Thanks again for your recent comments on the proposed school reorganization. This is a summary of my comments at a rally at City Hall this afternoon. I am always interested in getting your thoughts, so please keep me informed on your thinking on this.
Mayor R.T. Rybak Statement of Mayor Rybak on school reorganization I have communicated with many parents, students and concerned citizens over the past week, trying to learn as much as I can about the proposed school reorganization plan and working through what constructive role I can play. I also met with Interim Superintendent David Jennings on Saturday. Based on all these conversations, I am asking Superintendent Jennings and School Board Chair Sharon Henry Blythe to delay the School Board vote on the school reorganization, and offer both my assistance and support over the coming year while the community works with the District to develop a plan that addresses our very serious long-term challenges. Taking these steps will make it more possible to build broad scale support for a plan that has the significant changes necessary to deal with today's realities for our schools. This will also respond to the very strong call from parents to provide them and their children more time to plan for changes. The needs of parents and students is always important; it is especially important right now because one of the most critical challenges facing the district is maintaining enrollment. No one should kid themselves that taking these actions makes the problems go away. We face very tough choices ahead. It is clear that schools will have to be closed, and many other tough decisions will need to be made. We need to look these challenges in the eye and make the tough choices together. If we don't, if we arrive at this same conclusion a year from now without making tough choices, if we pretend nibbling around the edges will be enough, the situation will be much worse than what we see today. If a year from now the only discussion is about "Don't close my school" or "Don't move my program" we will have put ourselves in a worse situation. Choices will have to be made, and if we advocate for keeping one program or school, we have to be part of finding what alternative needs to be sacrificed. The budget and authority for the schools rests solely with the independently elected School Board and Superintendent. I will support them over the coming months as they frame the tough questions we have, including class size and which schools and programs remain open, While I do not oversee the schools, the issue of building community is central to my role as Mayor. And I see almost nothing more important in building strong neighborhoods than maintaining strong community-based schools. I will continue to advocate for community-based schools but I, and all of us, have to be realistic that the district's serious financial challenges will make that even more difficult. Minneapolis is fortunate to have Interim Superintendent David Jennings to lead us through this discussion. He is smart, tough and has the kind of direct honesty we need to face these issues head-on. Minneapolis is also fortunate to have the leadership of Board Chair Sharon Henry Blythe, who is one of the most principled elected officials I know. Minneapolis needs to rally behind these great leaders as they guide us through some tough choices. We also need to recognize that the future of the kids of this city cannot be left solely to the School Board. I will continue to advocate for kids as Mayor and in my new position as Chair of the Youth Coordinating Board, which coordinates the children's agenda of the city, parks, schools, libraries and county. I encourage all of us to use this time to dig even deeper to find ways each of us can stand up for our kids. This year is one of the most important in recent years for kids in the City of Minneapolis. Our choices this year are tough, we can come out of this better if everyone works together toward our common goals on behalf of our children. -----Original Message----- From: Dan McGuire [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, February 20, 2004 8:53 AM To: Audrey Johnson; mpls list Cc: Louise Sundin; Colleen Moriarty; Dennis Schapiro; Joe Erickson; Judith Farmer; Louise Sundin; Ross Taylor; Sharon Henry-Blythe Subject: full disclosure about successful education Dear Ms. Johnson, In your op-ed piece this morning you called for "full disclosure about the systemic roadblocks that cripple successful education for too many of our children." I'm a teacher and I agree with you. To that end, please detail for me the efforts that you and the board made toward reform of the teacher assignment process in this most recent contract negotiations. If the union that I am a member of thwarted your intentions, I want to know about it, and I'm sure most of my colleagues will as well. I'm willing to talk about how we can make the system better and I know a lot of other teachers are also willing; we actually spend quite a few hours each week in such discussions in one form or another. If the union is getting in the way of making reforms in how we can better teach our students, I promise I will do all I can to get that corrected, and I won't be alone. But, if this school closing plan is more about busting the union than it is about thoughtful, purposeful reinvigoration of our schools, I will be angry. Too many who have less options than most will be paying the price for your "plan." Get back to me as soon as possible. I'll be busy with my students and their work until late this afternoon, but talk to me. I promise I won't ignore your concerns. Dan McGuire I live near Ericsson. http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/4618724.html full disclosure about the systemic roadblocks that cripple successful education for too many of our children. REMINDERS: 1. 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