The Minneapolis Public School Board is conducting a series of dialogues with diverse communities on race, equity and the achievement gap. There is one this Thursday at Nellie Stone Johnson School (807 27th Avenue North, Mpls.). The meeting is from 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. The widening achievement gap is a serious issue that must be addressed if MPS is to meet the goals of their Strategic Plan.
For information call 612-668-0105
Dinner will be available from 5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Limited childcare will also be available.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
By the Numbers
Because few of us are involved in more than one school district, it can get hard to see how districts look different from one another. I hope to add some demographic information about area districts for comparison sake. Space limitations prevent me from a full-blown spread sheet presentation, but I'll add information to try and broaden the view. Source is the Minnesota Department of Education website.
____________Mpls Public Schools Hopkins Public Schools
Am. Indian..................................5%................................1%
Asian....................................9%................................5%
Black ...................................39%........................... 17%
Hispanic...............................17%.............................5%
White..................................30%............................. 71%
Limited English....................23%............................. 6%
Special Ed............................15%............................. 12%
Free/Reduced ....................84%................................26%
Graduation Rate................ 73%............................... 98%
Students Enrolled ...........34314............................ 7558
'07-'08
MCA Proficient Rate (Math). 46.13% ......................70.78%
Expenditures/Student.... $11,988...........................$9997
____________Mpls Public Schools Hopkins Public Schools
Am. Indian..................................5%................................1%
Asian....................................9%................................5%
Black ...................................39%........................... 17%
Hispanic...............................17%.............................5%
White..................................30%............................. 71%
Limited English....................23%............................. 6%
Special Ed............................15%............................. 12%
Free/Reduced ....................84%................................26%
Graduation Rate................ 73%............................... 98%
Students Enrolled ...........34314............................ 7558
'07-'08
MCA Proficient Rate (Math). 46.13% ......................70.78%
Expenditures/Student.... $11,988...........................$9997
IS AMERICA ENTERING A POST-RACIAL STAGE?
Follow this link to an interesting "article" and comments about whether or not America is entering a post-racial period. The author is Leonard Pitts,a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/28/pitts.black.america/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/28/pitts.black.america/index.html
Friday, April 24, 2009
Interesting Reading Ideas from NUA
The National Urban Alliance (NUA has a site where they feature a book each month that relates to their mission.: "The NUA's mission is to substantiate in the public schools of urban America an irrefutable belief in the capacity of all children to reach the highest levels of learning & thinking demanded by our ever-changing global community."
Find the current book recommendation (The Race between Education and Technology) and past months' suggestions at http://www.nuatc.org/TESTONE/book_month.htm
Find the current book recommendation (The Race between Education and Technology) and past months' suggestions at http://www.nuatc.org/TESTONE/book_month.htm
Where does the integration funding go?
I'd be curious to know how the public school districts that receive integration dollars are spending that money. In the current crunch of money, how many are diverting it to budget items to keep braod programs at their current level rather than as the law intends? Are you aware if your home district maintains the funds in a separate budget as required?
Here is the link to the state statute on integration revenue. It says, near its beginning, that "Integration revenue under this section must be used for programs established under a desegregation plan filed with the Department of Education according to Minnesota Rules, parts 3535.0100 to 3535.0180, or under court order. The revenue must be used to create or enhance learning opportunities which are designed to provide opportunities for students to have increased interracial contacts through classroom experiences, staff initiatives, and other educationally related programs." Are our school districts using Integration Revenue for purposes following a desgregation plan filed with the department of Education that accomplishes the intents noted here?
https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/getpub.php?type=s&num=124D.86
Here is the link to the state statute on integration revenue. It says, near its beginning, that "Integration revenue under this section must be used for programs established under a desegregation plan filed with the Department of Education according to Minnesota Rules, parts 3535.0100 to 3535.0180, or under court order. The revenue must be used to create or enhance learning opportunities which are designed to provide opportunities for students to have increased interracial contacts through classroom experiences, staff initiatives, and other educationally related programs." Are our school districts using Integration Revenue for purposes following a desgregation plan filed with the department of Education that accomplishes the intents noted here?
https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/getpub.php?type=s&num=124D.86
Top Ten Reasons Not to Change WMEP Schools to Charters
There are rumblings about what the future of the two WMEP schools may bring. There are worries that Minneapolis, or another district, may withdraw from WMEP and that might lead to the eventual collapse of the system that supports the two schools. One idea that gets whispered about is turning FAIR and IDDS into charter schools. Not so fast! Here are ten reasons why this idea should not be on the front burner.
Top Ten Reasons Why This Would Be a Bad Time to Turn FAIR and IDDS into Charter Schools:
10. There are easier, more straightforward ways to deal with administrative structure issues. It seems that with the recent policy change among WMEP districts the board will be more manageable. Minneapolis Superintendent Bill Green advocates for parent representation. Some voices have begun talking about either eliminating the superintendents position or combining with other integration districts in administrative ways.
