023 15:51:42John HortonIt is important for SPPS to listen to families.
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22/05/2023 17:42:37Tracy Lair
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22/05/2023 17:44:47Bryan James Lair
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22/05/2023 19:41:41Leah Adair Shevie Brooks was my TA during the pandemic. She is the most talented educator I’ve ever known. Losing an amazing BIPOC educator with her own children in the district would create a ripple effect of distrust in the district.
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22/05/2023 20:27:05Geoff Freeman
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22/05/2023 20:38:23Erin Stojan Ruccolo
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22/05/2023 21:27:13Elizabeth O'ConnellMy oldest spent 6 wonderful years (excluding COVID) at JJ Hill and my youngest is a 3rd grader. I love SPPS and what JJ Hill offers our city. It is a truly an ideal model of an integrated school and needs to be funded and supported to help all kids learn academics and the social skills to sustain our city in the future. Bring back the cut classrooms and let kids in off the wait list to keep this school thriving for all the kids and staff. Montessori is a wonderful option and needs to be supported moving forward. The kids of color in our city need amazing Black and other BIPOC teachers in each and every school that they attend, you know the data backs that up. Please bring back the class and keep Ms. Shevie in our school.
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22/05/2023 21:30:33Gregory Egan
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22/05/2023 21:38:55Joy SummersOur children have already been subjected to unprecedented challenges of missing our on critical years of social and educational development because of the pandemic. J.J. Hill is a school filled with educators and staff who are helping these children recover what has been lost. For my daughter, she was lost in her learning and losing more ground when she should have been gaining. The staff she has worked with this year, particularly Annie Lien have reached her and encouraged her to love learning again. To lose her is devastating. Every staff member cut is a person helping make these St. Paul kids’ learning experiences better as they try to catch up - socially and academically. To lose them and cut funds to this special school is the wrong message we want yo send St. Paul. Please invest in our school. Help kids like mine learn and thrive.
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22/05/2023 21:39:13Matthew F LeachMs. Amber Osterkamp has been our son's teacher for the last 2 years, including the difficult COVID year. Not only do we appreciate all she has done for him, we believe it would be an absolute shame for SPPS to lose someone of her character and ability.
Matt and Sarah Leach
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22/05/2023 22:47:11Matthew BauerI think it’s ridiculous to cut a teacher of color and in the same breath say you value and are trying to recruit teachers of color. Oh and you have enough student to fill a wait list in a unique SPPS school.
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23/05/2023 03:56:54Roxanne Kimball My kid was at Cherokee Heights when the decision was made to cut and move the Montessori program to combine with JJ Hill. I participated in multiple meetings with school board administration and WSCO, and the board committed to a better engagement process with parents. Now JJ Hill is experiencing cuts with no engagement from families, and in contradiction to what the Envision plan framed. Saint Paul families deserve a school district that values the perspectives of it's families and invests in Montessori education.
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23/05/2023 08:35:59Katie Jo Birch
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23/05/2023 10:14:50Andrea Gaitan
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23/05/2023 10:22:19Anathea SwansonA Montessori education begins at birth and it is the role of our education system to provide the groundwork for children to progress academically within Montessori. The Children’s House (Pre Kindergarten and Kindergarten classroom) is the gateway into SPPS’s Montessori Education. I understand that at JJ Hill the retention of students from Pre-K to Kindergarten is around 92%. There is no evidence that we will gain families in E1 and E2 furthermore it is widely known that a student will be more successful in a Montessori education if they have started at a young age.

Thus by cutting one of our Children House classes you are essentially cutting us off at the knees. The district projections will continue to get lower until we do not have a Montessori education within SPPS.

Right now the district referred to projections as the primary reason for the cuts, however their current projections were wrong. There is a significant waitlist for Pre-K and K, more than enough to fill the CH class that was eliminated. They have made a mistake and need to correct it.
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23/05/2023 10:33:42Lisa McQuistonI am a teacher at JJ Hill. I am concerned about the future of Montessori in SPPS. This cut to a Children's House section at JJ Hill does not need to happen. JJ Hill has a higher retention rate than the district overall, and higher than the other Montessori schools. Why is this cut happening for no reason? Cutting a multiage classroom is incredibly disruptive and will cause families to leave our school and to leave SPPS. Taking away our youngest children will hurt our Montessori program for years to come. Where is the support for Montessori? Where is the support for BIPOC teachers? Please let JJ Hill keep our Children's House classrooms and our current staff members.
