I'm not sure what the intricacies are of the criticisms of the current
Superintendent of Schools for Minneapolis. However, I've long suspected
that it's an impossible job and that it's a wonder that anyone would
take the job at any wage. I remember about 30 years ago, when my
children were first in the schools, of going to a public meeting on the
schools at which the then superintendent was present go give an
explanation of something. The public vilification he had to endure was
more than I think any human being should ever have to endure. I
remember that my chin was almost on the floor from seeing the attacks.
I was fresh out of the military, and Vietnam, at the time and I remember
wondering then whether the Superintendent's compensation package
included "combat pay."
I'm not so sure that the situation has gotten any better since then and
may have gotten worse. The job description of the superintendent seems
to be:
(1) Make a bunch of nasty decisions; and
(2) Make everybody like it.
I suspect that every prospective superintendent thinks that he or she
can find a way of running the system without making the nasty
decisions. But the fact is that probably all of the nasty decisions
have to be made for the same reason. And that reason is that the public
schools aren't getting anywhere near the kind of support (financial but,
mostly, otherwise) from parents, Minneapolis, the State of Minnesota,
the kids, the business community, and everyone else that is needed in
order to turn out well-educated kids on a consistent basis.
If the current superintendent leaves, it would be appropriate if
literally nobody applied to be her successor and that nobody would agree
to accept the job even on an interim basis. But, I doubt that that will
happen because there are still people who think that they can perform
miracles despite the fact that the operational rules prevent any
miracles from occurring.
Steve Cross
Prospect Park
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