Category Archives: Integration

Integration Task Force Approves Report that Affirms Integration

Minnesota’s Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force approves a report that, believe it or not, affirms integration efforts. It recommends the creation of an “Achievement and Integration for Minnesota” program (AIM) funded through existing revenue streams. The task force recommends that the state maintain statue that prohibits intentional segregation and maintain the current language defining racially isolated schools and districts.

Of particular interest to EMID families a section that allows AIM funding for:

Family Engagement that promotes involvement in the academic life and success of the student.

Also in the report, though toned down slightly from earlier drafts, is a section that asks the legislature to examine on large collaborative metro integration district:

Examine the merits of one collaborative Metropolitan Integration School District that folds in the services of existing integration districts to create efficiencies and eliminate duplication of services. This Collaborative Metropolitan School District serves all metro-area districts within the seven county area that receive integration revenue.

Some work remains for staff to prepare the final report for the legislature, but the report, as approved by 10 of the 12 task force members, is available on the EMID Families website. Since two members voted against the report, we can also expect that minority reports will be added before the task force report is forwarded to the legislature.

Star Tribune: Success spoiled by city’s idea to walk away from FAIR school

Steve Brandt writes in the Star Tribune: “Success spoiled by city’s idea to walk away from FAIR school.” He paints a glowing portrait of FAIR principal Kevin Bennett and notes the difficult position Minneapolis is putting WMEP in with its threat to pull out. Though he is principal of both FAIR schools, Bennett seems to be everywhere…

Although Bennett acknowledged that staff at each school might feel shorted by his dual gigs as principal, parent Laura Aulik of Edina said she’s amazed at how ubiquitous he seems at school events. “Mr. Bennett definitely does have a fire in him that I have not seen in principals,” she said. “His presence is always there.”

There’s also been a transformation in Bennett since his earlier years at FAIR. Although he’s still gray-suited some days, on others he can be found with plaid shirttails hanging out, often surrounded by laughing, excited students.

But Minneapolis still has concerns, some of which are baggage from earlier times…

The city’s issues with FAIR have two origins: the troubles of the original downtown school, and the lack of integration.

The downtown school struggled with a shaky opening year in 1998, frequent turnover of principals, and its kindergarten through 12th grade configuration.

Bennett changed that. He and WMEP Superintendent Dan Jett pared downtown’s 13 grades to a K-3 and senior high grades combo that wrapped around the Crystal school’s popular 4-8 grade span, and adopted the latter’s arts-infused curriculum.

Clearly, keeping these collaborative integration districts open and healthy is a difficult task no matter which side of the Twin Cities you are on.

Pioneer Press: In Twin Cities suburbs, magnet schools go local

Christopher Magan published a story in the Pioneer Press this weekend, “In Twin Cities suburbs, magnet schools go local.” The story, in the Dakota County section of the paper, focuses on the emergence of new integration magnet schools in the West Saint Paul/Mendota Heights/Egan school district. West Saint Paul is a member of EMID.

Magnets, originally created to diversify large city school districts, had grown into regional efforts. Now, the schools are popping up in the increasingly diverse suburbs such as West St. Paul and Burnsville.

The changes are driven by financial incentives, declining traditional public school enrollments and an effort to compete with other academic offerings across the metro.

“It is a continued evolution for magnet schools,” said Joe Nathan, director of the Center for School Change at Macalester College and a school-reform advocate. “I think there is a financial incentive, and school leaders want to keep the energy of the parents in the district. When enrollment declines, districts want to keep more students at their home district.”

Magan interviewed me last week for this story, and unfortunately he misuses a quote to mine. During the interview he tried repeatedly to goad me into saying that West Saint Paul and EMID were in competition with one another over integration, a point of view I disagree with and refused to support. Here’s the quote he used in the article:

St. Paul parent Eric Celeste, who has sent two children to EMID magnets, said that as funding dwindles, it is obvious school districts will favor their own programs first. “They can’t have EMID’s best interest at heart when they have their own districts’ interest at heart,” Celeste said. “It is a governing mechanism, that when there is tension, it breaks down. There is a huge amount of tension.”

Sounds like I said exactly what he wanted to hear, doesn’t it? What he conveniently leaves out is that this quote was specifically about the tensions that EMID board members feel when serving on our board. The “they” is not a reference to “school districts,” as Magan makes it in his article. The “they” is a reference to individual board members, who I feel are placed in an untenable situation by the governance model of EMID.

