Doug Mann does not have a child the Minneapolis public schools. I've have three kids in the city public schools. Doug Mann's descriptions of MPS curriculum, class size and ability grouping practices do not fit with what I've observed over the last ten years and counting.
For the record:
1) My kids were drilled in phonics and de-coding.The Whole Language versus Phonics debate has been moot for us. Our teachers have always used both methods and used them well.
2) The district has honored referendum class sizes, with a few exceptions here and there that are small and easily understandable. I feel the district has made its best effort to honor this pact with the city's taxpayers. It's working, folks
3) At my kids' schools, ability grouping is done for some reading and math sections. It's flexible--kids move around from group to group. And it's never done for the entire day.
Kids remained in mixed group settings for social studies, science, gym, art, music, health and more, I went to public schools in Mounds View in the era when you went to school the first day and you could easily see that kids were sorted into four different classrooms for: the really smart, the smart, the average and the dumb. And you were kept in those classes for the entire year.
That era is long gone and it's a good thing too.
Lynnell Mickelsen
Linden Hills.
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- Re: [Mpls] phonics, ability grouping in public schools Lynnell Mickelsen
- Re: [Mpls] phonics, ability grouping in public scho... Socialist2001
