Around the time Thandiwe Peebles was hired as superintendent, Minneapolis school board members acknowledged that, on average, schools with high minority enrollments have a high concentration of the district's least experienced teachers. However, board members also contend that Dr. Peebles can close the black-white test score gap without doing anything about that.
Below is a paragraph from a Fall 2002 SW Journal article by Caitlin Pine, originally titled, "Doug Mann: an involved parent fighting inequality and ruffling feathers, One of the best ways Mann thinks the district can equalize educational facilities is to integrate inexperienced teachers throughout schools. Though school district officials disagree, Mann said new teachers are disproportionally placed in poor neighborhoods. "[This] should be addressed by phasing in more teacher-in-training positions at schools where the teaching staff has the highest levels of experience and better working conditions for teachers." said Mann. http://www.swjournal.com/articles/2002/10/22/export5473.txt The Minneapolis Board of Education carried out a class size reduction plan in the early 1990s that produced a shift of high-seniority teachers out of high-minority schools, resulting in a higher concentration of the district's least experienced teachers in schools with high minority enrollments. The annual spring-summer layoff of teachers the Board actually plans to rehire or replace in August-September further concentrates inexperienced teachers, and drives up teacher turnover rates, in schools with high minority enrollments. The Minneapolis Board of Education acknowledged a widening black-white academic achievement gap in the early 1990s, despite a class size reduction program that was supposed to close that gap. The solution was a neighborhood school plan, approved in 1995, that was supposed to close the gap by increasing parent involvement. Under the leadership of superintendent Carol Johnson and her right hand man, David Jennings, the district claimed to be making progress toward closing the black-white achievement gap. However, the black-white achievement gap was, in reality, getting wider, as board members acknowledged around the time that Thandiwe Peebles was hired. Can Dr. Peebles really do what Dr. Carol Johnson couldn't do: Close the black-white test score gap without taking steps to desegregate inexperienced teachers and dramatically cut teacher turnover rates in schools with high black enrollment? -Doug Mann, King Field candidate for city council, 8th ward http://educationright.com/blog 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
