Hats off to award-winning area schools

To the editor: Congratulations to both Dassel Elementary School and Eden Valley-Watkins School District 463 for having recently earned awards for excellence and student success. Only eight other Minnesota schools received the 2009 Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation School Spotlight Award. An MAEF statement explains the award was issued "in recognition of academic excellence and to celebrate the success evidenced by their students’ achievements. The award shines a spotlight on a school’s curriculum, instruction, assessment and staff development that addresses student needs and works toward success for all.” Officials, students and citizens of our award-winning towns deserve to be proud of their accomplishments. I spent more than 30 years as a teacher and am delighted to represent schools that promote such a high level of excellence. Sincerely, Dean Urdahl State Rep. District 18B