our school board, our voice

8/12/2019 Our School Board, Our Voice

1/26

OUR SCHOOL BOARD

Voter Guide

2014 Minneapolis Public Schools

Board of Education Election

July 31, 2014

OUR VOICE

Minnesota


2/26

OUR SCHOOL BOARD OUR VOICE 2

About this guide

About the election

Candidates at a glance

Q1 Deciding to run

Q2 Priorities

Q3 Role of the Board

Q4 Opportunity Gaps

Q5 Equitable Distribution of Teachers

Q6 SHIFT Campaign

Q7 Differentiated Compensation

Q8 Extended School Day/Year

Q9 Seniority

Q10 Tenure

About Educators 4 Excellence

3

4

5

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

Table of Contents


3/26


School board elections help determine the future

of our district. Make an informed vote to helpshape your classroom and your career.

About This Guide

The questions contained in this voter guide reflect edu-cation policy issues being debated locally and nation-

ally and were developed with input from teachers whoare union leaders, grade level and department chairs,school site representatives, and Nationally Board Cer-tified Teachers.

All candidates, including at-large, District 1, District 3,and District 5 candidates for the Minneapolis PublicSchools Board of Education were invited to completethe survey.

All candidates received the candidate survey by email.Candidates who responded within the guidelines pre-sented have their responses printed within this guide.

All candidates were informed that they had a limit of200 words to respond to each question. To ensure fair-

ness, only responses to the survey questions were in-cluded. Any responses exceeding the word limit werecut at exactly the 200th word. Candidates who didnot submit responses are noted accordingly.

All responses in this guide are printed exactly as writ-ten by the candidates, without edits for content or clar-ity. The responses submitted solely reflect the opinionsof each individual candidate and not of Educators 4Excellence. Educators 4 Excellence transmits the re-sponses without any knowledge, actual or construc-tive, regarding their truthfulness.

Educators 4 Excellence (E4E) is a teacher-led organization working to elevate the teaching profession and increase studentachievement by ensuring that educators have a meaningful voice in decisions that impact their classrooms and careers.

How We Engaged the Candidates

About Educators 4 Excellence


4/26


When and How to Vote

About the Election

Tuesday, August 12 Primary Election Day

Tuesday, November 4 General Election Day

Learn more about how and where to vote from the City of Minneapolis Elections and Voter Services website at http://vote.minneapolismn.gov.

SOURCE: Minneapolis Public Schools, http://board.mpls.k12.mn.us

The MPS Board of Education has nine part-timeDirectors.

Three Board Directors are elected at-large or city-wide. The remaining six Board Directors are electedfrom geographical Districts. (See map).

Each Board Director is elected to serve a four-yearterm.

In 2014, Minneapolis voters will elect two at-largeBoard Directors and Board Directors in Districts 1, 3,and 5 for a total of five Board Directors.

TWO AT-LARGE SCHOOL BOARD SEATS

PRIMARY ELECTIONThere are seven individuals registered as candidates for at-large (city-wide) seats for school board. The top four candidates from the primaryelection will advance to the general election.

GENERAL ELECTIONFour candidates will advance from he primary election to the general. In the general election, two at-large (city-wide) candidates will be elected

to serve on the school board.

THREE DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD SEATS

PRIMARY ELECTIONThree districts will hold elections this year: District 1, District 3, and District 5. During the primary election, two candidates from each districtmay advance. In District 1, there is only one candidate registered. In District 3, there is only one candidate registered. In District 5, there are twocandidates registered. All of these candidates will advance beyond the primary election.

GENERAL ELECTIONDistricts 1, 3, and 5 will each elect one board member in the general election.

Offices to be Elected in 2014

MPS Board District MapMPS Board of Education At a Glance


5/26


Name SeatCurrent job title/

occupation

Race/

EthnicityGender

Have you

been a

teacher?

Iris Altamirano At-large Stay At Home Mother Latina Female No

Rebecca Gagnon* (i)At-large

Ira Jourdain At-large Human Services Native American Male No

Doug Mann At-large Taxi and Delivery Driver White/Caucasian Male No

Andrew Minck^ At-large

Don Samuels At-large NoneBlack/African

AmericanMale No

Soren ChristianSorensen*

At-Large

Jenny Arneson* (i) District 1

Siad Ali* District 3

Nelson Inz District 5Teacher (High School Social

Studies)White/Caucasian Male Yes

Jay Larson District 5Cemetary Manager/

Funeral ServiceWhite/Caucasian Male No

(i) Incumbent* These candidates did not submit a response to the questionnaire.^ This candidate has withdrawn since filing.

MPS School Board Candidates at a Glance

The responses expressed herein solely reflect those of the individual candidates and not of Educators 4 Excellence.Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by seat.

Candidates At a Glance


6/26


What inspired you to run for the Minneapolis

Public Schools Board of Education?Q1The opinions expressed herein solely reflect those of the individual candidates and not of Educators 4 Excellence.Candidates who responded to the survey are listed in alphabetical order by seat. Candidates who did not respond are listed at the end.