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23/05/2023 12:12:55Christopher ProczkoThe school is a great resource for the community, and the district's proposed changes will throw several children into the kind of unexpected change and instability that educators and districts are supposed to prevent. The numbers appear to tell a story that contradicts the district's actions. Do not upset the education of these kids who are just starting to reacclimate after COVID without a justifiable reason that withstands scrutiny.
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23/05/2023 12:36:51Annie Koolen
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23/05/2023 12:49:40Kara KnightMy daughter is in private Montessori daycare in preparation for attending JJ Hill. It is important to our family that our children go to the same school together, to optimize access to PreK for our daughter, and to support and grow JJ Hill to the flourishing program it could be if admin believed in it enough to let it thrive. As Ethnic Studies expands K-12, Montessori methods uniquely position JJ Hill to be an excellent environment to pilot ethnic studies work, especially Youth Participatory Action Research. JJ Hill students have already done projects like that, like their Black Lives Matter march to the governor's mansion in 2021-22 school year. That was a student-led project that had real connections and impact in the community.
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23/05/2023 13:01:55Jessica Sawicki Please continue to fund this school and its teachers. It is deeply concerning that this budget cut will not only remove a teacher from a school with a Pre-K waitlist, but also remove a teacher of color. We are a family on the Pre-K waitlist and want this school to continue to operate!
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23/05/2023 13:44:46Keyondra YarbroughProtect and provide us with BIPOC teachers, they are needed!
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23/05/2023 13:54:13Martin KoolenAt the meeting on Monday 8th, there was discussion about how the projections don’t support keeping a CH class due to concern of lack of retention of Pre-K students. Our experience was different. Our original intent was to enroll our oldest child in a language immersion school, but the school started at Kindergarten. We wanted our child to begin SPPS at the Pre-K level, so we enrolled them at JJ Hill with the thinking that they would move along to the immersion school for Kindergarten. However, once we saw the Montesorri program at work, and that our child was absolutely thriving in it, we decided to alter course and keep them enrolled at JJ Hill. We have no regrets, and subsequently enrolled our second child at JJ Hill. They are now in 4th and 2nd grade, love their school, their teachers, and continue to thrive in the Montesorri environment. If not for the Pre-K availability, our children would not be having the very positive educational experience they are having now. SPPS should strive to sustain and support their Montessori programs, as well as the teachers that are trained to teach Montesorri.
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23/05/2023 15:47:16Alan BarnicleCutting this position doesn't make sense; there are students to fill the section. Further, eliminating this position in particular will eliminate the only teacher of color in children's house.
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23/05/2023 18:20:02Patrick BarbFollowing a cross-country move, the pandemic, and a diagnosis of autism and ADHD, my son Grant found support emotionally, socially, and educationally from the Children’s House teacher who has been flagged for cuts at J. J. Hill by the Saint Paul school board. It is outrageous at this time when the state of Minnesota is investing so much in education and with the number of students incoming to CH available to fill ALL classrooms, for the school board to make this cut. Worse still to do this to the only Black educator at J.J Hill sets a reprehensible precedent and one that goes against the values of community and diversity that my child has learned from his teachers at J. J. Hill.
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23/05/2023 20:48:03Tuan Anh ChungJJ Hill is not just a school but a community of dedicated educators and parents. Any budget cuts or release of teachers severely affects the health of our community and future of our children and families. Please reconsider, for the sake of Montessori schools and the wonderful kids that make this school a family.
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23/05/2023 21:26:23Jenna Barb
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24/05/2023 01:20:11Alexandria Williams Ms. Shevie must not be cut. To be the only educator of color in St. Paul's historically largest & profound African American community, losing her would be a hypocritical embarrassment for SPPS. Shevie Brooks has educated 2 of my 4 children. We also intend for her to educate our youngest child this upcoming Fall. Having representation in the classroom in the capacity of an educator, leader, caregiver and supporter is imperative. The stance of "Budget Cuts" being a leading reason for proposed cuts is insulting. At this point my family knows personally that there is a waiting list for Children's House placement. Calling "false" to this being the only option to fulfill budget cuts.The district also claims inclusion, diversity and bridging inequity to be metrics they strive to meet in this current time of civilization. They have an opportunity to gain stability in these areas, solely by retaining Shevie Brooks at JJ Hill. She has been monumental in the educating and leading of my young children of color. Having a female authority figure of color, whom they are familiar with, in the building to guide, educate and connect with is a necessity, one of which all of our children are owed.
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24/05/2023 15:08:32Jenelle Hill
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25/05/2023 04:51:30Hilary Strander
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29/05/2023 01:45:09Kate SigurdsonIt’s important to prioritize diversity of staff, especially teachers of color, to support our students.
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