spent four hours today at the Minneapolis Schools Fair�just outside, actually. A lot of doors went unknocked by this candidate today, but I connected with at least 400 families as they left the building. That last-stretch fatigue that many of us running in this election are feeling was lifted during that time, because I heard a huge sampling of people who care deeply about our schools confirming what I believe has to be addressed by whatever Minneapolis School Board convenes after this election: Parents must be involved in a meaningful way in critical School Board/District Administration decisions that affect their children and their schools. Not just because they deserve it, but because they bring a huge base of insight and experience and wisdom about what Minneapolis school children need.
I�m talking about--parents are talking about-- playing a real role, not the perfunctory pat-on-the-head role they are given now. Not 5 minutes with the Principal, 3 minutes at the microphone at School Board meetings, not meaningless Area Parent Advisory Council meetings�only to learn that the energy invested by those who care is disrespected, not even taken into account, by the Board and administration�s decision- making process. I am talking about input today from parents of every race, language and gender-preference in this incredibly diverse district who keep trying to be involved and heard and are dissed. This disregard burns out and tosses away our greatest parent strength possibilities, sends caring families to suburbs & private schools, and makes the District�s stated goal of �parent involvement� meaningless. I�ve spoken to this in my campaign literature and in every forum/debate opportunity. This day with a sampling of the most invested parents, those who left Fall chores & other attractions of a sunny November day to be at the Minneapolis Schools Fair, affirmed my belief that parent involvement, real parent involvement, is critical to both the health of the school district AND to keeping those invested families in and part of the Minneapolis Public School system. I�ve talked about models for supported, meaningful parent/community involvement in District decision-making �those I know from my experience as a policy advocate on children�s issues at the state level. The thing these models have in common is that they have administrative support from the decision-making body (usually the state legislature)that creates them; they bring together stakeholders of diverse interests into structured discussion around an issue of common concern. The group brings one recommendation or regular advice to the Decision-making body, they issue a public report/set of recommendations and bring their message to the public & the legislature/Decision-making body through publication and public hearings. I am not invested in one �model.� I am invested in finding real and meaningful ways for parents who care to have a role and for those who need support in order to be involved to get that support from the District. I want to be on the School Board to make meaningful forms of parent involvement happen district-wide (along with a lot of other things), but I am also writing this to share the grass-roots feedback I got today with current Board members and other candidates: Find real and meaningful ways to HEAR PARENTS. They know a lot. It was a good day. Further affiant sayeth not. Kathy Kosnoff Candidate for Minneapolis School Board KOSNOFF FOR KIDS [EMAIL PROTECTED] _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp _______________________________________ 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
