Mary wonders if there are stats on how kids actually perform in various tracked or
untracked schools. I think there are, and SPPS would have them. One thing that has
seemed to work since the 18th century is mixing kids, letting the older help the
younger, in fairly small groups. At least that's true of, say, K-5. We did it
through 8th grade in my '60s school, with mixed results. I was a tutor to kids with
weaker skills, but they were mostly from Mexican migrant worker families. I was
uncomfortable in that role with kids my own age or even older, who pretty much
attended our school on the off-agricultural season. But we got to know each other! Of
the 5 I remember well, 3 were at least as bright as I , one pretty average, one older
and humiliated to be still in 8th grade - their problem was they were so hopelessly
behind. Same with kids moving in and out of schools today.
One thing I'm certain has worked to kids' advantage is having fairly small systems in
which to work. Clusters of kids, perhaps all interested in a particular curriculum,
who know each other and are known by their teachers. My senior high school - just 3
grades - numbered 2000. It's possible to be completely lost in that kind of set-up.
And it's even more alienating if the work seems irrelevant to kids who are far more
experienced in life than those for whom the model high school curriculum was designed.
I know lots of people who were fine students who goofed off, waiting for Life to
start. Those who have fewer skills feel even more like outsiders. I don't think
mixing them in with better students will help unless it's a subject approached in a
genuinely interesting way. One of those ways is to continuously reinforce real world
applications. I've balked at the emphasis on job preparation myself, but it doesn't
have to be assembly line production. For instance, I kind of liked biology. But I'd
have loved it if I'd known I might study mountain sheep in British Columbia or teach
mammalogy - or be a vet tech. Dissecting a worm didn't seem all that engaging.
Today's Topics:
1. (no subject) (Mary Baker)
2. Smoking ban: Compare it with Deaf club (Ellie Kidder)
3. MAC-GROVE NEWS: UST Expansion Approved; Board Meeting Thurs;
Alley Garden Awards (Bob Spaulding)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 07 Jun 2004 13:06:43 -0500
From: "Mary Baker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [StPaul] (no subject)
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
"A well prepared, bright, motivated kid should never have to sit through
classes that are paced to
allow the slowest to keep up."
What happens when you put a "bright" kid in with other bright kids, all in
the same class? What happens when you segregate the kids based on
performance? Do you get better performance from both groups, better than it
would have been without segregation? Or do you get the same from the lower
and better from the brighter?
I'm really curious about what the findings have been. Surely someone in
this forum knows of studies done that shed some light on this.
Myself, I have only anecdotal, personal experience. I was what our school
considered "gifted" (as opposed to "special"). But instead of being
uniformly tracked to honors classes, I had a mixture. In middle school I
had one class a day that took the place of English. In it, I goofed off all
the time. I played, I researched, I did little projects, I messed around on
the computer, I annoyed my classmates, I read. In high school the gifted
students had a special class that again took the place of English, and we
also had the choice of taking honors classes for History, Science and a
couple other things. The honors classes were open to everyone, but it being
known and announced up front that they would be tougher than the non-honors
classes, students were able to self-select. Everyone wants to be able to
bring home an A or a B. So if you thought you couldn't cut it in the honors
class, then you took the regular class so your grades were still good.
Since I never took both classes, I can't really say how much I would have
learned in the other track. I do know that I was mightily annoyed I came in
3rd place in the final rankings due solely to a B I got in an honors class
when the two who beat me both took gym (which in our school was an easy A).
Oh well. I didn't feel "challenged" in the honors classes, anymore than I
felt challenged in the non-honors classes (not all the subjects had honors
versions available). I feel I spent most of high school goofing off, as I
did in the middle school gifted class. When I wasn't goofing off, I was
doing tedious busy work or tediously paying attention to a tedious lecture
because the teacher wouldn't let me read ahead or do homework for the other
subjects. I hardly ever brought a book home with me. First it was a
quarter mile walk along a gravel road, second I had chores, and third I had
plenty of free time in other classes to get it done.
What sort of system does challenge a bright kid? The times I felt
challenged were with three different teachers - non-honors Science,
gifted/English in high school, and non-honors History. Coincidentally that
gifted/English teacher was gay, the best teacher I had, and got sacked for
it two years after I graduated (got sacked for being gay, not for being a
good teacher). He died of heart failure about five years ago. The History
teacher left school the year after she taught me. Her son died of AIDS and
she couldn't stand the way he was treated, the things people thought about
him (and her) because of it. This was in the middle 80s.
As far as I know the Science teacher remained at work, unfazed by anything
but the nasty divorce from his wife, who continued to teach Science the year
before his. (You know that had to be a distraction!)
Maybe things would be better if we could figure out how to better retain the
best teachers, and not sack them or run them out of town because of their
sexual orientation or diseases their children had. I dunno. Your thoughts?
Mary Baker
East Side
_________________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 13:52:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ellie Kidder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [StPaul] Smoking ban: Compare it with Deaf club
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Forgive me for giggling because the issue about smoking ban does amuse me.. just a
little.
