Hello List Members, I like what I am hearing so far from Brandon. Who else is running, and what do they have to say?
I have friends and family in Minneapolis. While I cannot vote there any longer, I can still talk to people. This list serves a great purpose for those of us Minneapolitians whose hearts are still there. Pamela Taylor (In Tampa where it was as cold as Minneapolis last week!) --- Brandon Lacy Campos <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I want to address something that Michael Libby > brought up in his post, > and that is the affects of racism, classism, sexism, > and poverty in the > Public Schools. (Well, he only listed racism and > poverty...I extended > the list). > > I absolutely believe that the reasons that many > students fail to achieve > are directly linked to oppression. Students of > color, poor students, > queer students, students with disabilities and women > live in a world > that automatically makes assumptions about their > ability and their > worth. There are too few conversations in the > education system about how > to work progressive anti-oppression curriculum into > the schools. Being > an anti-racist individual, being an ally to women, > and learning to > recognize the effects of oppression are learned > behaviors. As a board of > education member I would absolutely support and push > for anti-oppression > and ally training for teams of staff from each > school building who would > then be charged with holding similar trainings for > the remaining staff > in their buildings. I would seek to build > partnerships with the People's > Institute for Survival and Beyond (called the > People's Institute North > here in Minneapolis) to provide training to key > staff. My support of > anti-oppression work in the schools is why I pushed > to have the Board of > Education pass regular funding for the Out4Good > program in 1995, and > that program has now grown to encompass every high > school. > > It is folly to believe that students do not bring > with them to school > the world in which they live outside of the schools. > My basic tenet is > and has been that even the youngest child will be > able to articulate in > some way what is stopping her from learning and what > is helping her > learn. I believe that each student has potential and > that it is the job > of the schools to find that potential. The new > district plan in which > each high school student will be placed in learning > groups and each > student will map out a four year learning plan for > herself is a great > step in focusing on the individual. > > I understand completely that I, myself, was an > anomaly in the > Minneapolis Public Schools. I was a working poor, > student of color. And > I was absolutely lucky that I had an extremely > supportive mother and > found overwhelming support from staff in the Public > Schools. Without > that support I may not have made it through the > education system. > > I also witnessed students tracked in the SPAN > program that were yelled > at, physically intimidated by and absolutely > disrespected by their > "teachers." > I watched students who were little more than > prisoners in their > classrooms and found themselves facing the racism, > sexism, and > low-expectations that they encountered outside of > the classroom being > propagated by their instructors inside of the > classroom. > > Public Schools were founded as a way to train young > people to be > productive workers after graduation, not to > challenge them > intellectually. I believe that schools are a place > for experimentation. > Where students need to learn the basics of education > (reading, writing, > arithmetic), but they also must have the opportunity > to begin exploring > the various paths their lives may take. That is why > I also will support > arts education, music education, and experiential > learning > opportunities. The innovative program that existed > at Longfellow School > (now Ramsey) was the type of education that I would > like to happen > across the district. > > Michael Libby is right. A single person from the > board of education is > not going to be able to effect huge system change. > But then again, I am > a community organizer. I know the power of numbers, > and I know the > ability of students. And the students of > Minneapolis, in me, will have a > passionate and powerful voice that won't speak for > them, but sure as > hell speak with them every change I get. > > -Brandon Lacy Campos > Powderhorn Park > 9-4 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email! http://mail.yahoo.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
