[Mpls] Massive school reshuffling proposed

[Michael Atherton]

Dan McGuire wrote:

>     Interim Supt. Jennings is making a habit of throwing hand 
> grenades and claiming that he has no other choice.  By the
> time he's done there will be such a mess that no one in their 
> right mind will want the job of running the MPS and board
> will be forced to finagle a waiver to get him approved as 
> Supt.  And if they can't, so what, it's not his town, not his
> kids.

I think that laying this off on Mr. Jennings shifts the
responsibility unnecessarily. The superintendent only implements 
the strategies and policies set by the school board; the
Board has the power to rescind these closings if they wish.

> The problem with Jennings' declaration that the system is broken ( no
> one will claim that there aren't serious problems) is that it comes
> immediately after squandering an opportunity to make changes in teacher
> assignment policy;  the ink isn't even dry on the recent contract, and
> without any realistic plan to make changes.  What are the "outside
> forces" that he sees as the only way to "get it right and make it real?"

I agree that an opportunity for positive reform was missed by
failing to negotiate concessions from the teachers' union,
but once again the responsibility for this lies with the
school board not Mr. Jennings. 

Michael Atherton
Prospect Park