The reason I am seeking to fill Richard Mammens At Large seat isbecause of the numbers. Currently, the data suggests that barely halfof our children, no matter their skin color, will graduate high schoolin 4 years. This is unacceptable! Sadly, Minneapolis also leads thecountry in achievement and opportunity gaps between students of

color and white students, as well as low-incomestudents and theirhigher income peers. This is also unacceptable!

These gaps are social justice and civil rights issues that are vital tothe future of our economy. We must work to ensure all students haveaccess to the highest quality schools in their neighborhoods withstrong teachers, principals, administrators, board, and community.

I am running to ensure that a MPS education empowers all youngpeople, in every corner of the city, for success.

I am a parent of MPS students both high school and elementary edlevels. The district and schools my elementary students are going togrow up in is vastly different to the one my high school students havegrown up. Some good things to work on and also some things thatneed fine tuning.

As a parent, I discovered that the Minneapolis School District beganto promote, even mandate gifted programs in grade 2, and abilitygrouping of students into separate classrooms for reading and mathinstruction, and ability grouping for instruction within both sameand mixed-ability classrooms. I had written a research paper onthis subject for a Child Development class, and believed that abilitygrouping was harmful to most children, especially those who facethe watered-down curriculum, low expectations, and reliance on drill-

and-kill methods. The approaches recommended for academicallygifted and talented children, including an enriched curriculum andmore individualized and student centered instructional strategieswork very well for most students. I saw, first-hand, signs of studentsplaced in the watered-down curriculum tracks being stressed out.On achievement tests, fewer than 10% of African American studentsscored in the upper quartile, compared to about 40% of whitestudents in the upper quartile. According to a federal report in 2000,25% of African American students were functioning more than 2years below grade level, labeled as having an Emotional-BehavioralDisorder, and enrolled in Special Education.

I am from a poor background, yet I and my 10 siblings have made itinto the middle class, 8 with advanced degrees, through education.I served on the Curriculum Committee of the St. Paul School Board.I am a co-founder of the Hope Collaborative, which brought theprincipals of 10 of the best schools in the country that served inner-city, poor and minority kids with excellent outcomes, to the Capritheater, over a two year period, to tell us how they did it. I wascofounder and board member of the Saturday Academy (1992),

created by The 100 African American Men, to tutor 9th gradeblack boys in St. Paul Schools. I moved into public service whena neighbor urged me to run for office. He noted that there were50 Northside teens in his churchs tutoring program and that only 2seemed likely to graduate. The School Board seems to be the onlylogical next step in my passionate and engaged efforts to eradicatethe achievement gap and return us to world leadership in education.

Iris Altamirano(At- large) Ira Jourdain(At- large)

Doug Mann(At- large) Don Samuels(At- large)


7/26


I believe public education is a fundamental way that justice canbe achieved. That is why I became a teacher, and that is why Iam running for school board. I want to see great schools in everyneighborhood, for every family and child in Minneapolis.

I am running for school board because I believe that strong publicschools make strong communities. For the better part of the lastdecade, I have worked tirelessly in my neighborhood and District 5 tohelp create strong schools. I have served on school site councils andthe District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC). I have advocated for mykids so that the school a block away offers an equitable facility formiddle school students, rigorous curriculum, many opportunities forcommunity engagement and appropriate interventions the momentkids need them. I know that I am lucky. Not all neighborhoods havehigh performing public schools. This is a great injustice.

Nelson Inz(District 5)

Jay Larson (District 5)

Rebecca Gagnon(At-large)*

Soren Christian Sorensen(At-large)*

Jenny Arneson(District 1)*

Siad Ali(District 3)*

Andrew Minck(At-large)^

*These candidates did not submit a response to the questionnaire.^ This candidate has withdrawn since filing.


8/26


If you were to win this election, what would be

the first three priorities you would take on as

a Board Director? Why?Q2The opinions expressed herein solely reflect those of the individual candidates and not of Educators 4 Excellence.Candidates who responded to the survey are listed in alphabetical order by seat. Candidates who did not respond are listed at the end.

While there is much work to be done, we would prioritize taking onthe opportunity gap by:

1. Promote global and multilingual opportunities to prepare ALL ourchildren to compete in a global market and the jobs of the future.

I believe that to the extent to which we accelerate the academicdevelopment of bilingual or multilingual students, while strengthen ourDistrict Immersion programs for monolingual Minneapolis children tohave opportunities to learn another language, will profoundly impactour school district and the competitive role Minnesota plays in anincreasingly global economy. Minneapolis is fortunate to have over90 languages spoken in out city. English Learners are among thefastest growing student populations.

2. Ensure all Minneapolis kids are kindergarten ready by fullyfunding the highly successful High 5 Program. Aware of High 5slimitations like its only a day and only during the school year, butEarly Childhood Education (ECE) is one of the best investments wecan make and High 5 is a good sound start.

3. Strengthen connection and communication between ALL

stakeholders with a focus on the best interests of Minneapolischildren and will convene conversations based on developingcommon ground and solutions.

