In response to some questions about MPS and school reforms vis a vis
what has taken place in Charlotte-Mecklenberg:
I was unable to article in the hotlink but readers should know that MPS
has:
Standardized curricula across the district
Defined district content expectations at each grade level
Use curriculum based assessments (CBM's)
Broken down the data and told the story
Advanced All-Day K as a primary tool
Sought to increase minority enrollment in AP/IB
Significantly boosted test scores
In addition we are reforming teacher compensation to reward teachers who
train in and acquire the skills labor and management both agree are the
key skills needed to accelerate student achievement. Almost 40% of our
teachers have signed up to participate in this program in it's first
year.
I should note that Dr. Johnson and Dr. Smith know eachother and share
notes on success. One should also note that Charlotte-Mecklenberg is a
county wide school system resulting in lower concentrations of poverty
over-all and a higher base from which to average student improvement
from.
Perhaps that is a model we should explore.
On the recent comments regarding school taxes. I have to admit I am a
bit baffled about Brauer's particulars on his house but I can speak to a
few trends, check some facts and perhaps repost with an aswer to David's
specific mystery.
Fact #1. Voters approved an increase in the School excess operating
referendum. Thanks to all Minneapolis voters for their support! You
approved an eight year operating referendum that increases annually over
the course of the eight years to address the inflationary increases in
the cost of maintaining class sizes. We actually incur additional costs
over referendum revenue to maintain the commitment.
Fact#2. The levy impact hit homeowners in taxes payable in 02 and
scales up annually.
Fact#3. The TNT statements that just hit everybody's home have an error
on the Minneapolis Schools' operating referendum line. The state's levy
sheets which are used by the county to prepare the TNT notice
erroneously attibuted another district levy authority in addition to the
school operating referendum authority. The bottom line on school levies
is accurate; the number and percent increase figures for school
operating referendum are wrong due to a misallocation of yet another
distinct district levy authority to the voter approved school operating
referendum line on the TNT form.
Fact#4. The decrease in the other school referenda number is primarily
attributable to a decrease in the school district alternative
faciilities levy which funds deferred maintenance and many of the school
facility improvements you've seen over the past 14 years. This program
is phasing down as we have caught up with many years of deferred
maintenance.
That's for all now
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