Re: [Mpls] Education in the City

[Heidi Schmidt]

First, I apologize, Mr. Atherton.  I did not mean to incite you with my previous comments.

Having spent 20+ years in education, largely in the capacity of drafting policy, grant writing and filing state student and staff reports upon which funding is generated, I am very familiar with all programs, their historical background, their effectiveness and where they are or are not today.

PSEO was not designed for students to get a jump on college.  That may have been how it was perceived in the metro, but out state it gave students the opportunity to take courses that were not available in their high schools due to enrollment and funding constraints.  It quickly developed into a program whereby students could take vocational courses, and just as quickly, school districts discovered that it was to their benefit, financially, not to report these students as PSEO students, but claim them as a full ADM and pay the Vo-techs tuition from their general fund.  This is now done throughout the state -- even in Minneapolis, and these students are not reflected in the State PSEO participation counts.

School-to-Career [Work] programs have been in existence for at least 18 years.  They have been and are still very successful, under any name.  I had one high school Sophomore begin her work experience career with me, and she was with me the entire three years of high school.  I mention her because she was from a dysfunctional family, lived in foster homes periodically, and she had absolutely no resources to continue her education after high school.  Today, she holds a responsible, well-paying position is a supervisor for Weigh Tronics.  My late husband had a young man in the program whom he trained as a shoe repair person.  Today the young man owns a very successful shop in Iowa.

"I want students to be able to graduate from high school with marketable job skills.  I want students to be able to take vocational courses without being "tracked" and at the same time maintain academic standards in core and content courses."  Atherton

Don't we all......  and I do believe schools are striving to accomplish this through their offering of comprehensive technology courses in accounting, drafting, computer science, foods, small engine, auto mechanics to name just a few.  As to tracking -- students track themselves -- counselors aren't the final word.  I have a daughter who didn't know if she wanted to be a math teacher or get involved in business.  She took 1 semester advanced calculus and 1 semester accounting.    A close friend of hers took a mix of vocational and International Baccalaureate courses because while she wanted to be an engineer she knew she would have to get a really good part-time job if she was going to be able to fund her college education.  Most high school students do know what they want and what they need to do to get it. 

I don't believe schools are "shucking their own responsibility" and blaming their ills on parents.   As a friend stated:  Minneapolis and St. Paul schools don't have a problem; the communities have problems that need to be addressed if a child is to learn.  The major problem being one of survival.  Schools can only provide a safe place for learning 360 minutes a day, approximately 175 days out of the year.  It is very difficult for a child to learn if they live in fear for their safety and the safety of their family.  Michael, I will be sending you information on the extinct Parent Involvement Program.  In fact the department published a whole notebook for us, and if I can locate that, it's yours.  You are right, after being a dismal disappointment, PIP was left up to individual school districts.

The general public may or may not be interested in the myriad of programs, processes and procedures in public education, so I will not belabor the issues.  However if anyone would like information concerning a specific programs, including those designed to lower class size; and the name of a contact person at the CFL just let me know and I will send you that information.  The CFL staff that I've dealt with are very helpful and willing to provide information. 

Heidi