I'll tell you why. Before articles was written about soming ban, this was a huge
issue for years and years inside Deaf club. Every years for a past a decade or so, I'd
sit there watching members of Deaf club propose to ban smoking inside Deaf club. And
each year it failed to pass. Debate over smoking ban have gotten so heated that
President of Deaf club put a stop to it so we can go on to vote on other matter. Some
were very concern this would dastrically cause revenue at the bar to drop.
Two years ago, of course as usual.. the proposal for smoking ban was brought up. And
this time they passed this porposal. And this time, it stick. A year ago, a few
members asked to repeal this ban. Chairperson said the decision was made and that is
it. There was no more debate.
What is interesting is the result from smoking ban... there was no change in sle
revenue inside a bar. None. Some members never returned. But some longtime members
were finally were able to return and enjoy the fresh air.
Anytiime there major issue come up at City Council, the last result.. instead of
turning to stack of paper that try ti disprove each other, all I have to do is to take
a birdeye view... just look at Deaf club.
Funny heh ?
Ellie Kidder
Stanish
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 20:09:30 -0500
From: Bob Spaulding <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [StPaul] MAC-GROVE NEWS: UST Expansion Approved; Board
Meeting Thurs; Alley Garden Awards
To: Saint Paul E-Democracy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain
NEWS FOR THE MACALESTER-GROVELAND NEIGHBORHOOD
IN THIS EDITION: Planning Commission Approves UST CUP; Board Meeting Thursday; Alley
Garden Awards; National Night Out Registration; Recycling Reminder; Early Childhood
Enviro
Education Forum; Grid 8 Position Available; Congrats to Teen Battle of Bands
Winners; Upcoming Meetings
-----------------------------------------------------
PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVES ST THOMAS CUP
The Saint Paul Planning Commission last week approved the Conditional Use Permit
(CUP) for the expansion of the University of Saint Thomas campus on a 15-3 vote. The
Planning Commission made two notable alterations to Saint Thomas' application, which
bring it closer to the Community Council's Criteria for expansion. Specifically:
"St Thomas shall agree not to purchase additional properties in residential areas
within one mile of the campus, with the exception of a new residence for the
president, during the period of construction and for a period of at least 10 years
after the completion of construction of the two block development area. If property
is bequeathed to St. Thomas, it shall dispose of the property and return it to a
conforming use within two years."
"In accordance with the 1990 special conditional use permit, enrollment at the Saint
Paul campus shall not exceed 10,000 students. Upon such time enrollment exceeds 8,000
students, St. Thomas shall report to the Commission for additional review and
conditions."
However, the Planning Commission did not address four of the Community Council's
criteria: Preserving all 11 homes on the West Block along Summit; limiting parking
structures on the two blocks to 250 spaces; setting back new construction a minimum of
60 feet along Summit; and ensuring new residential buildings on Grand have no more
than 100 units, nor house more than 200 students. These Criteria are outlined in the
2001 Report and Criteria on the St. Thomas Expansion (revised 2004), linked below.
The Planning Commission decision is almost certainly going to be appealed by one or
more entities to the City Council, who will hear the appeal in mid-summer. Barring a
legal challenge, the City Council decision stands as final in the matter. Stay tuned
to this email newsletter for more information.
ST THOMAS EXPANSION DOCS AVAILABLE ON MACGROVE.ORG:
St Thomas Conditional Use Permit, Passed 6/4/2004:
http://www.macgrove.org/council/issues/Saint%20Thomas%20CUP.pdf
St Thomas Resolution Passed 6/4/2004 by Planning Commission:
http://www.macgrove.org/council/issues/UST%20Planning%20Commission%20Resolution%206-4-2004.pdf
Mac-Groveland Letter to Planning Commission, 5/2004:
http://www.macgrove.org/council/issues/Letter%20to%20Planning%20Commission%20on%20UST%20Expansion%205-2004.pdf
Report and Criteria of Community Council on St Thomas Expansion, updated 5/2004:
http://www.macgrove.org/council/issues/Amended%20UST%20Report%205-04.pdf
St Thomas overview page: http://www.macgrove.org/council/issues/stthomas.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------
BOARD MEETING THIS THURSDAY
The Macalester-Groveland Community Council's monthly board meeting will be held this
Thursday, June 10th, 2004 at 7pm at the Edgcumbe Recreation Center, 320 S Griggs St.
All are welcome to attend. Agenda items this month include: election of Grid 8
representative; discussion of district council funding; a brief discussion of the
Community Council response to St. Thomas expansion plans; a discussion about
Mac-Groveland's visual identity & logo; and several community presentations, including
on Groveland Park's Community Garden, Development at Lexington and University and its
impact on Lexington Avenue, and a campaign to bring to voters any decision to spend
over $10 million on a sports stadium.
