[Mpls] Fluff in the Schools?

[Diane Wiley]

JIM GRAHAM wrote: > need reading and math before all the political fluff that now constitutes the education offered in Minneapolis. The cost of this fluff is amazing. I am wondering what kind of fluff you are talking about.  Music?  Gym?  Art?  This is not fluff to me.  I have seen with my son that the classes that engage him are those where the teacher is enthusiastic and makes the material somehow relate to his life.  It seems to me that there is a real focus, at Seward anyway, on making the math and the science relate to the kids' lives -- measure the rooms in your house, figure out what it costs to run a store, analyze what you eat and how it affects your body.  I don't see that the content of what the kids are learning is a problem.  What I see is that there are too many kids in a classroom for the teacher to tailor the material to their needs -- whether they are special ed or more advanced or even "average", but maybe not really getting something in particular.  There are too many kids to really give them the attention they all need.   Where's the fluff?  I wish there was some.  They don't even have enough computers.  I have seen a real emphasis on reading over the eight years my son has been in school -- extra programs to focus on kids who aren't at grade level.  Are you talking about the profiles of learning?  What I've seen is that they are a headache administratively, but very creative in teaching the kids to use their reading and writing skills on real world problems.  For example, my son is just doing a whole profile unit on immigrants.  Each kid has to interview someone about the history of their family, write a report about it and give a presentation.  Teaches kids to appreciate diversity as well as learning how to ask questions and write things up.  I thought it was great -- did what education should do -- teach kids to think and teaches them skills.   What do you mean by fluff, Jim?    Diane Wiley, Powderhorn