Category Archives: Uncategorized

Janet Mohr Named EMID Superintendent

EMID added the following statement to its website a week ago. We’ve also heard (unofficially) that Janet Mohr’s first day on the job will be Monday 4/16. If you want to contact Mohr, we believe that her EMID email is already working: janet.mohr@emid6067.net.

The East Metro Integration District #6067 School Board has named Janet Mohr the district’s new superintendent. Mohr is currently the director of special education for EMID and the director of mental health for Northeast Metro 916. Mohr will succeed Interim Superintendent Dr. Jerry Robicheau, who announced his retirement. “Please join me in welcoming Janet Mohr to the position of EMID superintendent,” says George Hoeppner, the EMID School Board chair. “We are looking forward to working with Ms. Mohr.”

Prior to her special education role with EMID and her mental health role with Northeast Metro 916, Ms. Mohr served as the director of the rural education leadership program with the Minnesota Association of School Administrators from 2006-2008 and the superintendent of Frazee-Vergas (MN) Public Schools from 2001-2006. During her career, Ms. Mohr has held a number of administrative and teaching positions at districts such as Detroit Lakes Public Schools, the Buffalo Valley (ND) Special Education Cooperative, and Frazee-Vergas Public Schools. She has a Ed.S. degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead, an M.S. from Minnesota State University Moorhead, and a B.S. from University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Garofalo schedules Integration Task Force Hearing, 4/4 (Nevermind)

UPDATE: This hearing has now been cancelled, Garofalo’s office is now looking for a date the week of 4/16. We’ll keep you posted.

We need families to sign up to testify for integration at a hearing next Wednesday, April 4, at 8am at the Capitol’s (tentatively scheduled for Room 5 of the State Office Building). Your voice is critical at hearings like this, please consider speaking up!

The Integration Task Force reported out over a month ago, Rep. Garofalo allowed one of the dissenters to testify last month, but finally, a hearing has been scheduled for the whole task force report and the legislation that Rep. Mariani has authored.

Families, parents or students, can simply tell their own stories. Testimony will be brief, only two or three minutes, so you don’t have to prepare very much. Just tell a story about how use of integration money, the money that makes EMID possible, makes difference in your child’s learning. Remind the legislature that if this funding goes away, then these opportunities you and your child benefited from will be to others. EMID schools are on a break next Wednesday, so if students are willing to testify, this will make a big impact on legislators.

If you are interested in testifying, please send an email asking to be added to the list of testifiers to Jody Withers and Rebecca Peichel, staffers for the Education Finance committee that Garofalo chairs.

Anyone interested in discussing the hearing and practicing their testimony is also welcome to join us for an impromptu EMID Families meeting on Saturday (3/31) at 1pm at Eric and Mary’s home (1993 Lincoln Avenue, Saint Paul). Please RSVP so we have an idea of how many people to expect.

EMID School Board Hosting Community Budget Forum, 3/14

The EMID School Board will hold a Community Forum at 6:30pm on March 14 at Harambee. The topic will be proposed budget reductions. They are asking for input from the community on the “Budget Adjustment Recommendations” shared last week. The board will take action on these recommendations at their regular meeting on 3/21.

The PDF adjustment recommendations are a bit hard to sort out, so here are some of the impacts described by that document.

Structure of Education

Harambee would see the elimination of the magnet foci specialists ($53,340) and their music specialist ($103,000).

Crosswinds would remove one of its four houses (no mention of which one or what this restructuring would look like). This would eliminate math, science, social studies, language arts, and AVID in that house ($264,000). Presumably this would increase class sizes as well, but again, no details about that.

Crosswinds would also move from a seven to a six period day, reducing language, technology, pays ed, music, visual arts, and theater budgets in the process ($253,215).

Special Education

The loss of a house at Crosswinds also results in the loss of one special ed position there ($60,860). Another three educational assistants for special ed are lost due to “restructuring” ($93,156).

Harambee reduces all educational assistants by one half hour a day and eliminates a media/clerical assistant ($31,130).

If the board approves “Tier 2” cuts then Crosswinds would eliminate another educational assistant in special education ($33,168) and Harambee would lose two intervention specialists ($49,130 each).

Intersession and After School

“Increase participations fees for intersession programming, $12,000.” If we assume 2/3 of the current roughly 800 students attend three intersessions, this works out to something on the order of a $10 increase per child per intersession.

“Restructuring of after school, $34,000.” It sounds like they suggest only having after school during quarters 2 and 3 (not 1 and 4) and only for five of the eight weeks of each term, plus increase the fees for that amount of time.

Administrative Cuts

“Elimination of Director of Teaching and Learning Position, $129,920.” That would be eliminating Greg Keith.

“Eliminate TOSA position” ($59,218 at Harambee, $54,000 at Crosswinds). These “teachers on special assignment” have served as almost an assistant principals at our schools and their elimination results in significant additional burden for our principals.

“Reduction of 10 percent in consumable supplies, $28,750.” More money out of teacher pockets and longer supply lists at the start of the school year.

