On 3/1/04 8:22 PM, "David Brauer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Again, while I think it's appropriate to debate Jennings' and the > district's approach, their numbers don't seem wildly off in this > particularly case. If I'm missing additional details, please add to the > record. I generally agree with what the Ostrows wrote. It is pretty apparent that the MPS has a surplus of facility space when you have a district that has space for 50,000 students but enrollment is only 38,000. But I do think the Ostrows let the school board and Jennings off the hook too much as far as how this was presented. The school board and Jennings should have learned from Jennings' own failed appointment last year that parents and other stakeholders in the MPS are not going to stand to be force-fed anything. If they're going to propose anything of this kind of magnitude, they'd better have the details prepared to back up the recommendations being made and they'd better make those details public. When Joe or Jane Parent asks why their kid's school was recommended for closing, they deserve a better answer than "We'll have staff get that for you" and if Jim McGuire's suspicion is right about the school board not even having all the details in front of them, then that's even worse. Especially since if I recall correctly, one of the reasons for the short notice on this was that it took longer than expected for staff to flesh out Jennings' proposal. So what exactly was fleshed out if nobody seems to have any details? No elected official should be making a decision with the kinds of impact that a school closing has, let alone 10, without actually taking the time to study the issues and options involved and fully understand why the proposed recommendation is needed. It's a shame that it took a vocal response from a bunch of parents and other stakeholders to get the school board to see that. Of course, I'm assuming that they do actually get it now. Mark Snyder Windom Park REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
