Did the Regents See This Eighth Grader's Plea Before Voting to Close Price Lab?

Yesterday, Patch reported on letters, intended for the Board of Regents prior to a vote on whether to close Malcolm Price Laboratory School, that apparently never reached their intended targets.

“I am an 8^th grader at Northern University Middle School… I absolutely love it and I have loved it since day one," one email reads. "It means the world to all of the students that are enrolled here… We have a lot of diversity and we are doing great academically. Please consider not closing our school. Thanks.”

That email, and many others, arrived via email to the office of Bob Donley, the regents executive director. Those letters, however, appear to have stopped with Donley and were not forwarded. In at least one case, Donley explicitly told his staff not to forward a letter to the full board prior to the vote.

Today, Donley told Patch letters were not withheld, and that regents were receiving hundreds of correspondences, many duplicates of ones sent to regents staff. The regents office had declined to comment on the matter before the story was published.

The letters came from faculty, from UNI students, from alumni -- all opposed to Price Lab’s closure. None of the letters were abusive or insulting. They were reasoned and filled with passion.

Today we wanted to share excerpts of some of those emails that never reached the regents. These emails were provided to Cedar Falls Patch in response to an open records request under Iowa open records law. The names of the senders were redacted before the emails were released to Patch.

Without further ado, here are excerpts from some of the letters.

“I honestly didn’t plan on writing or getting involved much, but I just moved back to Cedar Falls and found my varsity letters, medals, newspaper clips, certificates and notes from teachers… It is the time for kids to shine – and MPLS makes that happen! Don’t end it for the next generation!! Please vote NO to the proposed closure of MPLS.”

“Students come to UNI from across the state because they understand the value of having trained professionals mentor them in the classrooms during their field experiences. Closing the Research and Development school damages this crucial aspect of teacher education.”

“The Price Lab faculty is uniquely qualified and unwaveringly committed to teacher education at UNI. Let’s hope we do not come to this realization and appreciation until it is too late to turn back.”

“About 4 years ago it was my job to place the Level 1, 2 and 3 students into the schools for their teaching experiences. I must tell you that it was a very hard job to do. There were so many students to place and it was like pulling teeth to get them assigned. As a last resort, as the surrounding schools couldn’t take them, they were placed at MPLS to teachers that were more than happy to help them.”

“The College of Education is one of the flagship programs of the university. It serves a very real need for teacher education. It does not seem likely that a proposal to close the school in such a short timeframe could take into account the next year’s placement requirements.”

“I am a junior at the University of Northern Iowa… I chose UNI because of the education program that UNI is so famously known for. No other school in the state of Iowa provides students with such experiences… Decisions like this shouldn’t be made without the input of the people it is affecting and more time.”

“I feel we owe it to the education students at the university to hold up and give this matter closer look. Without the extremely innovative techniques and stimulating environment provided at Price Lab School, these students will not be getting the education they have paid for.”

“I am a 2004 graduate of NUHS, and I want to tell you how my Price Lab education catapulted me, an “Iowa farm girl,” to my current position as a PhD candidate in the chemistry department at Yale University… I believe Price Lab offers students a phenomenal education for two reasons: 1) the knowledgeable and supportive teachers (who also train UNI education students to become excellent teachers), and 2) it is an environment where the goal is to develop and practice teaching strategies that best foster student learning and success.”

“Hi! I am a junior at price lab school… Since that statement in the courier last Thursday, our school has pulled together, made a petition on Monday(which has over 3000 signatures already and counting), written thousands of emails to legislatures, Ben Allen, and the Board of Regents. We are dedicated to keep this school open.”

“Dear Iowa Board of Regents… I am a 1995 grad from NU High School... The teaching staff at MPLS and NU were AMAZING. They were not just educators, they were family… I implore you to not close the school and provide other kids the same opportunities to have an amazing education I had.”

“The fact that experiences at this unique and innovative school may be over after such a quick decision, without student and faculty knowledge, breaks my heart. I do not know how the UNI Education program will keep its prestigious status as one of the best education schools in the nation.”

“I just wanted to take a moment to tell you that I whole heartily believe that if it had not been for the Lab School and the individual attention that I received there, I would not be the successful educational professional I am today. Currently I teach K-4 Classroom Music in Mound, MN. It is my dream job.”

“I urge you, and the entire Board of Regents, not to make any haste decisions about the Malcolm Price School, and to study this recommendation closely, considering all options, and hearing all parties’ opinions on the matter.”