>The Minneapolis school board got a blunt message Tuesday from its citizen >budget advisers: Close schools, and don't fumble the job this time. http://www.startribune.com/stories/1592/4853342.html
It wasn't the board's fault that it was a poorly researched and even more poorly timed plan. The board did what it is supposed to do - listen to its constituents. More facts and a more thoughtful plan were and still are necessary. Just because it didn't happen the way Jennings wanted it to happen doesn't mean that it is the board's fault. Mr. Jennings should be taking more responsibility for the inept execution. How many more families will be calling private or charter schools after reading the paper this morning? >The Citizens Budget Advisory Committee delivered that message as the board >adopted a $429 million operating budget for next school year, down 7 percent >from last school year. It's a budget that spreads too little money over too >many schools, "according to Interim Superintendent David Jennings." -Not necessarily according to the citizens that the district serves. That opinion is yet to be determined. >"It seems obvious that we are spending resources on space instead of >students," the budget group said in a statement read to the board by its >chairman, Eli Kaplan. How is that obvious ? Please share the facts - all of the facts, and do it qucikly. >"The group expressed concern that the district isn't moving fast enough on the planning groundwork needed to make school->closing decisions as scheduled in October." Except that is was Jennings who sent out 22 rfps and got only one unsatisfactory response and then hired a mish mash of consultants who haven't put anything on the table yet. The board doens't need to take the blame for that. They moved pretty qucikly this last month to correct that situation. Let's see how Ms. Peebles works with the consultants. Dan McGuire Ericsson 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