Overall the cuts fall very heavily on Crosswinds, but then crosswinds has also had traditionally more expensive operations. If both tiers of cuts are approved by the board then Crosswinds would see an $868,000 cut, Harambee a $402,000 cut, district wide cuts would be $394,000, and member services would lose $90,000.

2012budgetreductions

Please do look at the “Budget Adjustment Recommendations” for full details.

If you are unable to attend the forum you may email your comments to Mary Ojile who will pass them along to school school board members or send mail to board members directly.

MinnPost: Integration issue stalls at Capitol

Beth Hawkins writes in MinnPost: “Integration issue stalls at Capitol.” She notes Garofalo’s buck-passing and the Kersten testimony:

According to the Pioneer Press, Kersten got the chance last week to air her views before the state Senate Education Committee. The task force, meanwhile, has been unable to get the same lawmakers who appointed half its members to take up the report.

New in this story is news that Rep. Mariani, who was also a task force member, is drafting a bill:

Rep. Carlos Mariani, DFL-St. Paul, echoed Thomas’ sentiments. “There should be a hearing,” he said. “The clock is ticking. We have a committee deadline coming up in three weeks.

“This is a pretty significant task,” he continued. “We’re talking about $100 million. We’re talking about racial equity, which is a very important topic, and integration, which has a rich history in this state.”

Mariani is having the panel’s proposal drafted into a bill, which he plans to introduce later this week. He has no guarantee the committee will hear it.

Documents to review for EMID Community Council on 3/3

Dr. Robicheau shared three documents this week that those attending the Community Council meeting this week should take some time to review. Two of these documents are a result of an analysis of the data that was collected at the February 4 Community Council meeting. The first document is a listing of the major themes from the discussion that was held during small groups. The second document is a draft of strategies that are recommended to address the overarching themes. According to Robicheau, this is a draft document that is still in its development stage. The third document is the Guiding Change document approved by the School Board last December.

The next Community Council meeting is this Saturday, March 3, from 8:30am-Noon at Harambee. Everyone is welcome, even if you were not able to attend the first meeting.

During this Community Council meeting Robicheau will be asking participants to respond to and discuss the following questions regarding the draft strategies:

  1. Do the draft strategies address the overarching goals; a) close the racially predictable achievement gap, b) foster an integrated learning environment?
  2. Do the draft strategies reflect the values of EMID?
  3. Do the draft strategies honor the Guiding Change Document approved by the board?
  4. Do the draft strategies honor the input from the February 4 Community Council?
  5. Do you see any gaps in this document? What recommendations would you offer?

Everyone in the EMID community is welcome to both meetings, whether you have “signed up” for the Community Council or not. However, if you have not yet signed up it would be very helpful if you let either your principal, Dr. Robicheau, or Sharon Radd know you plan to be there. The administration is trying to get a good count so they can have the space prepared adequately.

Update: On Thursday March 1 Robicheau shared these further docTable 6 Small Groups 2-4.pdfuments from the first Community Council meeting. “This is the feedback from the flip charts complied at the February 4th Community Council meeting. Each document represents one tables notes.” These additional documents may be a response to criticism leveled at the process from some participants stating that the “themes” shared earlier (above) did not seem to represent the output from the first meeting.

Pioneer Press: Minnesota’s integration program supported by religious leaders

Megan Boldt covers the ISAIAH press conference in the Pioneer Press today: “Minnesota’s integration program supported by religious leaders.” She focuses on the fact that Rep. Pat Garofalo is trying to pass the buck to MDE:

Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, chairman of the House Education Finance Committee, said last week that he expects the state Education Department to flesh out a proposal legislators can act on this session.

Legislature’s court. Spokeswoman Charlene Briner said the department fulfilled its statutory obligations, which included naming six members to the task force, convening the first meeting, offering support to the task force and delivering the report to the Legislature.

“I’m not certain exactly what Rep. Garofalo is referring to when he says he’s waiting for more details from the department,” Briner said.

ISAIAH asks the Legislature to hear the integration task force report

ISAIAH, a network of congregations acting as members of this democracy to reclaim a powerful role in determining the future of our communities, our state, and our country, will hold a press conference this morning to call the legislature to hold a hearing regarding the Integration Revenue Replacement Task Force recommendations. They plan to celebrate the bi-partisanship shown in the report, recognize the example it sets for governing from a place of mission and values, and note that integration and achievement should include equity at its core.

Speakers at the event will include task force member Helen Bassett of WMEP and Robbinsdale schools, Kathy Griebel of EMID, Sarah Gleason of St. Joan of Arc, and Pastor Paul Slack of New Creation Church in Minneapolis.

Tuesday, February 28, 11am
Room 181, Minnesota State Office Building

ISAIAH also provided a detailed response to the task force report.

Take the EMID budget survey by tomorrow!

Please don’t forget to fill in EMID’s budget survey by tomorrow, Monday 2/27. Do it right away if you can, it is only one page long and EMID needs your input. More information about the survey at the Crosswinds website:

Our commitment to quality teaching and learning remains steadfast. At the same time, we recognize the fiscal crisis we face is very real and difficult decisions will have to be made. Your feedback as we balance our commitment to quality instruction and fiscal demands is essential.