[Mpls] Bullying --- are we losing focus here?

[rpgoldman at real-time.com]

As the parent of a couple of MPS students, I'd encourage us to focus
on what the school district could or should be doing about this
bullying issue.  It's tempting to fall into arguments about whether it
is the fault of liberals and the 1960s, or capitalism and violent
television, but it's not clear how productive that is, since all of
these are beyond the control of the Board of Education and
Supt. Peebles.

Focusing locally, what is the list's feeling about how this issue is
being addressed here?  I was pretty shocked about Coleman's evasive
attitude, to the point where dismissal seemed like an appropriate
sanction.  What should we ask of the school board and administration,
given that we aren't going to turn Minneapolis into a the land of the
Book of Virtues or the Communist Manifesto?  Is this issue going to
drop off the table?

Unless something intervenes at the last minute, I'm going to attend
the Board meeting this evening, and I'll be interested to see if this
is a topic of discussion (although the facilities plan will be the
focus).



-- 

Robert P. Goldman
ECCO
rpgoldman at real-time.com