And no doubt Governor (we don't yet have enough impoverished "Tiny Tim's" in Minnesota) Pawlenty will be touting his marvelous work with education in Minnesota, accomplished by continuous cutbacks at all levels as a great accomplishment to be copied by the rest of the world because it provides a wonderful way to get the best teachers into every classroom.

Meanwhile in the real world where the sky is still blue as opposed to whatever color it is in Gov. Pawlenty's alternate universe, even the best performing, most seasoned teachers are losing their jobs because schools lack funding to keep them, class sizes are rising to unmanageable levels, college tuition continues to climb well beyond the rate of inflation and the combination of those two factors is causing even the most talented and interested students to turn away from careers in education.

The only panel our Governor belongs on is one discussing how to dismantle one of the finest education systems in the nation in the name of the Tax Whiner's League's "No New Taxes" pledge while calling students, parents, and educators who are complaining about his wrecking ball approach to school improvement "whiners" for any effort they make to preserve and protect the little that's left standing.

I suppose that's one of the junkets lame duck governors participate in.

Joe,

Would that be "funding shifts" from the big education to actually funding and empowering children and families?