Classroom support- Our teachers as well as their aides need all thesupport-guidance as possible. I believe we need a robust mentoringprogram for all our teachers. That it should be district-wide and wellas consistent trainings to keep them up-to-date on ever-changingpolicies, etc. Special Ed-As a parent of a student currently receiving

services as well as a student receiving services currently I want totake a look at the disproportionate rate of African American andNative American students being referred to Spec Ed and the IEPdevelopment process. With the recent Spec Ed audit report out ithas become increasingly clear that there is a inherent problem fromthe beginning with the IEP meetings. The process itself is intimidating,convoluted, and stressful to parents who do not understand theprocess as a whole. Wraparound Services- I work in Human Servicesand I work with families that are dealing with issues of poverty suchas chronic homelessness, hunger, transportation, medical-dentalneeds, unemployment, substance abuse issues, domestic violence,etc. These are all issues outside of the classroom that directly effectwhat happens inside the classroom. I want to use my experience andbackground to find ways we as a district can form partnerships andbuild on existing ones.

The most urgent problem: African American students and otherstudents of color in the Minneapolis School District are heavilyexposed to inexperienced teachers and watered-down curriculum.The district maintains a large pool of probationary teachers, who arelargely fired and replaced before they finish their 3 year, post-hireprobationary period, and heavily concentrated in schools that few orno white students attend.

My top priorities: Reduce racial disparities in exposure of studentsto inexperienced teachers and watered-down curriculum. Myaction plan: 1) Allow most newly hired teachers to complete their3 year probationary period and become tenured teachers, andstrengthen due process rights for probationary teachers. 2) Providemore classroom support for teachers in high-poverty schools, suchas providing co-teachers for reading and math, and Educationalsupport staff, including support for Special Ed students in mainstreamclassrooms. 3) Evaluate effects of ability-grouping practices anddevelop a plan to eliminate harmful ability-grouping practices.

1. Improve performance of the district by enhanced transparencyand accountability. Implement the MPS version of the citys ResultsMinneapolis (http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/results/index.htm),a concept I introduced to the city, as a member of the MinneapolisCity Council, and later to the superintendent of MPS. This wouldraise the level of awareness in the community of district performanceand objectify feedback to inspire change and growth.

2. Create a review process and schedule for SHIFT to ensure itsimplementation. This would guarantee implementation and break thepattern of great plans followed by modest actions.

3. Begin a robust conversation with the community and parentson their role in the creation of curious, inspired and high-achievingstudents.




9/26


10/26


What do you see is the role of a school board

member? How will you effectively fulfill that

role and strengthen the school board?Q3The opinions expressed herein solely reflect those of the individual candidates and not of Educators 4 Excellence.Candidates who responded to the survey are listed in alphabetical order by seat. Candidates who did not respond are listed at the end.

I seek to strengthen the MPS School Board to perform its role andresponsibility of planning, policy making, monitoring, communicating,and advocating with a global view and fresh perspective. I takeseriously the boards biggest task of hiring the superintendent towhom they delegate responsibility for the day-to-day management

of schools.Unfortunately, we often see boards operating today outside of thebounds of its core duties and overstepping their bounds into the realmof management and instructional decision-making. This oversteppingfrequently contributes to dysfunctional district governance, detractsfrom the boards focus on student achievement, interferes with thesuperintendents ability to staff and manage the schools effectively,and confuses the public about who is accountable for what. I wouldseek to be hands-on and knowledgeable in my governance, yetrespect the boundaries of the school board whose role is to allowthe Superintendent to carry out the day-to-day responsibilities ofmanaging the district.

The board needs a skilled community organizer who is passionateabout community empowerment and I am that person. I bring theability and know how of sharing power and activating marginalizedcommunities to not only take ownership over issues but also to act ontheir own behalf.

The role of a board member is to develop policies, as well as overseecurriculum, budget etc. As a board member I believe in visibilityacross the district. As a parent sometimes it is disheartening to attendevents where there is sometimes only one board member present. Asa At-Large Board member if elected I would make sure that At-Large

means exactly that. I would be present at all district wide events ashumanly possible. I also believe in transparency. As a Board memberI would see to it whenever a board vote is taken and a new policy,etc. is set up that the vote is made public to the community so thatBoard members can explain to parents, community members andleaders the rationale behind their votes.

School Board members have a voice and vote on school policies,the budget, and personnel issues. The Board has a duty to ensurethat the District operates in compliance with the law, including CivilRights laws and labor laws.

The School Board has done a disservice to the large majority ofstudents enrolled in the Minneapolis Public Schools by segregating

students by race and income under the cover of a community schoolplan that was marketed as a way to increase parent involvementby assigning most students closer to home as possible. Increasedsegregation has been the result of decisions affecting schoolassignments for children, including the drawing of attendanceboundaries, grade level configurations, and choice of school sites.Ability-grouping practices have ensured that most students of colorand a large proportion of low-income whites get an education ofinferior quality no matter which school they attend.

I believe that education is a right, not a privilege, and that a qualitypublic education should be available to all on an equal basis.

School boards oversee and lead in the best interests of students,without compromise. They must ensure that the Districts policiesand practices are focused on student achievement. School boardmembers connect the district to the community and facilitate therelationship through transparency and good communication. Theymake sure money is spent in the most efficient and effective mannerfor the education of children. They oversee the district staff leadership

and hold them accountable to agreed vision, mission and goals.




