[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Neighborhood Schools in Minneapolis

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Neighborhood Schools in Minneapolis
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1222043599.shtml


   As a follow-up to the Milwaukee Public School situation, let me
   anonymously quote a veteran Minneapolis teacher.

     "After teaching in Minneapolis 13 years ago, I saw firsthand what
     happens when you remove a school from [its] immediate neighborhood.
     I taught in the heart of north Mpls. Our students were bused in
     from all over the city. (The kids who lived across the street from
     my school were also bused to their "school of choice".) Our
     families did not have convenient access to our school. I was lucky
     to have 5-6 parents show up for conferences. (I was encouraged to
     make home visits, which were very time consuming). Our parents
     could not attend special school events. They could not meet in
     regards to their child's individual learning plans. They could not
     volunteer. It was not because our parents did not care. They did
     care. They just didn't have the means or the access to become
     involved. Parental involvement between home and school is one of
     the key factors (if not THE key factor) to the success of every
     child.
     "My school also had an astonishing absentee rate. If a student
     missed the bus due to being late or because of an appointment, the
     student simply stayed home. What if this student lived across the
     street, or around the block? What if all of those kids who lived
     across the street from my school could have just walked there? Our
     building would have flourished. Our parents would have been there.
     Our school would have been the jewel of the neighborhood. It would
     have been a gathering place for all the neighborhood kids and their
     families.
     "Former Mayor Sharon Sayles-Belton called for the return of Mpls.
     neighborhood schools not that long ago. The NAACP said no. If Mpls
     could not meet the needs of their students then they had to offer
     them means to get their education outside of the district. Just
     last spring, a study showed that the kids who did leave the
     district fared no better than those who chose to stay. And yet they
     still continue to bus them. Mpls. schools have closed many of their
     buildings and they, too are in deep financial trouble. Think of all
     the money they could save from busing their kids all around the
     community? That money could go directly to the classrooms...to
     support the teachers, staff and most importantly~ the students."

   Like whole language reading and the "new" math, busing seems never to
   have worked either. How could it, for the reasons above?
   I'm sorry if I'm a broken record on this, but the neighborhood school
   experience is the one thing that the charter and private schools
   generally can't duplicate.