[Mpls] Should the Mpls Schools be operating a radio station at all

[Ray Marshall]

Sheldon, you are right in that I didn't properly reply to your statements.
But the problem seems to be that everyone is in love with the concept of
Minneapolis having its own radio station.  There's nothing inherently
wrong with that.  I'm sure that this forum could come up with 200 similar
Wonderful programs if we were asked.

Everybody seems to think that I am against the radio station. I don't listen
to it very often, but there are a lot of things I don't do that I still
believe
are very valuable for the community.

The question still is, where will the funds come from to finance the program
once the DOT pulls out?

A few souls are crying that the traffic programming is much needed.  Someone
else has pointed out that the station isn't worth that much on the open
market
because it can't be heard very far outside the limits of Minneapolis.

If the second statement is correct, what is the station's value to the DOT,
which
sees traffic jams in seven or more counties on a daily basis.

The Minneapolis Teachers' pension fund is now in trouble.  Taxes are going
to
be raised for that and some programs may be cut and more schools will be
closed.

We have to face the facts that people in Minneapolis don't have many
children,
often move elsewhere when they do, and the result is declining enrollment
in the district.

With respect to kids who are not interested in academic subjects, I agree
that
some creativity is needed when teaching them.

I've thought for years that reading, decimals, and fractions could be made
much
more interesting for many if the subjects and calculations involved, not
oranges,
but batting averages, percent completed passes, 400 meter hurdle interval
times, or whatever.  There are a lot of good biographies and stories about
athletes and competitions.  I'd bet somewhere, the stats for the first
Olympic
Games back in ancient Greece are readily available.

With something like the Baseball Almanac, you could teach a fabulous
statistics
course, and when it was all done and they asked "What do I do now?", in
about
20 minutes a counselor could provide them with fifty job leads to pursue.

Ray Marshall
Minnehaha



Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2005 17:43:38 -0600
From: "Sheldon Mains" <smains at visi.com>
Subject: RE: [Mpls] RE: Should the Mpls Schools be operating a radio
Ray, you did a great job of setting up a straw man and knocking him down.
But please re-read my email. It was NOT about training people to work in
radio stations!  It was about using the KBEM program (and other programs) to
reach kids that have no interest in academic subjects. (I would also point
out that in this economy, any help wanted ad that includes a livable wage
and health benefits is swamped by applicants.)

Your other point--which programs would be cut--assumes that the $400,000 has
to come from the existing MPS budget.  Who said that was the only option?

sheldon
.................................
Sheldon Mains
Seward Neighborhood, Minneapolis, Minnesota