11/26


A school board is responsible for being a fiscal steward of theschools and upholding educational standards while helping provideleadership and vision for the future of the educational system inMinneapolis. An important piece of this leadership is making surethat all voices are heard, helping restore faith in the public schoolsystem, and creating a path for students of all backgrounds to notjust survive, but thrive.

As a School Board member, I expect to spend my time connecting

with parents, students and teachers about their concerns, workingwith school administrators on policy, being a public face and voiceof the schools to local media, building relationships with leadersin other levels of government, working with allies in the communitysuch as organized labor and issue advocacy groups, advocating forschool funding at the Capitol, and spending time in the schools tosee the needs, strengths and weaknesses firsthand.

The school board hires and evaluates the Superintendent in whomthey entrust the management of the district. The board should setthe vision for the district and build a reliable system for measuringresults. If results are not being achieved, the board must insist that theSuperintendent intervene and do better. Staying at a high level is notalways easy, but it is not the role of school board members to getinto the weeds and start managing implementation.

Fundamentally, decisions should be made based on implications forthe most number of students. Some neighborhoods have a stronger,louder voice than others, but that does not mean their needs are

greater. The board must govern in the best interest of all students.

I would work to strengthen board operations through adherence toprocess and clear, direct communication. On such a small body wemust treat one another as colleagues.










12/26


Children of color in Minneapolis experience

dramatic disparities in education as evidenced

by multiple academic, social, and emotional

indicators. In your view, what are the root causes

of these gaps? Furthermore, what do you believe is

the Boards role in closing opportunity gaps in ourcommunity?

Q4The opinions expressed herein solely reflect those of the individual candidates and not of Educators 4 Excellence.Candidates who responded to the survey are listed in alphabetical order by seat. Candidates who did not respond are listed at the end.

Low academic achievement is a symptom of the much greater andinter-related problems of social marginalization. The factors thatcontribute to this are: history with institutionalized racism, povertyand mobility; poorly resourced schools; limited physical and mentalhealth care; and lack of social capital.

Based on my community, union and immigration rights grassrootsorganizing, I believe more resources and a strong commitment toimproving academic outcomes and relevant social and emotionalsupports will help, but they are not enough to ensure success.

The National School Boards Association puts it succinctly: Improvingstudent achievement through community engagement is the key workof School Boards. We must engage parents, educators, and thegreater Minneapolis community more fully, provide services andsupport to school communities and develop a sense of commonpurpose and goals for academic success for ALL students. Critical tosuccess is a high-expectations mindset tough in an environmentwhere dedication and complacency about poverty and other externalbarriers to student success coexist. Regardless, I strongly believe that

if equity is possible in any city it is in our great progressive city.

The disparities in poverty effects our childrens ability to learneffectively. I work in Human Services directly with families facingthese issues that include chronic homelessness, hunger, transportation,unemployment-underemployment, etc. These issues outside of theclassroom have a direct effect on our childrens ability to succeed in

the classroom. These are issues that teachers have no control overwhatsoever and that standardized tests do not take into account.I want to build on partnerships with agencies across this city whowork directly with families facing these issues and build upon existingones.

The root cause of the racial achievement gap is a racial access gap.There are racial gaps in access to education, employment, housing,justice, and in many other fields. I have already addressed theexistence of systemic racial discrimination in K-12 education, whichreinforces and is reinforced by racial discrimination in other areas.There is widespread, covert discrimination in employment, housing,in banking and insurance services, in the targeting of people ofcolor for arrest, prosecution, and incarceration by the criminaljustice system. People of color are criminalized, disenfranchised,and marginalized in this way. The maintenance of a color-based

caste system is nourishes, and is nourished by the class system thatimpoverishes the many for the benefit of the fortunate few.

The school board should be focused on eliminating systemic racialdiscrimination within the school system, because the Board has somecontrol over the school system. The Board members are not entirelypowerless with respect to how the district is governed. For example,I call for empowerment of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Departmentto detect and prosecute those who covertly violate laws againstdiscrimination in employment, housing, lending, and other areas.

The Achievement Gap is the tragic legacy of flawed laws, policiesand practices. While the laws have been mostly amended, poorimplementation and deeply ingrained attitudes pervade - theAchievement Gap has become both systemic and internalized. Ittherefore needs equal doggedness in policy and practice to reverseits chronic trajectory. Pragmatically, as per the African-AmericanLeadership Forums findings, the Achievement Gap is comprised of5 gaps: The Preparation Gap, The Belief Gap, The Time Gap, TheTeaching Gap and the Leadership Gap. I believe these are the rootcauses of the Achievement Gap. The board should embrace this

concept and lead, by policy and attentive and frequent review ofprogress in each of these areas, to systematically dismantle the gapwe have created over centuries.




13/26


Certainly, academic achievement is in large part dependent uponeconomic and other factors. For this reason I have worked hard inmy life in the pursuit of economic justice, as we must continue todo. Recent studies have found a direct correlation between familyincome and educational outcomes. Any discussion about gaps ineducation need to acknowledge this reality

That said, the public schools are an instrument of social change, anddo not simply seek to reinforce the status quo. That is what motivates

me to be a teacher, and run for school board. In a city where themajority of students are students of color, multiracial, and immigrants,that means training, recruiting and retaining teachers for MPS thatare prepared to teach those populations effectively. It means morebilingual educators. It means culturally relevant curriculum. It meansinnovative and holistic curriculum that seeks to educate students fortheir future. And at the same time it means maintaining rigorous,meaningful standards of achievement for all students, all whileinsuring that the needs of teachers in the classroom are a factor in theimportant decisions that affect the classrooms of our students.

