[Mpls] school closing without a plan

[Dan McGuire]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1592/5013730.html
    The problem today is the same as last winter:  closing schools is 
talked about without a comprehensive plan for the design of the future. 
 If the any of the board memebers commenting in this article had said, 
"we are presenting a new design for our school system that will provide 
these advantages...,"  I would have felt much better about the whole 
process.  Instead, we're back to where we were last winter, except this 
time board will have the advantage of some info from the consultants 
about how best to package the school closing plan.  The lack of 
attendance at the consultants meetings insures that the results are less 
than representative of the community;  a point that, at least, Peggy 
Flanagan noticed.
    I'm also dissappointed that Steve Brandt repeated the "800 empty 
classroom claim" yet another time.  The list that the district published 
to support that claim was so flawed that it was embarrassment, or should 
have been.  Continuing to use flawed numbers will further erode public 
confidence in the process.
Dan McGuire
Ericsson