[Mpls] Can Dr. Peebles make miracles happen?

[Socialist2001 at cs.com]

Around the time Thandiwe Peebles was hired as superintendent, Minneapolis 
school board members acknowledged that, on average, schools with high minority 
enrollments have a high concentration of the district's least experienced 
teachers. However, board members also contend that Dr. Peebles can close the 
black-white test score gap without doing anything about that.

Below is a paragraph from a Fall 2002 SW Journal article by Caitlin Pine, 
originally titled, "Doug Mann: an involved parent fighting inequality and 
ruffling feathers,  

One of the best ways Mann thinks the district can equalize educational 
facilities is to integrate inexperienced teachers throughout schools. Though school 
district officials disagree, Mann said new teachers are disproportionally 
placed in poor neighborhoods. "[This] should be addressed by phasing in more 
teacher-in-training positions at schools where the teaching staff has the highest 
levels of experience and better working conditions for teachers." said Mann. 
http://www.swjournal.com/articles/2002/10/22/export5473.txt

The Minneapolis Board of Education carried out a class size reduction plan in 
the early 1990s that produced a shift of high-seniority teachers out of 
high-minority schools, resulting in a higher concentration of the district's least 
experienced teachers in schools with high minority enrollments. The annual 
spring-summer layoff of teachers the Board actually plans to rehire or replace in 
August-September further concentrates inexperienced teachers, and drives up 
teacher turnover rates, in schools with high minority enrollments.

The Minneapolis Board of Education acknowledged a widening black-white 
academic achievement gap in the early 1990s, despite a class size reduction program 
that was supposed to close that gap. The solution was a neighborhood school 
plan, approved in 1995, that was supposed to close the gap by increasing parent 
involvement.

Under the leadership of superintendent Carol Johnson and her right hand man, 
David Jennings, the district claimed to be making progress toward closing the 
black-white achievement gap. However, the black-white achievement gap was, in 
reality, getting wider, as board members acknowledged around the time that 
Thandiwe Peebles was hired. 

Can Dr. Peebles really do what Dr. Carol Johnson couldn't do: Close the 
black-white test score gap without taking steps to desegregate inexperienced 
teachers and dramatically cut teacher turnover rates in schools with high black 
enrollment?   

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