Greetings: I am an out-of district parent that brings her child INTO the Minneapolis School District. (Yes, I do need to say this every time....I also need to say that there are many aliens out there, just like me, that bring our children into the District from elsewhere). I have twice made a specific school choice in the District.
I originally chose Benjamin Banneker School, at the School Choice Fair before my daughter's kindergarten year. The Banneker School teachers at the Fair were the ONLY persons, of those at ALL of the school tables, that were interested in my daughter..they asked her questions about the subjects she liked and didn't like, did an informal assessment of her knowledge of colors, alphabet, math concepts, etc. They were interested in my hopes and dreams for my daughter's education. They WANTED us to choose their school. I followed up with a school visit, and was favorably impressed by the facility, lunchroom behavior, and my class room observations. I did not, and SHOULD HAVE, asked about the administrative staff and the School Performance Report. The principal was there on a temporary basis, and the school was expected by the District to be closed; they just hadn't informed the teaching staff or community. Banneker was Fresh Started at the end of my daughter's first grade year. Between April 26 and May 16, I needed to find a new school for my daughter. I looked at private options, options where we live, and options, again, in Minneapolis. I started with School Reports, and a desire for a strong Math and Science "attitude" in a school. It was Absolutely Critical to me that my daughter not be Fresh Started again; I wanted her to be in a stable place. A Minneapolis Kids program, preferably on-site, but at least accessible by District Bus, was important. The Administration of the School (Principal and Assistant or direct reports) was critical..I had seen how directly the Principal's engagement in the school made, or broke, the school. My Minneapolis Kids director at Green Central (where the Banneker kids went for the after-school program) told me about Pillsbury MST, and Dr. John Googins, the Principal. I liked what I saw in the reports; I visited the school. I spent 3 and a half hours in the school, including observations of lunch, classrooms and an assembly. I had a lengthy interview with Dr. Googins, to understand his enforcement of discipline, academic expectations, and school philosophy. I also visited two other Minneapolis schools, but the schedules of people in the schools could not accommodate lengthy visits or interviews with administrators. I chose Pillsbury MST for my daughter. I would make this choice again. Brief Commercial Announcement: Pillsbury Math Science Technology Magnet is an undiscovered gem in the District. The School Theme for 2003 -4 and 2004 - 5 is "A World of Patterns." This theme is used by teachers to link concepts in reading, math and science. The school has a stated Vision. An inquisitive or empirical method of thought is emphasized----as a Scientist by training, I appreciate having the Scientific Method be the basis of multi-disciplinary learning. I have observed that my daughter applies this thought process to her whole life. I expect that early introduction to, and incorporation of, Critical Thinking into her automatic skill set will serve her well not only in her academic life, but in her "real" life. Pillsbury 4th and 5th grade teams took third and 1st place, respectively, in the all-district math competitions that were held during the National Math Teachers conference that came to Minneapolis this fall. Pillsbury started a GEMS program (Girls in Engineering, Mathematics and Science) this fall...at the regional competition in December one of the four Pillsbury teams went on to the State Competition (unheard of for a first year program). Pillsbury has a very diverse student population, economically and culturally. Pillsbury shares a building with Bottineau, a pre-K - 2 program that emphasizes early childhood, inquisitive, learning concepts. Windom Park is also part of the Pillsbury building. There is a new Principal, Joan Henke, who I am impressed with. End of Commercial announcement. I am responsible for my daughter's education. The school can provide me with tools and structure, but I am responsible and accountable for her education. Period. I check homework, I provide additional learning materials and experiences, I evaluate my daughter's academic progress against same-year peers in our city-of-residence and her cousins and step sibs in other states. I am on the School Site Council. I volunteer as much as possible for after-work school events and I take time off work to go on Field trips. I know all my daughter's teachers, and other teachers in the school, and I talk to them about my daughter's progress and behavior. I have shared my hopes and dreams and expectations for my daughter's education with her teachers, and I support the teachers in their efforts. I know my daughter's class mates and friends, and, as much as possible, their parents. What my daughter and i get out of her school experience will, largely, reflect what we put into it. I believe that Pillsbury gives me the best support, and leverage, of our efforts. For other parents, from MY perspective: check the published scores, but depend on what you see in site visits and learn from teacher and administrator interviews. Talk to other parents of students at theat school. Understand your values for your child's education and school..what is improtant to you and what you are willing to compromise (Perfection is a goal, not a reality). Be prepared to be involved in whatever school you chose for your student. I would have preferred a K - 8 program... and still would, but K - 8's were being phased out in the district. I am in search of a middle school, for the 2006 -7 school year. I have started my search already. I'm late. Susan Young City employee (on her lunch time) Wendy's Mom -----Original Message----- From: Gregory Luce [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 3:14 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Mpls] School Choice: Minneapolis I'm in the same boat as thousands of parents every year: figuring out our school choice for kindergarten for my five year old in Minneapolis. The deadline is February 28, 2005, and the tours and looks of anxious parents have started. I'd be curious to hear--on or off the list--folks' experiences in making their respective choices. I'd also love to hear about some of the newer programs in Minneapolis, like the IB programs at Whittier and Hall (which is offering Chinese) and the Dual Spanish-English Immersion program at Windom. With our community school being Hale and the option to choose Ramsey, Barton, or others, I'd love to hear perspectives, particularly from parents of existing school kids. But, I'm not so interested in debating the pros and cons of a particular pedagogy or reliving the debate about arts in the schools. Gregory Luce St. Paul (but kid-connected to Page) REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
