[Mpls] Peebles supporters not keeping eyes on the prize, part 2 of 2

[Socialist2001 at cs.com]

Ron Edwards writes (long quote, ends just before "Doug Mann responds"),

As CM Natalie Johnson Lee said: 

Why did you hire her? They told me that they hired her, not only because she 
was qualified, [but because] she had a proven track record of what she could 
do and how she could deliver it. The challenge is now that she is rising to her 
qualifications and demonstrating that she could prove, what is the problem? 
Many of you know, when someone cannot get us any other way, it becomes, “The 
Attitude.” We have personality differences. 

Well, get over it. Our children need someone with her personality to move an 
agenda for them and you need to be clear that we are not taking this sitting 
down... 

This is not a joke, we are not playing. We are serious about the education of 
our children and we believe she is the one we need right now to move our 
children's agenda forward. 

If you're ready for a fight [Johnson warned the board] bring it on! 

Even Brandt admits that 

In her first year on the job, Peebles has alienated some parents, teachers 
and principals with what they describe as an intimidating topdown style. But she 
has also taken control of the worst scoring schools, and the first set of 
test results to be released for her watch showed marked improvement in 
basic-skills tests for eighth-graders. Brandt goes on to admit that Dr. Peebles’ “
reputation for turning around troubled schools, both in Cleveland and in New York 
City” is why “Board members said they chose her.” We must then conclude that 
they really didn't expect her to be successful. 

Doug Mann responds,

Here is the linchpin of Edwards' argument (The whole argument collapses 
without it): 

"In her first year on the job, Peebles has alienated some parents, teachers 
and principals with what they describe as an intimidating top-down style. But 
she has also taken control of the worst scoring schools, and the first set of 
test results to be released for her watch showed marked improvement in 
basic-skills tests for eighth-graders..."

In his initial article about the those test score results, Steve Brandt noted 
that test scores were up districtwide compared to last year, but the gains 
were substantially smaller than average in schools with below average test 
scores last year, i.e., the test score gap between high and low performing schools 
greatly increased. And test scores gains were, on average, smallest in schools 
directly under Peebles' special supervision. The black-white test score gap 
also widened.

The basic problem facing the Minneapolis Public Schools, in my opinion, is 
that a large majority of its students are not thriving academically. Large 
majorities of poor whites and people of color in Minneapolis do not have access to 
quality educational programs in the public schools. And it is not just the 
black community that has a stake in a fight to make a quality public education 
accessible to all on an equal basis.

And, in my opinion, the school board and community should focus their 
attention on the education access gap and how to close it. The district has a legal 
obligation to acknowledge and do something about the grossly unequal 
distribution of critical resources between schools with high and low concentrations of 
African American students.  

-Doug Mann, King Field
Candidate for 8th ward city council
http://educationright.com/blog