While I am disappointed by this misuse of my own quote, I appreciate the story and the coverage by the Pioneer Press of an important issue. The fact that West Saint Paul is developing integration magnet’s of its own underscores the important role our EMID schools serve. We are a model, and adoption of that model on a wider, and more local, scale is an important measure of the success of EMID schools. As the article points out:

Jerry Robicheau, interim superintendent of EMID, said his school board is working to find a “sustainable way” to keep operating its two regional magnet schools – Crosswinds East Metro Arts and Science School in Woodbury and Harambee Elementary in Maplewood – that were in danger of being closed last year.

I recommend the full story to those following integration issues in the schools.

…Eric

Star Tribune: Task force seeks a deal on $100M in school integration aid

Steve Brandt published a story in the Star Tribune, “Task force seeks a deal on $100M in school integration aid.” He focusses on the effort the task force is making to get past the differences between members. The article makes note of the special Sunday meeting the task force will hold at co-chair Scott Thomas’ place this weekend.

Most task force members appointed by DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and the Republican-controlled Legislature seemed to find it acceptable to focus both on promoting integration and narrowing the achievement gap between white and minority students. But with just one remaining meeting scheduled for Tuesday before the Feb. 15 deadline, they haven’t settled on how to divide the spending between the goals.

Integration Task Force Considers Metro-wide Integration District

The Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force is picking up steam and the discussions are getting interesting. You can check out our own updates on our task force page, but one bit of today’s discussion deserves special attention from EMID families.

Scott Thomas, a co-chair of the task force, presented the third draft of his “One Minnesota” proposal to the task force. In it, he proposes:

4. Establish one collaborative Metropolitan Integration School District that folds in the services of existing integration districts to create efficiencies and eliminate duplication of services. This Collaborative Metropolitan School District serves all metro-area districts within the seven county area that receive integration revenue, compels them to participate, and assumes the following responsibilities:

Develop and operate a choice program similar to the Choice is Yours that promote public school choice and integration across the metropolitan area.

Evaluate the program and make recommendations for modifications.

Operate existing magnet schools (FAIR, Harambee, Crosswinds, etc.) that function under one administrative structure (Admin, Human Resources, Finance etc.).

Efficiently plan for future regional magnet schools in cooperation with metro districts.

Develop a regional transportation structure that is efficient and maximizes choice within the seven-county metropolitan area.

Review and approve transportation plans of districts for the purposes of integration.

Coordinate and provide high quality service for:

Professional development

[sic] [there is no item two in the draft]

Conducting research and collect data for metro-area schools on the uses of One Minnesota revenue.

Become a “Center of Excellence” for best practices of integration, equity, and achievement and support districts with training.

Transportation services to choice schools.

Facilitate school choice lotteries for inter-district magnet schools.

Establish a governance structure using the open appointments process for an initial school board that will develop the long-term governing structure.

The task force talked extensively about this proposal, with heavy resistance from Katherine Kersten in particular, who likened it to plans 20 years ago to form a “mega district.” Thomas reiterated that he was trying, in this proposal, to capture economies of scale for integration districts that they currently lack. Of course, as we’ve seen in EMID, the devil is in the details, in particular the governance structure would be a very touchy subject. Still, this proposal would hold out significant hope of giving Harambee and Crosswinds the footing they need to become sustainable schools. It is the most positive development yet from this task force.

Of course, they don’t finalize their report for a couple weeks yet, so this is by no means sure to get into the final recommendations. In fact, even today the discussion moved on and more or less left this recommendation behind. It will be interesting to see if it is still there next week.

If you feel like writing to the task force, they can be reached at integration.taskforce@gmail.com.

MSR: State’s integration programs face uncertain future

Alleen Brown’s Daily Planet story get picked up by the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder as “State’s integration programs face uncertain future.”

The programs that could see funding cuts include magnet school transportation, college preparatory programs, teacher cultural competence trainings, a network for teachers of color, curriculum development, all-day kindergarten and multi-district collaborations. Many of the stakeholders have testified before the task force.

“We have to plan for a worst-case scenario. How can many of those things be sustained without integration dollars?” said North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale district educational equity coordinator Tom Howley.

Very little is certain. According to task force co-chair Scott Thomas, proposals for the funding have ranged from literacy-specific programs to reward systems for school achievement growth. Some ideas would have districts move away from magnet programs, while others would keep many of the current programs in place.