In order to engage people, you have to meet them where they are.I would convene community conversations in familiar neighborhoodsettings at convenient times to really listen. Families need theopportunity to ask questions and talk about what matters tothem. If people feel heard and the district is responsive, trust will beestablished.

When the trust is established we must set student achievement high forthe student and teacher. Many partnership & charter schools provethis year after with almost 100% poverty rates within the school, buthaving high student achievement.










14/26


In light of President Obamas recent statements

about equitable distribution of effective teachers,

what strategies would you seek to employ to

recruit, retain, and support the highest quality

teacher workforce in Minneapolis, especially in

hard-to-staff schools?


Key to retaining and supporting quality teachers is a school culture thatvalues individual strengths and talents, there are shared responsibilities,collaboration, trust, and opportunities to grow professionally.

A strategy I would promote are co-teaching models, especially in hardto staff schools. The role of the mentor teacher becomes more like that

of an engineer, or a doctor, who consults with colleagues, diagnosesand plans, and then directs the work of the co-teacher in order to meetthe needs of each student. This relationship signifies a shift to a moreprofessional status for teachers with the foundation that the professionis formed when members of an occupation have a knowledge baseand use that base to guide practice.

The best way for MPS to prepare for the most diverse teachingworkforce is to recruit from our diverse student body. A Students TodayTeachers Tomorrow (STTT) type program, that is a highly regardedteacher readiness program for minority high school students.

A pathway for ESPs to command their own classroom is key andsensible toward recruitment. ESPs are a diverse group of dedicatededucation staff already in the classroom, with student and family

relationships, and familiar with school.

Identify through recruiting, teachers who are still in school andnearing completion and effectively support them through graduationwith a job awaiting them afterward completion. Retain teachersonce hired through a robust mentoring program that includes top ofthe line trainings occurring throughout the school year and throughouttheir entire career. We should show our teachers that the time andinvestment they put in while in college is worthwhile by the timeand and investment we put into them. An example is the MinnesotaIndian Teacher Training Program. Offered at a few select campusesacross the state that focuses on recruiting, and training Nativestudents to become teachers in the state of MN. As a Board memberand fellow Native American I would personally reach out and recruitthese prospective teachers.

There is a provision in the Elementary and Secondary ReauthorizationAct of 2001 et seq (No Child Left Behind) that requires that states andlocal school boards to eliminate disparities in exposure of students toteachers who are inexperienced, teaching out-of-field, or not meetingregular licensing requirements. However, No Child Left Behindremedies have not reduced these disparities. These disparities haveincreased steadily since 2001.

I have already stated in response to question 2 in this questionnairehow I propose to increase teacher retention and bring teacher turnoverrates to low levels in all schools. The strategic goals should be to

increase teacher retention to very high levels and bring teacher turnoverrates in all scores to very low levels.

In line with No Child Left Behind remedies for failing schools, theObama administration advocates the stripping away of teacher jobprotections, including weakening or eliminating due process, seniority,and tenure rights. The model already exists in much of the Deep South,where teachers unions are outlawed, and teachers have very fewjob protections that school administrators must respect. I believe thatteacher job protections that exist in Minnesota are beneficial to theschool system, and should be strengthened, not weakened.

We must remove all barriers to the hiring of the best, most qualifiedand proven teachers, no matter their source or origins. We shouldoffer financial incentives for the best teachers to teach the needieststudents, and we should pay teachers better across the board. MPSshould not wait on state decisions. We should take initiative to makethis work. We must end LIFO as we know it, and keep our inspiredand talented young teachers. We must prevent the reversal ornullification of Alternative Certification. Finally, we must make heroesof teachers who turn around childrens lives.




15/26


I am encouraged by some of the progress that the district has made.I support teacher preparation programs that have high standards anda track record of producing high quality teachers. We should alsomaintain competitive working conditions for teachers. In the sameway we aim to get kids excited about coming to MPS, we must getteachers excited about MPS. Giving teachers incentive to stay inthe district long term is essential. Limiting class sizes, and providingpersonnel and material support are a part of this.

It is important to bear in mind that if we are to attract teachers thatare skilled urban educators, we dont create unrealistic expectationsfor them, and drive them away.

Finally, I would like to see the district make an effort to recruit teachersfrom within our own ranks. ESPs and other support staff are a greatsource of personnel that already understand what it is like to be ateacher in MPS.

I support an idea within MPS currently to actively recruit currentpara-professionals to gain the education and training they need tobecome part of the teaching staff. There is rich diversity that exists inour school employees who have not had the opportunity to accessthe education required to gain licensure. It would benefit the districtgreatly to unleash the potential that already exists in our buildingsand help them get licensed.

We should also look to create meaningful partnerships with localcollege or universities with high quality teacher preparation programs.If MPS can access eager, diverse new teachers before other districts,

wed be more successful in hiring toward this goal. Many businesseshave great college recruitment programs and MPS would benefitfrom doing the same.

