Monica Klein

Mandan

School has always been my safe place. That’s one of the reasons I became a kindergarten teacher. And I believe HB 1540, which would send public dollars to private schools, would jeopardize our public schools. That’s why I’m writing to urge the governor to veto HB 1540.

When I was a teenager, my dad unexpectedly became a single father. He did his best and took good care of me. However, he was busy and had struggles of his own. Therefore, school became my safe place: my teachers made sure I stayed on track; the school nurse gave me a break when I came in with cramps and headaches; the school secretary (who was also my neighbor) knew I didn’t give myself enough time to warm up my car during the winter, so she always had a hall pass waiting for me on the counter when I arrived. They helped in ways my dad couldn’t. I knew I was safe there.

I want to replicate this feeling of safety for my own students today. That’s why there are extra snacks in the cupboard, hair binders in my desk, and pillows and blankets in the calm down corner, among so many other things.

In public schools, we provide education for everyone, which is made possible by adequate state funding. But K12 funding is in jeopardy if we pass HB 1540. We need more public school funding, not less.