9. What public school equity and integration credentials does the likely perspective charter sponsor have? Is a higher ed name association as important as n identity as a integration body?
8. Our partnership with Stages Theatre is a WMEP agreement. Would Stages want to antagonize 11 cooperating member districts to make nice with two charter schools?
7. After the next couple of years (admittedly probably not in the next couple of sessions) there is the possibility that the legislature might fund integration schools directly – eliminating some of the headaches associated with being run by a board managed by member districts.
6. Similarly, there are real rumblings at the legislature that a new type of school may be created that would function in the half-way ground between charters and regular public schools. These schools would have some additional freedoms and some safeguards not presently found. Waiting to see if this type of school may develop might be a better answer.
5. Charter schools have notoriously difficult times financing things they need. Do our staff development opportunities through things like the Cultural Collaborative continue with the same robustness? Would a charter school be able to keep current with competitive salaries current teachers earn?
4. There is no assurance that WMEP would sign over the buildings. Starting again in buildings not constructed for our purposes would be more than difficult. Additionally, with the buildings would go many of our capital purchases: media equipment; art facilities such as kilns, wheels and musical instruments; texts and media center inventory; etc.
3. By state law, converting existing schools to charter schools requires 60% of staff to agree. Charter schools can hire non-licensed teachers. Do enough licensed teachers think it is a wise idea to be able to hire non-licensed (probably cheaper) teachers for jobs currently requiring one? Promises made about how hiring would include only licensed teachers might be in contradiction to charter law as it would probably constitute a promise about union rights – something a charter school may not be able to do according to statute. Would seniority and continuing contract status be voided?
2. Our schools already suffer from people thinking we are not real public schools. This hurts our chances of attracting students. Rightly or wrongly, a large percentage of the public perceives charter schools as lesser schools. In addition, many parents don't want to lose their ties to the member district where they live. Our schools' current status preserves that affiliation; it doesn't seem likely that charter schools would leave parents feeling the same way.
1. Do we influence integration and equity issues in member districts – our real purpose for existing - when we stand apart from them? Surely when IDDS and FAIR can claim membership in all of the WMEP districts we have more ability to be part of the solutions. If we run into the shelter of charter sponsorship are we really going to be leaders in forcing the member districts to face the facts about educational inequity?
Top Ten Reasons Why This Would Be a Bad Time to Turn FAIR and IDDS into Charter Schools:
10. There are easier, more straightforward ways to deal with administrative structure issues. It seems that with the recent policy change among WMEP districts the board will be more manageable. Minneapolis Superintendent Bill Green advocates for parent representation. Some voices have begun talking about either eliminating the superintendents position or combining with other integration districts in administrative ways.
9. What public school equity and integration credentials does the likely perspective charter sponsor have? Is a higher ed name association as important as n identity as a integration body?
8. Our partnership with Stages Theatre is a WMEP agreement. Would Stages want to antagonize 11 cooperating member districts to make nice with two charter schools?
7. After the next couple of years (admittedly probably not in the next couple of sessions) there is the possibility that the legislature might fund integration schools directly – eliminating some of the headaches associated with being run by a board managed by member districts.
6. Similarly, there are real rumblings at the legislature that a new type of school may be created that would function in the half-way ground between charters and regular public schools. These schools would have some additional freedoms and some safeguards not presently found. Waiting to see if this type of school may develop might be a better answer.
5. Charter schools have notoriously difficult times financing things they need. Do our staff development opportunities through things like the Cultural Collaborative continue with the same robustness? Would a charter school be able to keep current with competitive salaries current teachers earn?
4. There is no assurance that WMEP would sign over the buildings. Starting again in buildings not constructed for our purposes would be more than difficult. Additionally, with the buildings would go many of our capital purchases: media equipment; art facilities such as kilns, wheels and musical instruments; texts and media center inventory; etc.
3. By state law, converting existing schools to charter schools requires 60% of staff to agree. Charter schools can hire non-licensed teachers. Do enough licensed teachers think it is a wise idea to be able to hire non-licensed (probably cheaper) teachers for jobs currently requiring one? Promises made about how hiring would include only licensed teachers might be in contradiction to charter law as it would probably constitute a promise about union rights – something a charter school may not be able to do according to statute. Would seniority and continuing contract status be voided?
2. Our schools already suffer from people thinking we are not real public schools. This hurts our chances of attracting students. Rightly or wrongly, a large percentage of the public perceives charter schools as lesser schools. In addition, many parents don't want to lose their ties to the member district where they live. Our schools' current status preserves that affiliation; it doesn't seem likely that charter schools would leave parents feeling the same way.
1. Do we influence integration and equity issues in member districts – our real purpose for existing - when we stand apart from them? Surely when IDDS and FAIR can claim membership in all of the WMEP districts we have more ability to be part of the solutions. If we run into the shelter of charter sponsorship are we really going to be leaders in forcing the member districts to face the facts about educational inequity?
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Three Integration Districts
There are three integration districts in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. Few people are familiar with any of them, let alone know about all of them.