A full agenda is available at:
http://www.macgrove.org/council/agendasandminutes/Board%20Agenda%202004-06-10.pdf
--------------------------------------------------------------
ALLEY GARDEN AWARDS
Each year, the Macalester Groveland Community Council's Beautification Committee
recognizes residents who contribute to neighborhood beautification and crime
prevention through their efforts on alley gardens. The four criteria that must be met
to win an award follow:
1. The property must be in Macalester-Groveland and have an easily recognizable
house number on the garage (or elsewhere on the alley if there is no garage).
2. The garden must be along the alley and on the alley side of the fence, if there's
a fence.
3. The alley garden must be weed-free and well-maintained.
4. The alley side of the property must positively contribute to the character and
beauty of the alley by being litter-free, weed-free and neat.
Volunteers will be walking through each alley to nominate gardens from July 6 to
July 13. You may also nominate your alley garden or a neighbor's by contacting the
Community Council office between June 28 and July 4. For more information contact
Megan Simmons, Crime Prevention Coordinator at 651-695-4000.
--------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTER YOUR NATIONAL NIGHT OUT PARTY
National Night Out will take place on Tuesday, August 3rd this year. The first 30
block parties in Macalester-Groveland to register with the community council office
will be signed up for a visit from the Prize Patrol, receive goodies and crime
prevention information, as well as be entered into a prize drawing for your block. If
you are planning to hold your block's party on National Night Out, and want to block
off the street, permits are due by Thursday, July 1 (this is a change from June 9th).
Permits can be obtained online at www.ci.stpaul.mn.us or by calling Megan Simmons,
Crime Prevention Coordinator, at 651-695-4000.
--------------------------------------------------------------
RECYCLING REMINDER
The next two recycling dates in Macalester-Groveland are Friday, June 11 and 18.
Please set out your recycling by 7 am.
--------------------------------------------------------------
FREE FORUM ON EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
The Macalester-Groveland Community Council's Environment Committee presents "The
Effects of Early Childhood Environmental Education on Communities," July 6, 2004, 7:00
P.M., Macalester College - Olin Rice 250. The lecture is presented by Natalie Dube
and Laura Evans; both are Teacher/Naturalists at Dodge Nature Preschool. All are
welcome to attend this free forum co-sponsored by Macalester College's E-Funk and the
Mac Greens.
--------------------------------------------------------------
BOARD POSITION AVAILABLE FOR GRID 8 RESIDENTS
There is an opening on the Macalester-Groveland Board for a resident in Grid 8.
Elections for this grid will be held at our June 10th Board Meeting, which will be
held at 7pm at the Edgcumbe Recreation Center, 320 S. Griggs St. Anyone interested is
asked to call Bob Spaulding, Community Organizer/Executive Director at 651-695-4000,
or email him at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
---------------------------------------------------------------
CONGRATS TO TEEN BATTLE OF BANDS WINNERS
Congratulations to the winners of the Mac-Groveland Teen Battle of the Bands at
Grand Old Day Sunday! A record 52 entries were rereceivedhis year. First place went
to Dubiously Grand, second place to Cole Allen and Flash Flood, and third place to
Scrapper Law. Thanks also to our sponsors, including Acme Deli, Grand Avenue Business
Association, Zimmerman's Dry Goods, Musictech College, Cadenza Music, Music Go Round,
Willie's American Guitars, Ruminator Books, and the High Winds Fund of Macalester
College.
--------------------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Board of Directors - Thursday, June 10th at 7pm; KidsPark Parent Advisory Committee
(KPAC) - Monday, June 21st at 6:30 at KidsPark; Housing & Land Use Committee -
Wednesday, June 23rd at 7pm; Environment Committee - Thursday, June 24th at 7pm;
Transportation Committee - Monday, June 28th at 7pm. All meetings are held at the
Edgcumbe Recreation Center, 320 S. Griggs St. unless otherwise noted.
--------------------------------------------------------------
This informational e-mail was sent by the Macalester-Groveland Community Council,
located in the Edgcumbe Recreation Center at 320 South Griggs Street in Saint Paul,
Minnesota. The Macalester-Groveland Community Council serves Citizen Participation
Planning District 14 in Saint Paul, the area bordered by Summit Avenue, the
Mississippi River, Randolph Avenue and Ayd Mill Road/I-35E. Call our office
(651-695-4000) with any questions or concerns you may have! Please let us know if
you'd rather not receive these updates and we'll be happy to take you off our list.
Bob Spaulding, Community Organizer/Executive Director
Rachel Harris, Coordinator of Recycling and Home Improvement Programs
Megan Simmons, Coordinator of Crime Prevention, Youth Initiative and Chore Service
Programs
Becky Klay, KidsPark Director/Lead Teacher
Erin Geary, KidsPark Assistant Teacher
Chis Oionen Eheren, KidsPark Infant Teacher
Bethany Gladhill, Accountant
------------------------------
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For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html
For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract
End of Stpaul Digest, Vol 6, Issue 14
*************************************
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