Daily Planet: Integration programs face uncertain future as task force deadline nears

The Twin Cities Daily Planet ran an article by Alleen Brown about the work of the task force: “Integration programs face uncertain future as task force deadline nears.”

This summer’s legislation leaves out integration altogether. It says revenues must be evaluated and repurposed to pursue specific achievement goals aimed at closing the achievement gap.

“There are people on the task force who believe that integration is important and adds value,” Thomas said, including himself. There are also people who don’t, like conservative columnist and task force member Katherine Kersten.

“Personally, I believe that as we repurpose the revenue, it may be inclusive of integration efforts such as magnet schools, family liaisons and a whole host of things districts are doing that we know work,” said Thomas who is also educational equity coordinator for the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district.

Testimony of Kristin Konop to the Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force, 1/10/12

Good Afternoon, my name is Kristen Konop, I am a founding teacher of Crosswinds Middle School which is part of the East Metro Integration District (EMID).

I sit here to offer a unique perspective about the outcomes of integration and education. My students that started Crosswinds with us in 1998 are all in their mid-20’s. In recent years, they have begun to contact us at Crosswinds & tell us their stories. In doing this they have shared how the early experience of attending an integrated school, not just a diverse school, but an integrated school has affected the people they have become. Here are two of the representative stories:

One is a girl
One is a boy

One is black
One is white

One is Bobby
One is Erin.

Both are energetic.

One’s energy is driven & focused
The other’s energy frenetic, silly & often distracting in the classroom

One struggles with school success, I think might actually still owe me work.y
The other, needed work to be extended, differentiated & challenging.

By any explanation one was “going to make it” the other was trying not to “become a statistic.”

Each student spent 2 years in our program.

One graduated 8th grade in 2000 the other 2001.

It’s 2012, 13 years later:

Bobby works as an EMT, saving lives, he builds houses for Habitat for Humanity & helps to organize blood drives.

Erin currently serves as the inaugural director for the Center for Native American Youth, founded by US Senator Byron Dorgan. Prior to this she was the lead health advisor on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

I asked both of them if they thought going to an integrated school had any effect on their work/lives: Here are their responses:

Erin: Crosswinds gave me confidence at a time when most young females need it

Bobby: Crosswinds helped me figure out who I am, it helped me know myself

Erin: I felt respected and cared for by the teachers and the community.

Bobby: Knowing who I was allowed me to get to know & learn about others, no matter what they looked like. It helps me in my job as an EMT.

Erin: I am SO grateful for the time I had with a diverse group of students from all over the metro area. The student body looked like how the real world looks and… that is critically important for young people to see & understand.

I also recently spoke to Elin Lindstrom, another former student, whom is now an attorney & she said:

The biggest impact Crosswinds has (on my current job) is my ability to relate to different people …I work with clients on a daily basis and it is important that they trust me and that I can establish a relationship with them. I think Crosswinds broadened my horizons and opened my mind, enabling me to better relate to people with different cultural and socio economic backgrounds.

The work we do with integration really addresses an Empowerment Gap. We empower all kids, any kids to achieve & achieve in an environment where they learn about, make mistakes with & problem solve with one another so they can all learn. Integration is messy, uncomfortable, difficult work, but the payoff: contributing members to society who know how to achieve in any aspect of society.

In Minnesota we are sitting on the forefront of this work..we have the opportunity to lead the nation to close the Opportunity Gap. It won’t be easy, but then again, the right thing never is.

Testimony of Dr. Jennifer Marker Johnson to the Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force, 1/10/12

To the Integration task force:

Here is a summary of the statement I gave on Tuesday January 10th. What follows should be bit less emotional than I was during my testimony. (In my defense, I’d just left the funeral of a family member). I thank you for the energy and time spent to help our children.

I was grew up in the St. Paul Public school system in the Midway area from K through 5th grades. I am currently a practicing dentist in the Twin Cities. My husband spent K-12 in the Moundsview school system and now is a professor of physics in the MNSCU system. We understand how important a good education is to a productive life.

The main issue begins with confusion regarding the definition of “integration”. EMID has a unique environment that is not duplicated in the twin city area. The specialized training of the staff in both schools has led to a very interesting byproduct. The schools have moved from basic racial integration to a more expansive definition that includes children from different environments and abilities. There is an expectation of success, with college bound goals for all students.

