I will respond here to two related points raised by Dennis Schapiro: In a message dated 11/10/2001 8:53:23 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> 2. As a person in line to take a seat on the board, I noted this statement: > > <<A lot of money has been misappropriated.>> > > Foolishly appropriated is an issue for voters. Misappropriated is an > issue for the attorney general. There was a major problem with special > education funding a few years ago. Is that the reference here, or is > there something that is no going on? Documentation is important. This > seems to be a serious legal allegation. > What did I say: "You say the school should have more money to spend on teachers. The Minneapolis Public schools could spend more money on teachers than it does. A lot of money has been misappropriated. For example, the district spent money on teachers aids and compensatory programs at high poverty schools, instead hiring teachers to reduce class sizes. Research shows that spending money on teachers gives you better results [School Board Accountability Matters, 9 November 2001]." The board promised to reduce class sizes. The board went to the voters on three occasions to ask for money to reduce class sizes. That was the promise of the "better schools referendum." However, a lot of that money was not spent on class size reduction. The board gave its approval to student assignment plans that resulted in an increase in class sizes at schools on the North Side during a period from 1995 to 1999. This was foreseen by the district's department of Research, Evaluation and Assessment. These student assignment plans, and increased classroom sizes on the North Side, were authorized for the sake of putting the community school plan on a fast track. As the saying goes, a little knowledge can be dangerous. At the very least, Mr. Schapiro should have quoted more than one sentence from my e-mail, and consulted a dictionary before accusing me of making "what seems to be a serious legal allegation." According to Webster, misappropriate means "put to a wrong or dishonest use." [The New American Webster Handy College Dictionary] According to Black's Law Dictionary, Fourth Edition, "Misappropriation" means: "The act of misappropriating or turning to a wrong purpose; wrong appropriation; a term which does not necessarily mean peculation [embezzlement of funds], although it may mean that. Bannon v. Knauss, 57 Ohio app. 288, 13 N.E. 2d 733, 735" "This is not a technical term of law, but it is sometimes applied to the misdemeanor which is committed by a banker, factor, trustee, etc., who fraudulently deals with money, goods, securities, etc., intrusted to him, or by a director or public officer of a corporation or company who fraudulently misapplies any of its property. Steph.Crim.Dig. 257 et seq.; Sweet; Winchester v. Howard, 136 Cal. 432, 64 P. 692, 89 Am.St.Rep. 153 [end of entry for the term 'Misappropriation' from Blacks Law]." Dennis Schapiro goes on: > 3. > Mr. Mann frequently cites research that, in my experience, is less > definitive than he implies. Again, I'm open to other info, but what > research is he citing to support this: > > <<Research shows that spending money on teachers gives you better results.>> A frequently cited piece of research about the effects of class size is a study paid for by the Tennessee Legislature called Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio). That particular study has been cited at meetings of the Minneapolis Board of Education by directors of the Minneapolis Board of Education during discussions about the better schools referendum. It is widely regarded as THE definitive study of the effects of class size reduction. On this issue, Michael Atherton writes: "I've argued for sometime that lowering class size has little effect (for the cost) on student achievement...NOW there's a review article in a respected national science magazine which supports my position." If you add the caveat, "for the cost," one may argue that lowering class size has little effect. However, it's been at least 5 years since I've heard anyone argue that class size doesn't make a difference, without qualifications. I don't assume that MA is arguing in favor of going back to large class sizes. However, to say that lowering class size has little effect for the cost implies that it's not a good investment. If MA's point is that class size reduction as a strategy to boost student performance is overrated, I agree with it. There are other ways to boost student performance that would produce a bigger bang for the buck or even save the district some money. For example, the district might consider phasing out the use ability-grouping from the bottom up, which would involve the adopting of a more coherent, and enriched curriculum for all children. A fairly authoritative study on the effects of ability-grouping was done by Jeannie Oakes, with financial support from the Rand Corporation. Oakes reports on this research in her book "Keeping Track: How Schools Structure Inequality," which was published in 1985. [<http://educationright.tripod.com/id25.htm>]" Dennis Schapiro goes on: > > And because it is and has been a far more attainable goal to hire aides > and assistants of the racial and ethnic groups of MPS students, would he > hew to that position should it lead to a professional staff that is less > reflective of our students' racial and ethnic background? (Sorry, "we > can do both" is acceptable in great policy debates, but doesn't wash for > what happens next week.) > Yes, I hew to that position. Many white teachers are willing and able to provide effective instruction to all of their students, but are presented with an enormous challenge when confronted with the task of teaching in just about any public school in Minneapolis. It is not enough for a teacher to be competent and well intentioned, although it certainly helps. Teachers are part of a team. The board makes a lot of decisions that either help, or hinder the efforts of teachers to provide effective instruction to all of their students. On the other hand, if a teacher is convinced that low-income children are low-ability children, it is likely that the low-income children in his or her classroom will meet those expectations. A teacher's attitude is far more important than his or her skin color. The district's lack of progress in recruiting and retaining teachers of color may have something to do with the attitude that flows from the belief that low-income children are low-ability children, and of course the racial profiling that goes with it. Doug Mann, King Field Doug Mann for School Board web site: <http://educationright.tripod.com> _______________________________________ 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
