Patty Sargent, Crosswinds Site Council parent member, writes with the following update about a meeting with the Washington School principal to consider merging Crosswinds 9-10 with Washington 9-12. Note, she is asking for participation from both Crosswinds and Harambee parents, please let her know if you are interested!

Wednesday night a number of Crosswinds parents had the opportunity to meet and begin a conversation with Mike McCollor, the principal of Washington Technology Magnet school, around the idea of merging Crosswinds 9-10 students with Washington’s expanding grade structure to create an EMID-like high school option for EMID students. This was a very interesting and candid talk about parental concerns in attempting to create a viable and appropriate post-Crosswinds setting for our students. The parents were able to give Mike an overview of how Crosswinds came into existence, and what it is like today from the parent perspective. In turn, Mike offered us a history of Washington and a very clear vision for the future of the school. In the end we all felt that continued and intentional conversation was needed, so we formulated a plan for the next steps to take. The following are recommendations resulting from this initial conversation.

1. Dr. McCollor would like the opportunity to meet with a larger selection of parents and is planning to attend the first Crosswinds Site Council meeting of the school year on Monday, September 13 at 6:30pm. All parties with a vested interest in this topic, as always, are encouraged to attend this meeting. This will not be the only topic on the agenda, but it will be given adequate time for discussion.
2. Second, we all agreed that structured conversation should continue in order to establish a concrete vision of what such a merger would look, sound and feel like. Also such conversations must include all parties with a stake in the outcome of this process. We propose forming a Task Force, immediately, that would begin work in shaping this option and setting an aggressive time table in which to complete its work. We propose that this Task Force be comprised of:
   • Teaching staff: 2 to 3 from Crosswinds and 2 to 3 from Washington Technology Magnet
   • Administration: Bryan from Crosswinds and Mike from Washington
   • Board representation: 1 to 2 from the EMID Board, which should include the St Paul School Board representative to EMID
   • Parents: 2 to 3 from Crosswinds, 2 to 3 from Harambee, and 2 to 3 from Washington; (note: participation of Harambee parents was deemed important because the recommendations of this task force will have an impact on the structure and future of both Harambee and Crosswinds.)

We are asking that each stakeholder group indentify those individuals they would like to represent them on this Task Force, and that these names be submitted by September 15 to Brenda Casellius. Brenda would then convene the initial meeting of the task force and charge it with its first responsibilities: to shape its objectives, set a time table for its work, establish a calendar of meetings and times, determine opportunities to gather information from the wider communities, and identify parties responsible for updating Site Councils and communities on its work on a regular basis. We propose that the initial meeting for this group occur before the end of September.

To this end I ask that Crosswinds parents interested in sitting on this Task Force please let me know ASAP, but no later than September 10. I will then send an EMID families message out with the names submitted and ask for feedback on who you would like to be the voices representing Crosswinds. I would like to have these names in hand for the next Site Council meeting, so time is short. I can start the ball rolling by stating that I would be one parent willing and honored to serve this community in this fashion.

Finally, from this conversation it is clear the Dr. McCollor is willing to be invested in a process to shape this option. He has already created a unique learning community in Washington Technology Magnet and is interested in what this merger might look like. He is agreeable that there are negotiable and non-negotiable elements that must be indentified and discussed and feels confident that logistical issues can be worked out once a clear vision is formulated and articulated.

We wish to thank Mike for giving us the time he already has and we look forward to continued converstation with him as we work together to do what is best for all of our students.