It is clear to me that the problems of education in Minneapolis are
only in part due to the actions in the classroom. Children not attending
class, children not awake in class, children hiding at school from their
home or neighborhood situations also contribute to lower performance. In
addition, some children are learning English at the same time that they
are trying to become literate. Some children have physical or mental
limitations the schools must compensate for while the District is under
funded. Some of the children are over medicated.
Instead of beginning a coordinated community approach to education,
the response to classroom under funding and non school related problems
is to transfer teachers to technically qualified but not experienced
positions, to layoff a massive number of teachers, and to close schools.
To be fair, the current District is too large and involves too many
distinct communities to make a thought out community approach. It would
have to split into at least five districts, probably more, to have a base
for community coordinated action.
Community coordinated action would involve groups outside the school
districts performing related tasks. Branch libraries within two blocks of
some high school and middle school facilities are currently available.
However, more are needed with sufficient high speed Internet connections
available at least six days a week. Community clinics within two blocks
of schools that offer counseling as well as preventative health care
would be necessary. That is not common. Coordinated athletic leagues
could include Boys and Girls Clubs, Chamber of Commerce Teams, Church
Youth Leagues, Park Board Teams, Police Athletic Leagues, YM and YW CA's,
to name some. There are enough children to support 10 or 12 teams in
every school that now partially supports one team.
In some countries, we used to have festivals every six weeks to get
people together to plan and party. We can do that in Minneapolis to
relieve the non school functions on the District(s). The schools have
fund raisers and special fees to do that now. I still have rolls of
unused wrapping paper from the 90's.
Why is community education a challenge? Currently we have many
distinct organizations with conflicting and separate rules to provide for
specific functions in the schools and in the city. Many have devoted
money and time to the success of those programs. Further, many
influential people do not want public education to succeed. They have no
children in school or have moved their children out of the system. They
want to get back tax money spent for schools or at least not spend the
tax dollars for public education.
In my opinion, grade school education should teach literacy in at
least two languages and basic skills in understanding the environment,
math, the society, and science. Middle school and high schools should
open up students to specific vocations and advanced education. We need
class sizes of 17 to 20 students. We need experienced trained teachers.
We need to accomplish this in public schools that coordinate with their
Minneapolis communities and Minneapolis communities that coordinate with
their public schools.
Our current isolated approach will likely continue the decline of
public education. Of course many of us believe that is an unstated or
barely stated goal of some efficiency proponents.
Thanks.
John O'Neal
Holland Neighborhood
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