[Mpls] School discussion

[Michael Atherton]

Laura Waterman Wittstock wrote:
 
>  The numbers presented so far do not show poorer educational 
>  opportunities for African American students. They only 
>  indicate a trend if everyone agrees that more than ten years 
>  seniority is the right factor. Missing are the test scores for 
>  the schools alleged to be lacking. Or put the other way the 
>  schools with teachers having more than ten years experience 
>  haven't been sufficiently associated with their presumed failure.

Ms. Wittstock seems to be ignoring Steve Brandt's post
in which he reported that "...overall there's a clear pattern 
that high-poverty schools have less-experienced teachers, 
and there's a correlation between that and test scores."
Mr. Brandt is not someone I would normally classify as a
radical reformist.

>  As Tim Bonham so vividly pointed out, (teachers)" avoid 
>  schools with a bad principal." All the correlates one cares 
>  to list from available data do not take into account variables 
>  such as this.

"Vividly?"  Who cares whether the cause is bad principals or
inexperienced teachers?  Mr. Bonham's argument begs the question,
"Why do schools with higher percentages of Black students get
assigned "bad" principals?"  Wouldn't you assume that the more
challenging schools would be assigned the best principals? This 
is an infinite iteration of excuses.  At one point we have to 
stop passing the buck around and focus on changing the system.  
The discussion had been on the responsibility of teachers, 
not principals. We can also discuss the role of principals, 
but it's another issue.

In my opinion, this iteration of excuses is a common political
strategy for maintaining the status quo.

>  It is way too simplistic to associate poor educational 
>  opportunity with a single factor such as teacher seniority.

Research has consistently shown that teaching expertise is
a major factor in student acheivement.  The two most important
factors related to teaching expertise are content knowledge
and experience.  I believe that there are high intercorrelations
between these factors, so looking at one would tell you something
about the others.  Regardless, with such high correlations and
a 47% dropout rate it might behoove the MPS to begin looking
more closely at a strategy to modify the union's seniority
system.
   
>  The report also stated: An analysis of the 1996 Minnesota Basic 
>  Standards Test Data (Myers, 1997) found that all minorities 
>  did worse than White students on both the math and reading 
>  portions of the test. The overall math scores were below passing 
>  (70% correct) for many students except Whites and Asian Americans. 
>  Almost all non-White students scored below passing on the reading 
>  portion of the exam. Most White students passed the exam, while 
>  most minorities failed. The poorest performance came from Black 
>  students. High achieving American Indian and Black students attended 
>  schools that were ranked lower than those of high achieving Whites. 
>  Those minority students who did well did not necessarily attend the 
>  same schools or have similar backgrounds as top White students, 
>  indicating the importance of socioeconomic status in test score 
>  disparities. (emphasis added).

You cannot make a valid argument using outliers.  So sure, there a
a few minority students who make it and do well in lousy schools 
and difficult circumstances, but you have to look at the overall
statistics to get an accurate picture. So there a few people who can 
use defective stepladders without falling.  That doesn't mean that 
the people who are injured don't have a right to demand that the
ladders be redesigned.

>  Laura Waterman Wittstock
>  Candidate for Minneapolis Library Board of Trustees
>  DFL and Labor endorsed

Also note that she's endorsed by:
http://www.afscmemn.org/

"DFL and Labor endorsed," isn't that a surprise!  I can't think
of any two groups more invested in maintaining the status quo
in the public schools than Labor and the DFL.  You want to know 
why Ms. Waterman Wittstock will be elected and why were are unlikely 
to see any reforms in the MPS?  Because, when people go to the polls 
not knowing much of anything about the candidates they will vote for 
the DFL candidates recommended in DFL publications and we'll be 
back at the beginning of the loop.  Which is why I don't have any
expectations that Dr. Peebles will have any significant impact
on the lives of African American students though her strategy 
of focusing on a few minority schools rather than confronting 
the seniority system head on.

David Brauer wrote:

> Supt.'s soon-to-be-former chief of staff blasts effort to make top  
> brass at-will employees. Steve Belton cites Peebles' "mercurial  
> temper," among other reasons.
> 
> A grant supporting Belton's job was not renewed, and he may leave the  
> district soon, School Board members say.
> 
> Not in your paper this a.m., but online at:
> http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5481956.html

And here's another surefire way to obstruct reform:
Don't allow the superintendent to have control over
her own employees.  What were we saying about bad
principles?  What about bad administrators?

Michael Atherton
Prospect Park