Creating a new method of retention of these teachers would alsobe critical. There is no value in recruiting a strong, diverse group ofteachers if they are constantly at risk of losing their jobs due to lackof seniority. Teacher retention is vital to growth of great communityschools.










16/26


Do you support the strategies outlined in the

Superintendents SHIFT campaign, including offering

schools autonomy in staffing, budgeting, curriculum, and

time?

If yes, how do you plan to show that support?

If no, why not?


I support the Superintendents SHIFT initiative and the greaterautonomy such a system will provide to principals, site councilsand the school community. Providing schools with autonomiesover their resources has complex implications for both the schooland the district. Autonomy gives schools a sense of control overdecisions that affect student outcomes and allows them to managebureaucratic constraints which may be holding them back. Schoolsmust understand how they can make best use this type of flexibilityto meet the needs of their community and to create conditions in theschool that will lead to sustained achievement for all their students.This includes creating personalized learning plans for students and aprofessional and collaborative culture for faculty.

Providing schools with autonomy like staffing, budgeting, curriculum,and time changes the school and district relationship. Schools anddistricts must forge a new relationship that is mutually supportive,beneficial, and focused on of the outcomes for students.

As a board member and organizer, I would assist the District inurging each school to reexamine its use of discretionary services,developing strong accountability systems for schools, and preparing

educational leaders to manage these new flexibilities with relevantquality training.

We need to make sure that what has been proposed andsubsequently implemented is communicated directly. As a parentmyself currently I do have concerns on what has been discussed atdistrict-wide meetings I have attended as a parent and therefore Iam going to reserve judgment on some of the issues, i.e. staffing,

budgeting, curriculum. Until I have formed a solid opinion.

The SHIFT campaign, like every failed school improvement plan thatpreceded it, fails to include effective remedies to eliminate disparitiesin exposure to teachers who are inexperienced, teaching out offield, or alternatively licensed, and to otherwise allocate resourcesmore equitably in light of the establishment of a school system that isextremely segregated by race and income.

The SHIFT campaign includes an extended school day and school

year for high poverty schools, where teachers under pressure to usea highly scripted, teacher-centered, test-prep curriculum. This sameapproach is used by many charter schools which mixed results inboosting test scores and improving other outcome for low-incomestudents. Charter school generally have less experienced, lower paidteachers, higher teacher turnover, and higher student turnover. Charterschools can more easily than public schools cherry pick studentsand weed out students who are not meeting expectations. TheMinneapolis School District promotes and directly sponsors charterschools, and is now taking steps to charter-ize nominally public,high-poverty schools.

In the late 1990s, MPS brought teacher turnover rates to very lowlevels in 2 elementary schools, by taking the steps that I advocateon a district-wide level, and got dramatic improvements in students

outcomes in just a few years.

Establish accountability systems discussed above. SHIFT progressshould be discussed at every board meeting. Remove all presentand emerging barriers to implementation. Hold the superintendentaccountable for delivering outcomes.



Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No


17/26


I answer with a qualified no in that I dont read the shift proposal tooffer schools autonomy in staffing, budgeting, curriculum and time.I see it as offering flexibility based on results. Schools will still haveto be accountable to the district for those results. If schools are onlyaccountable to results based on high stakes tests, though, that is notthe type of flexibility that will help our students. The SHIFT plan needsto offer more specifics that it will reduce reliance on high stakesstandardized tests. Schools should be accountable to the district forresults, but not with merely high stakes testing attached.

I have good relationships and have had great experiences withmany principals in Southeast Minneapolis and support giving schoolleadership the ability to hire, assign and remove staff accordingto their professional judgment, while respecting due process andfairness. Staffing flexibility is potentially the most critical piece in theautonomy I feel is required for high-need schools.









Yes

No

Yes

No


18/26


The former president of the National Education Association

recently released a statement in support of differentiated

compensation for teachers. Do you support differentiated

compensation?

If yes, based on what factors?

If no, why not?


Yes, but insist it be done with the input and support of teachers,through collective bargaining, as part of the union contract. Witha goal of accomplishing four primary objectives: attract qualityteachers; retain them; improve their teaching skills; and finally toadd to the collective body of knowledge of what constitutes effectiveteaching practices.

The NEA advocates that any proposed change in pay structure mustanswer three basic questions: What is going to be measured? Howis it going to be measured? Is there a sustainable source of moneyto pay for it?

A Wisconsin model called A-PATH (Accomplished TeachingPathways), is one that appears to be a broader, more systemic viewof teacher compensation.

There are any number of merit pay horror stories. Take Florida, wherethe legislature has come up with four different plans in seven years.

I believe that the old pay structures are outdated and dont giveteachers incentive to go above and beyond. Some rookieteachers who are at the bottom of the pay scale do brilliant work

which often goes unrecognized, one younger teacher told me.Conversely, there are teachers at the top of the pay scale who havenot changed teaching methods in 25 years to meet the needs of thekids they work with now.

Yes. If teachers with experience voluntarily move to schools facingchallenges or are high-priority as MPS classifies them amongother categories, and/or teachers who also mentor newer and/or inexperienced teachers and supportive help by means necessary.I dont support using differentiated compensation for any otherreason or purpose.

