Doug Mann wrote: > The concentration of inexperienced teachers and class sizes have increased at > schools serving poor, predominantly black neighborhoods since the community > school plan was implemented.
This is a problem with schools of education and state standards for teachers, not a problem that is intrinsic to black neighborhoods. Stop indoctrinating teachers in Progressive educational philosophy, require more extensive internships, and raise entrance requirements. > By the way, I do have specific, concrete proposals to solve the problem of > over-concentrating teachers at certain schools in my platform (I am one of > the school board candidates who didn't make it through the primary. I > received 3,600 votes). My platform (how to fix the schools) can be found at > my web site <http://educationright.tripod.com> So Mr. Mann does have a web-site. I will comment on some of his proposals. > Platform (How to fix the school system) > > * Adopt Best Practices and a more coherent curriculum > Many K-12 students are 'left back' because of the curriculum adopted by the >district. For example, at the school board meeting on 29 > September 1999, a teacher explained that many students in regular programs at >Henry High School needed direct instruction in phonics in > order to pass the reading section of the Minnesota Basic Standards Test, an 8th >grade reading test that students must pass in order to get a > high school diploma. > I would agree that students may need different types of reading instruction, but the testimony of one teacher is not enough to base a change in curriculum. Please cite additional research. Can anyone else verify that we are still using look-say in the MPS? > * Focus on Institutional Factors > A huge part of the difference between Community Schools in terms of >educational outcomes can be explained by an > over-representation of inexperienced teachers at the Community Schools that serve >poor, predominantly non-white neighborhoods. > According to the district's own research, about 40% of the variability in scores >on academic achievement tests can be attributed to teacher > efficacy, which is measured primarily as years of current teaching experience. > 40%? Wow, that's an astounding statistic. I'd really like to know which study this came from. Has the study been replicated? > According to a newspaper article under the heading "Less than a third of 4th-graders >can read well," it is noted "Numerous > government-sponsored studies over the last decade have found that explicit >instruction in sound-letter relationships and phonics practice, > combined with exposure to rich literature, produce the best results (St. Paul >Pioneer Press, 7 April 2001 )." However, the district is sticking > with the look-say approach to reading instruction for K-4 students. An example of >the "rich literature" that children are exposed to with the > look-say approach is the Dick and Jane picture book series (See spot. See spot >run. Run spot run). > We should not base curriculum changes on newspaper articles. Please cite research. > * Progressively Eliminate 'Low-Ability' Groupings & Curriculum Tracks > There is a mountain of evidence that shows 'ability-grouping' and a process >of curriculum differentiation as practiced in the > Minneapolis Public Schools reinforces and increases disparities in academic >achievement between students. For example, in 1972 a > Congressional committee found that, > Please take me to this mountain of evidence. A "1972 Congressional committee?" It's hard to know if a study done 30 years ago is still relevant, and I have little faith in congressional committees. They normally have political biases. :-) > "Once students were placed in low ability groups, they were likely to be >there for the duration of their school carrears. The Committee > determined that educational inequality was the result of lower teacher >expectations, limited curriculum, and negative self-concepts that > students developed as a result of being placed in low ability groups [from a >report on ability grouping practices by the U.S. Commission > on Civil Rights, published in September 1999, page 2. Call (202) 376-8110 for a >free copy]." > This does not prove that tracking itself is an ineffective method, just the way that it was implemented. > * Extend Full Appeal Rights to Non-Tenured Teachers > Under Minnesota's Teacher Tenure Act, a teacher is non-tenured during the >first three years of employment with a school district. A > school district must show "good cause" to fire any teacher. However, if fired at >the end of the school year, a non-tenured teacher does not > have the right to appeal the firing. > We need to have ways to get rid of, or screen out bad teachers. This would make it impossible to get rid of anybody. > * Desegregate Inexperienced Teachers > The high concentration of inexperienced teachers in Community Schools that serve >poor neighborhoods should be addressed by phasing > in more temporary (up to three years) teacher-in-training positions at schools >where the teaching staff has the highest minimum levels of > experience, better working conditions for teachers at schools with high >concentrations of inexperienced teachers (such as lower class > sizes, instead of higher class sizes), modification of job bidding rules (without >circumventing seniority rights). > This might be an effective plan. We should try it on a small scale and see if it works. > * Redraw School Attendance Boundaries to Desegregate Students > The district has drawn attendance boundaries in such a way as to greatly reduce >the level of racial integration at most schools. Advocates > of racially-segregated schools (including school board members) are correct in >saying that black students do not need to sit next to white > students in order to learn. The problem is that most black students are assigned >to inferior schools. A desegregation plan would force the > school district to do more to equalize educational facilities. > Forced integration has not worked in the past, what make you think that it will work in the future? Michael Atherton Prospect Park _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