The first, District 6067, is the East Metro Integration District (EMID). It is a collaboration of 11 school districts, including St. Paul, which operates 2 schools, Harambee and Crosswinds. It's board members are representatives of the member districts - not Superintendents. Harambee has community cultures and environmental science foci. Crosswinds is a year-round school that integrates arts and science across the curriculum. The district offers a variety of staff development options related to integration and school practices. Find more information at http://www.emid6067.net/
WMEP is the West Metro Education Program. It serves students from Minneapolis and its surrounding suburbs, 11 districts in total. There are two schools, Interdistrict Downtown School (IDDS) and the Fine Arts Interdisciplinary Resource School (FAIR). WMEP also operates the Choice is Yours (CiY) program which supports enrollment of lower income students from Minneapolis in suburban schools. The broad ranging training component of WMEP is called the Cultural Collaborative. Find web access at http://www.wmep.k12.mn.us/
The third integration system is the Northwest Suburban Integration School District (NWSISD). NWSISD serves seven districts. Currently Brooklyn Center is a member of both NWSISD and WMEP. NWSISD operates a number of magnet schools within the member districts. Students from the member districts can apply to attend any of the magnet schools in any of the districts. The governing board of the district has 21 members, the superintendent (or designee), a parent representative, and a school board member from each district. Their website is http://www.nws.k12.mn.us/index.php
The three integration districts together serve students from west of Buffalo all the way to the Wisconsin border. Each has a separate superintendent and administrative offices.
The first, District 6067, is the East Metro Integration District (EMID). It is a collaboration of 11 school districts, including St. Paul, which operates 2 schools, Harambee and Crosswinds. It's board members are representatives of the member districts - not Superintendents. Harambee has community cultures and environmental science foci. Crosswinds is a year-round school that integrates arts and science across the curriculum. The district offers a variety of staff development options related to integration and school practices. Find more information at http://www.emid6067.net/
WMEP is the West Metro Education Program. It serves students from Minneapolis and its surrounding suburbs, 11 districts in total. There are two schools, Interdistrict Downtown School (IDDS) and the Fine Arts Interdisciplinary Resource School (FAIR). WMEP also operates the Choice is Yours (CiY) program which supports enrollment of lower income students from Minneapolis in suburban schools. The broad ranging training component of WMEP is called the Cultural Collaborative. Find web access at http://www.wmep.k12.mn.us/
The third integration system is the Northwest Suburban Integration School District (NWSISD). NWSISD serves seven districts. Currently Brooklyn Center is a member of both NWSISD and WMEP. NWSISD operates a number of magnet schools within the member districts. Students from the member districts can apply to attend any of the magnet schools in any of the districts. The governing board of the district has 21 members, the superintendent (or designee), a parent representative, and a school board member from each district. Their website is http://www.nws.k12.mn.us/index.php
The three integration districts together serve students from west of Buffalo all the way to the Wisconsin border. Each has a separate superintendent and administrative offices.
NOTE DATE CHANGE FOR RALLY FOR INTEGRATION !
Real World Collaborative will be hosting a rally for integration on May 18th! The rally will be held at the Urban League. The Urban League is located at 2100 Plymouth Avenue North (at Penn Avenue). Contact Cheryl Morgan Spencer at 612-302-3100 for directions. If you value integration join us! Bring your friends and spread the word!
What does "Integration" Mean?
Anyone have insight into what is happening at Burroughs? Or how we should define what makes a school integrated? The situation at Burroughs School in Minneapolis raises issues about what definition should be used for integrated schools, and who gets to make that definition. In a meeting with the Real World Collaborative last week, Burroughs staff and parents described Burroughs as a school working for integration. Because Burroughs has a native language learner program that separates students for part of the day for instruction based on their first language, some have accused the program of segregating students. Chris Stewart from the Minneapolis School Board is reputed to have gone as far as suggesting that racism is involved. Could it really be true that it has been opined that Burroughs only wants their native language learner program to survive so that Blacks will not grow as a part of the Burroughs population? Since when are Spanish-speaking and Black mutually exclusive? Having seen the dismally inadequate coverage of the WMEP schools in the Star Tribune, I almost hesitate to provide a link for the story, but there are lots of comments (both sensible and inflamatory):
http://www.startribune.com/local/43321082.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUZ
http://www.startribune.com/local/43321082.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUZ
Observations from Harvard about Minneapolis Desegregation
Follow this link to an Open Letter to the Greater Minneapolis Community with Regard to Voluntary School Desegregation and WMEP, from the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School:
http://www.wmep.k12.mn.us/JPB%20Materials/April%20Packet/Harvard%20letter.pdf
http://www.wmep.k12.mn.us/JPB%20Materials/April%20Packet/Harvard%20letter.pdf
Open Invitation to Post a Comment or Question
Here is an open invitation to post a thought or question to this community. I will leave this post open so there is always a chance for you to bring new topics out - even if there is not a thread related to that topic already started. If you'd like to be a regular contributor - an "author" - on this blog, let me know and I'll add you to the author list.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