I have not read the statement, however, I do not support changingthe basic formula for compensating teachers. Entry level wages havedeclined in purchasing power, while compensation for length ofemployment and education attainment has increased dramaticallysince the 1970s. In my opinion, there is too much differentiation inwages for teachers. This gives school districts a strong incentive to

maintain a large pool of low-paid, essentially temporary teacherswho will never qualify for a pension from the pension fund they payinto.

I do not support the reinvention of a merit pay system, using studenttests as part of a teacher evaluation. The Value Added models forevaluating teacher effectiveness rely on student test scores are nota reliable way to rank teachers, and fairly dispense rewards andmete out punishments. I doubt than any valid way of measuringeffectiveness and ranking teachers can be devised.

There are teacher evaluations that have been designed to helpteachers identify there strengths and weaknesses, and to improvetheir effectiveness in helping students to learn academic and otherskills. Teachers can benefit from constructive criticism whatever theirlevel of experience.

The whole world does this. It inspires effort and creativity becausewhat you reward, you encourage. Differentiation should be basedon student outcome, growth, performance and influence on peersand the system.



Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No


19/26


I do not support differentiated compensation for a number of reasons:I have not seen evidence that it supports student achievement. Thecriteria that is used to determine the differentiation needs to beclarified. And I fail to see how it will enable MPS to retain a highquality diverse teaching staff long term.

My experience as a leader at the companies I have worked for, it isnot unreasonable to start new hires at entry level salary, but offer asignificant incentive to prove him/herself to the company.









Yes

No

Yes

No


20/26


Do you support extending the school year or day for

some students?

If yes, why? Under what circumstances?

If no, why not?


Research studies generally have shown that children from low social-economic backgrounds have the most to gain from extended learningtime in any of its forms. Outcomes of extended learning time dependon many factors, including how effectively the extra time is used andto whom it is directed.

I seek to strengthen the connections and communications within theDistrict, but also outside of it, for example intentionally connectingthe Parks Board and Library Board, as well as the County and Cityresources.

However, these programs and partnerships should carefullytarget those students who stand to gain the most from extendedlearning time, and offer them the highest-quality, most appropriateprogramming available. Successful programs coordinate withregular-day programs; offer a carefully selected variety of academicand enrichment activities; use highly-qualified staff; involve thefamily and community; focus on a narrow set of outcomes for high-risk students; and achieve intensive, sustained participation. I havea bachelor of science in city and regional planning and haveconcentrations in Latino Studies and Social Policy; I understand bigpicture, but also intristically identify with the most vunerable childrenin our district

As our district moves to a more testing-based, testing-focusedenvironment which I do not support I think the amount of time ourstudents spend in the classroom under those conditions alone warrantnot extending the school year or day. Summer programs that areoffered such as the Step Up! Program that my son participates in is a

excellent use of his summertime programming and I am a proponentof extending that and building upon that program. As with anyprograms that resemble that in the summer.

I oppose the lengthening of the school day for students in failing /high poverty schools, which is the fix for failing schools du jour.

What is needed, in my opinion, is not more seat time for students toprep for tests, but higher quality instruction that is gotten by increasingteacher retention, decreasing teacher turnover, and promoting theprofessional development of teachers. In a word, we need morecareer teachers, not more temps in high poverty schools.

I support truly optional after-school and summer school programs,and not only for the purpose of academic remediation or enrichment.Options might include band, choir, arts, chess club, sports and otherextra-curricular activities that are now being sacrificed to preppingfor standardized tests.

Similar to differentiated compensation based on performance ofadults, we need differentiated resources for children based on needin order to have equity in outcomes. Children starting behind mustmove faster and go longer in order to catch up.



Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No


21/26


I support extending the school day in circumstances where specificschool communities support it.

I would support this for all students as many charter schools andpartnership schools have extended the learning day with excellentresults.









Yes

No

Yes

No


22/26


In your view, should seniority be the primary factor

in hiring, retention, and layoffs?

If yes, why?

If no, why not?


Yes: The current debate over seniority rights often fails to understandthese hard fought worker rights and their historical roots. Therationale behind seniority is two-fold. First, it offers an objectiveprotocol for firing workers when budget cuts necessitate lay-offs.Second, LIFO (last in first out) is based on the assumption that if staff

cuts are necessary, it is in a districts interest to hold on to experiencedteachers who have invested in the system and in whom the systemhas invested, over recent hires.

No: The best teachers arent always the most experienced. LIFOpolicies makes the primary lens being years of experience overquality. I strongly believe that the lens should consider quality, as wellas experience, to hire and retain a new generation of teachers, whocould be better equipped to teach a diverse learning population.

It is important to state that teacher layoffs are painful in any district,under any circumstances, however, it is important to have an honestdebate over the impact of seniority on complex problems. We mustALWAYS consider how to balance the need for quality instructionand equity in our schools with the need for fairness and due processfor teachers.

While we all know that not every teacher with a lot of seniority isa good teacher, there are many who are. Teachers have chosenthis profession and there are safeguards in place to weed out theteachers with seniority who are not good teachers. Teachers havemade this profession and we need to identify and retain the ones

who are. I support working with MFT to develop or build upona program aimed at specifically mentoring these teachers, peersupport, incentives to keep them here with us.

