I am really concerned about recklessly false statements made on this list by Michael Atherton because these types of statements debase the value of this list, which is a loss for all of us. We should be able to debate the relative merits of issues without making false assumptions and personal attacks.
I recently forwarded information to the list from the MPS director of technology, which included studies on the use of computers in classrooms. I made no claim that the information forwarded was mine, but in fact noted that it was from someone else and put it in quotes. In response, Michael Atherton makes a recklessly false claim that I cite research that I haven't read, using class size research as an example. I have read lots of research on class size, including the recent article in Scientific American, "Does Class Size Matter". While that particular article questions the expense of lowering class size, it notes that "[s]tudies such as STAR and SAGE have made it hard to argue that reducing class sizes makes no difference." So much of the discussion and research about schools, including class size and technology, loops back to the issue of whether or not adequate efforts are being made to improve the quality of teaching, because that is really the heart of the work. The MPS board and superintendent are concerned about this, and are having a meeting at 2pm today, Tuesday, November 20th, at the board room at 807 Broadway, open to the public but not televised, to discuss the possibilities of K-16 collaborative that would focus on improving the quality of teaching on a large scale. We will be hearing from Education Trust, an organization that has worked with other districts in the country to start K-16 collaboratives that focus on improving the quality of instruction. We've invited and expect to have in attendance people from the University of Minnesota. You're welcome to attend if interested! If you're interested in reading some information about Education Trust, you can go to their web site at www.edtrust.org. The report entitled "Good Teaching Matters" is great, and yes, I've read it (many times). Catherine Shreves Minneapolis School Board _______________________________________ 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
