There has been no significant increase in childrens' test scores in mps, or did I read the point incorrectly? The schools are low on money but they can pay teachers to attend classes to increase student performance, isn't this the object of educational college? The referendum passed to keep classes small has been disregarded at least in two cases I personally know of,both in the middle grades. One, a geography class has 32 students. I(once again) guestion the school administration's honesty and commitment to our kids. Dain Lyngstad Phillips/edina --- "Jame F. Grathwol" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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 > > begin:vcard > n:Grathwol;Jim > tel;cell:612-990-3459 > tel;work:612-668-0223 > x-mozilla-html:FALSE > adr:;;;;;; > version:2.1 > email;internet:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > fn:Jim Grathwol > end:vcard >
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