The Minneapolis Public School (MPS) system, since the early 1970's has slowly corkscrewed itself into the ground. Through a combination of naivety and incompetence (in my view) the school board has taken which was once the premier school district in the state, to one in which those with quick feet or the financial ability choose to abandon on a regular basis.
We have a history of electing individuals who many would agree are not the sharpest bit in the brace. Those with a sense of history recall the school board used to be comprised of the captains of industry who saw it as their civic duty to advance the education of the citizens of Minneapolis. I was a student in the MPS in the 1960's and early 1970's. I attended Cleveland elementary (Lowry and Russell N), which the big thinkers decided to tear down rather than mothball, only to build a new school within a half a block. I attended Jordan Junior High (James and 29th N), which the big thinkers decided to tear down rather than mothball, only to build a new school within a half a block. Our family bailed to Robbinsdale for high school, this after the late Judge Earl Larson decided we should all get together across town for a big hug. Do the folks at NE Broadway not know how to interpret census data. As the Minneapolis Republican Chair during the time of the school levy question I fell prey to the siren song of "Oh' it is for the children" thus I endorsed the ballot question. Of course I am for the children, yet on a sidebar it was another example (in retrospect) of incompetence and elected officials building monuments to themselves. I have lost track of the number of young families that I have known in Minneapolis who arrive at point at which the children are old enough for school, move from Minneapolis. Those out there with a financial twist know what this does to property values, this has to stop. I will not go as far as suggesting those school board members currently seated and not up for election resign in disgrace, but I will suggest, "out with the old and in with the new" as perhaps we can turn this around. Lee R. Eklund Victory 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
