Since I've been asked, I am pleased that Jefferson has survived the
axe. We have already heard from people who feel that it would be a
very good thing if some schools were closed. Based on my experience
watching this process (I was, unfortunately, out of town on the day of
the most recent meeting, so I missed some of the tail end), here are
some remarks/suggestions:
1. If the board feels that it's essential to close schools, it will
be important to make the case to the community at large. This
will require much more active outreach --- simply having board
meetings and getting stories into the Star-Tribune will not be
enough. The board will need to aggressively go out to the
community (e.g., have community meetings, in neighborhood
schools), to make this case.
2. School closings are not decisions that can be taken quickly. If
the process involves coming up with recommendations in October,
and getting the decision taken in November, that's not going to be
enough time. The recommendations will have to be in place much
earlier.
3. The recommendations will have to percolate around a bit and be
sold to the communities.
4. As always, the people who are most involved are most likely to get
their own way. I'm sure we'll hear a chorus about how this means
all the middle-class white folks from Southwest get what they
want. I'm here to tell you that ain't so. There was a HUGE
outpouring of concern and action from the Hispanic community
around Jefferson. It was very effective.
5. Maybe #4 isn't such a bad thing. If people are willing to kick
and scream to save a school, it must be doing at least some things
right. Maybe that doesn't tell you all you need to know about the
school, but it does tell you something.
6. The current process had the appearance of thrashing some. First
we were going to close Kenny and Kenwood. That caused a storm.
Then Jefferson. That caused a storm. Then we moved on to
Emerson, and possibly put Kenwood back on the table. This kind of
action is very harmful to community trust. For one thing, you
can't tell people that their community school is off the table,
and then bring it back into play. That erodes trust. Second, the
flip-flopping erodes trust that the decision-makers and
consultants are taking the time to make a good decision. The
impression it leaves is that the time consideration has become
paramount, and decision quality is being sacrificed to a
deadline. Also, people find out very late that their school is
suddenly being considered for closing, and the very abruptness
erodes trust.
I'm afraid I haven't had time to formulate these very well, or review
the experience in a considered way. So take these ramblings with a
grain of salt.
Happy thanksgiving,
Robert
--
Robert P. Goldman
ECCO
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