My son is an example of a child with a unique learning situation. He joined Crosswinds in 7th grade of this year. The year-round option for him is ideal. He has reading issues and has needed moderate support in the past to keep up with his class. He utilizes private tutors and has been approved for targeted services throughout his elementary years to keep on task. The option of a nurturing, year-round school is perfect for him. He will actually get to take smaller breaks throughout the year instead of going from the school year into summer school. The school calendar also provides breaks for his main support system (his parents!!). I’d happily send him to a private school, but his IEP and reading issues make that nearly impossible. I finally feel as if he will be able to learn to his potential at Crosswinds.

At the begining of the year I was hoping for an overall improvement in my son’s grades, understanding of the classes he was taking, and demeanor. Additionally, I was hoping that his IEP needs would stabilize or decrease. I was hopeful that I would notice a change by the end of the year. Instead, the EMID schools integrated methods of teaching have made Austin feel like a normal kid. His reading and learning disabilities have been addressed and are monitored. There has been a confirmation of Dyslexia and we are moving forward. Last year his grades were barely in the “C” range (and he really should have been held back). Half way through the second term he has all A’s and B’s. He is engaging in his classes and tells me that he is smart. He is starting to talk about going to college. You need to look at the CHANGE in scores and grades for these kids. I really think many of these kids are high risk for dropping out or becoming statistics. EMID is helping them see a road that leads to a productive life. I believe the training the integrated teachers receive is critical to the success behind why kids that learn differently are successful in EMID model. Crosswinds has already made him a success. What more can they do in the 3 years he has left? We need to find a way to make the EMID system succeed.

I also ask you to think about why any parent would have their child spend an hour commute if there was any other choice.

Again, thank you for your time.

Testimony of Eric Celeste to the Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force, 1/10/12

Dear members of the task force,

Soon after moving to Minnesota my wife and I discovered the East Metro Integration District. Both our children have attended EMID schools ever since. One is now a college sophomore, the other is in ninth grade at Crosswinds. I have been attending all your meetings and am eager to see the result of your deliberations. Please know that I and other parents care deeply about the work you are doing and believe you have the interests of our children at heart.

The EMID magnet schools are wonderful, but you know that. What you may not know is the degree to which the true innovations of a setting like EMID’s are compromised by the very drive toward standardized testing that lie at the foundation of the focus on the achievement gap. This discussion addresses your third question: historically, what worked and what didn’t work. The statewide testing model fails to accurately measure innovative programs like EMID and does not reflect the growth of students in our program.

EMID runs on a year-round schedule that avoids the regression typical of summers off. Instead, EMID places three week breaks between each quarter. Our kids are never away from school for long, and even during each break (except August) the schools offer “bridge” programs to keep students engaged. However, these breaks throughout the year mean that when the statewide testing window rolls around, our kids have had six weeks fewer educational contact days than other kids. The inflexibility of the testing calendar has forced the district to cut Fall and Winter breaks to only two weeks, eliminate much of the looping multi-age dynamic in our schools, and led to the impression that our schools are worse than others simply because our scores are a bit lower than others. I don’t expect you to resolve this problem, but I do want you to be aware that the data you see does a particularly poor job of reflecting the effectiveness of innovative programs.

Achievement gap data based on these tests often do little to illuminate how individual children learn and grow in a school. Our middle years school, Crosswinds, for example, gets an influx of new students in seventh grade who perform far below their classmates who have been in EMID schools since kindergarten. While our school prides itself on the significant progress these kids make from grade to grade as they move through our program, the achievement gap numbers are based on tests that don’t show this progress because they focus on snapshots of grades, not progress of individuals. Our data is flawed, and our sense of what works is flawed as well.

Integration is about more than simple diversity. Integration is about more than pumping up achievement gap numbers. Integration at the EMID schools does help all students achieve excellence, but it also teaches them to celebrate one another. To enjoy each others company at lunch, during after school activities, and during our bridge programs. The respect our students show for one another as they build a comprehensive, year round learning environment results in skills that our students carry into the world, to college and to the workspace, skills that our multicultural society desperately needs.

My hope and the hope of many EMID families who could not be here today is that you find a way to continue funding the kind of innovative, truly integrated environment that our magnet schools represent. We know it has been working for a decade now. We need your help to provide a similar exciting opportunity to east metro families in the decade to come.