I favor seniority are the primary factor in hiring, retention, and layoffsbecause it is the least unfair way to do those things. Seniority isa fundamental protection against arbitrary use of power by anemployer to fire an employees for reasons other than just cause asdefined in the Minnesota Teacher Tenure Act, and the Teacher TenureAct For Cities of the First Class.

The main demand of teachers unions in their formative years wasabolition of the merit-based system for determining lay-offs, retention,and pay. The merit system left administrators a lot of room to fire

teachers without a good, job-related reason, and reward personalfavors and favorites.

Neither wisdom nor effectiveness is guaranteed by longevity. Theyare more likely to be found in those with more experience, but weall know cases that prove otherwise. Why should teaching be anexception? We should always make effectiveness the primary valuefor all service providers, including teachers.



Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No


23/26


I think that teachers should be hired, retained and laid off basedprimarily on suitability for a position. I will note that experience anda successful track record is a strong factor for me in considering ateachers ability.

I dont know enough about teacher seniority, however we must makesure that more senior teachers are performing as well (if not better)than entry-level teachers. In order to recruit and retain new teachersthey must know there is a chance for long-term employment!









Yes

No

Yes

No


24/26


Should tenure continue to operate in its current

form, both in terms of the process of receiving

tenure and the benefits that tenure offers?

If yes, why?

If no, how would you change it?

Q10

The opinions expressed herein solely reflect those of the individual candidates and not of Educators 4 Excellence.Candidates who responded to the survey are listed in alphabetical order by seat. Candidates who did not respond are listed at the end.

This is such a difficult question, and requires so much morediscussion, thought, and input. I find myself agreeing with bothsides of the argument for different reasons. This says to me that theidea of teacher tenure continues to have merit, but it definitely needsadjustments and improvements.

Yes: Fact is that prior to tenure teachers were often fired for personal,political, or other non-teaching related reasons. Female educatorswere let go for getting pregnant, wearing pants, or being seen at thewrong establishments too late at night. Other educators were fired forteaching controversial subjects such as evolution or for disagreeingwith the school board or administration. Today, tenure provideseducators with the protection needed to take risks with new materialsor learning methods, question decisions made by administration, orspeak out about problems facing their district without fear of reprisal.

No: Tenure does not necessarily mean effectiveness. Every childdeserves effective teachers in every classroom and strong leadershipat every school.

We need to be sure that teachers we hire have every availabletool at their disposal during their probationary period in order tosucceed, decide if this a good career choice, that the district as awhole is a good fit, etc. Firing teachers before all the benchmarkshave been adequately assessed does a disservice to all parties.

Should a teacher reach and achieve tenure status it is imperative thatwe continue to make sure that teachers have all the necessary toolsto continue to be successful.

Under Minnesota law, all teachers, except those employed bydistricts including cities of the first class are deemed to be employedon an ongoing basis, and have recall rights if given a layoff notice.Teachers in cities of the first class who are given a layoff notice aredeemed to be terminated from employment. That difference in thelaw explains why teacher turnover rate in big city school districts isgenerally much higher than in other school districts.

Both Teacher Tenure Acts require a good reason related to conductor job performance in order to fire any teacher. There is a loopholein the Tenure Act for Cities of the First Class which permits the firing of

non-tenured teachers without a stated reason. Tenured teachers haveadministrative appeal rights, in addition to the possibility of goingto Court to challenge any disciplinary action that violates their rightsunder state law and the union contract.

Teacher working conditions are also student learning conditions.Teachers with job protections have less reason to fear retaliationfor acting as advocates of their students when such advocacyinconveniences or threatens higher-ups, and for expressing opinionsthat are not popular with the management.

Teachers need more time to prove their effectiveness to achievetenure. Once tenured, teachers should live up to their expectedeffectiveness in order to maintain tenure. Tenure should offer theadvantage of first consideration but not be a guaranteed advantagefor filling positions.


Doug Mann(At- large) Don Samuels(At- large)YesNo

Yes

No

YesNo

Yes

No


25/26


I support the collective bargaining process in labor negotiationsand if the MFT and MPS would seek to alter its tenure agreementthrough that process then I support that understanding. That said Iwould support offering tenure incentives to people working in highneed schools, provided they were willing to stay in those highneed schools.

I believe in teacher tenure, however Im not convinced that in itscurrent form that it benefits our students. Teachers have the mostimportant job in our communities and need to know that they aresupported. I believe we can do this with a different form of teachertenure.









Yes

No

Yes

No


26/26

For far too long, education policy has been created without

a critical voice at the tablethe voice of classroom teachers.

Educators 4 Excellence (E4E), a teacher-led organization, is

changing this dynamic by placing the voices of teachers at the

forefront of the conversations that shape our classrooms and

careers.

E4E has a quickly growing national network of educators united by

our Declaration of Teachers Principles and Beliefs. E4E members

can learn about education policy and research, network with like-

minded peers and policymakers and take action by advocating

for teacher-created policies that lift student achievement and theteaching profession.

Learn more at Educators4Excellence.org.

our school board, our voice

Documents