[Mpls] Education in the City

[Heidi Schmidt]

I have been a lurking member of this forum for about 8 months, and I have learned a great deal about politics "in the City".   I moved up here two years ago to take an administrative position and found being employed by a metro school district gave new meaning to the phrase "political job."  I watched as other administrators jockeyed for position;  and many school board members promoted their personal agendas that would enhance their own political aspirations.  It didn't come as a big surprise that referendums failed and test scores were low because the "Children First" rhetoric was just that, "rhetoric."

Quick correction to one of the posts -- ESL is now LEP (Limited English Proficiency).  The term ELL must be exclusive to Minneapolis.

I would have to agree with Joseph Erickson, that parent involvement in a child's education is more about what happens in the home than how much time a parent spends in the schools volunteering.  It is in the home that the child learns the importance of learning, and is given the emotional and physical tools that enhance the learning experience.

"We need to assure kids are getting the basics!"  "We need to return to the basics!"   The cry is never ending.  I would ask, "And just what are the basics, today?"  What are the basic skills that allows a student to go from high school to the work force?  What are the basic skills that result in that acceptance letter from the college or university the student wishes to attend?  What place does critical thinking have in teaching basic skills?  What place does community service have in basic skills?  Does basic skills include technology?  and at what level?  Who is going to determine what the basics are in this world at this time?

Mr. Atherton, your proposal --  A comprehensive, structured, and well managed parent involvement program that centers responsibility for involvement on the schools.  A network of parents who will help involve and contact parents in their neighborhoods.  Accountability for meetingoutreach and involvement goals. -- This was a funded Department of Education program about 10 - 12 years ago.  Results -- Parents who were already involved became more involved; parents who weren't involved, still weren't involved.

Concerning Your Proposal: I believe that some of the vocational and technical training offered in the community colleges should be offered to high school students.  The public schools should form partnerships with business who need skilled workers to provide training and jobs to high school graduates.  That is what PSEO was designed for and I believe you will find that statewide approximately 6 percent of the llth and 12th graders take advantage of receiving high school credit for courses they take through community colleges, vo tech schools and universities.

I could go on, but to what purpose.  Suffice it to say that I think it's time we take the politics out of education, and put "Children First."  Perhaps Ted Forstmann has the right idea.  Education is a monopoly and "monopolies produce low quality at a high price."  We  proclaim to offer our children choices in education, but only those whose parents can afford to live in affluent suburbs or have the means to provide private education for their children are able to take advantage of that choice.  If Forstmann has his way, education
( http://www.npr.org/programs/npc/010403.tforstmann.htmleducation ) will become competitive, and maybe we'd be better off.  It's time Board Members do not affiliate themselves with a party, but affiliate themselves with what is in the best interest of our children.  It's time dollars are spent on education for children rather than on staff development.  (i.e. Outcome Based Education cost school districts hundreds of thousands of dollars in training of staff.  OBE was then scrapped by legislators and Graduation Standards was IN.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars were again spent training staff in the Graduation Standards.  Graduation Standards (Profiles of Learning)  is, in fact, enhanced OBE.)

My children were raised in southern Minnesota in a small community where the drop out rate is less than one percent, test scores are substantially above the national average, 76% of the graduates enroll in post-secondary schools and another 20% go directly into the work force.  A referendum has never failed, and if you were to ask someone what a board members political party affiliation was, you probably wouldn't get an answer because no one would know.  They are there because they do care about our children's education, they do their homework, they make the most of the resources, and it is their enthusiasm for education that is contagious in the community.

I am perhaps naive, but I think inner-city and first ring suburbs can provide the same type of education for our children if Board Members do their homework, enthusiastically embrace the public school system, and put "Children First."

Just my 34 cents worth. 

Heidi Schmidt