Category Archives: Uncategorized

Star Tribune: Cost vs. benefit steers debate over future of integration aid

Corey Mitchell writes in the Star Tribune: “Cost vs. benefit steers debate over future of integration aid.”

The current state program to help promote integrated classrooms expires in 2013 and the 12-member task force faces a February deadline on whether to continue spending the money to combat segregation, or, as GOP members of the Legislature have argued, use the money for literacy programs and other efforts to narrow the state’s achievement gap between white and nonwhite students.

Ending school segregation and closing the achievement gap should be dual goals, state Rep. Carlos Mariani, DFL-St. Paul and a task force member, argued Tuesday.

“If this turns into a choice between integration and closing the achievement gap, that’s a false choice,” Mariani said. “There’s no winning that.”

Fun fact: the Star Tribune article includes a picture of Jeff Parker from the EMID-SOS community input session at Crosswinds in September 2011!

Integration Task Force Meeting: 20 December 2011

These PDF notes of the 12/20 meeting are not official minutes, these are very biased and raw notes. Don’t expect fairness, balance, or completeness! I am just trying to be quick at communicating what is happening on the task force. Initials generally refer to task force members, a list of whom can be found at the official task for website.

During this meeting the task force took testimony from experts in the field, including social scientists and lawyers. Dan Schulman says, “I am ready to bring a case.”

More about the task force on our Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force page.

EMID Board to discuss $3M deficit and planning process

The EMID Board meets this coming Wednesday 21 December at 5:30pm at Harmabee. Actually, to be specific, the board will start its work session at 5:30pm and its actual board meeting at 6:30pm. You are welcome at both, though the public forum welcoming your input will happen at the start of the 6:30 board meeting.

The agenda, available as part of the board packet (PDF), includes the 2012-2013 budget and decisions about the continuing strategic planning process. If you would like to know more about these topics, read on! Continue reading →

Robicheau and Gillette testify to integration revenue task force

Interim Superintendent Robicheau and EMID Board Chair Cristina Gillette testified to the state’s Integration Revenue Replacement Task Force on Tuesday, 12/13. They even brought along Robert Rostrom, the EMT graduate of EMID some of you may remember testifying at the October board meeting. Rostrom reiterated to the task force that “Crosswinds let me become the person that I am.” These are the reports Robicheau and Gillette shared with the task force:

Integration Task Force Meeting: 13 December 2011

These PDF notes of the 12/13 meeting are not official minutes, these are very biased and raw notes. Don’t expect fairness, balance, or completeness! I am just trying to be quick at communicating what is happening on the task force. Initials generally refer to task force members, a list of whom can be found at the official task for website.

During this meeting the task force took testimony from many school administrators including the chair of EMID’s board and EMID’s interim superintendent.

More about the task force on our Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force page.

Crosswinds Community Partnership hosting a conversation with Dr. Robicheau

All are welcome (Harambee or Crosswinds families) to a conversation with Interim Superintendent Robicheau about the EMID Strategic Planning Process. The Crosswinds Community Partnership (CCP, site council) will be meeting Monday, 12/12, at 6:30pm at Crosswinds. We’ve modified our usual agenda so that the conversation with Dr. Robicheau will happen right at the beginning in the stage area at Crosswinds.

After the conversation with Dr. Robicheau is done, those of us who are interested in the remainder of the agenda will move to Water House where we will complete the CCP meeting.

Governor’s Task Force on the Prevention of School Bullying

The Governor is seeking eight people with backgrounds & expertise in health professions, pediatrics, psychology or psychiatry, with expertise or special knowledge of legal policy, or with experience as advocates for students who have been subjected to bullying and with teaching or school administration careers. These eight will be part of a fifteen member task for on the prevention of school bullying.

The task force will examine the state of bullying in Minnesota and to advise the Governor’s Office and Legislature on policies to ensure the safety of all students in Minnesota.

Application forms may be found on the web or may be obtained from the Office of the Secretary of State, Open Appointments, 180 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155-1299, or in person at Room 180 of the State Office Building.

EMID Board considers “Phase 2” planning process

By the time the EMID Board met on 11/16 Interim Superintendent Robicheau had come up with a proposal that completely superseded the one presented in the board packet last month. The board is now considering an “EMID Planning Process, Phase II” that looks like this:

EMIDPlanningProcessPhase2

At the board meeting Robicheau said he intended to include parents on the “Leadership Team.” When asked for details of how families could get involved in this process and become part of the Leadership Team, Robicheau responded:

This process has been facilitated with the help of a couple of board members who have used this in their districts. We are assembling a core group, 6 people, board member, superintendent, staff and Melissa Krull, to develop a Guiding Decision Document. This is an outline of how the process will work and identifies some of the givens and the unacceptables. This work will be done December 7. It will go to the school board December 21. Included in this is the structure and make up of a Design Team. This Design Team will be responsible to seek stakeholder input before anything is developed. Once they seek stakeholder input they will consider some options that are grounded in the input. These options will then be brought back to the stakeholders for input/reaction. Once that is completed a refined option will be developed and that again will be brought to the stakeholders for input. It will then be brought to board for consideration. The goal is to have a recommendation to the board in May.

At our December 7th meeting we will work on the structure and makeup of the Design Team. I anticipate we will look to engage parent and staff representation on the Design team.

Please consider whether you’d be interested in a role on the Design Team and be prepared to let Dr. Robicheau know of your interest or ideas when the time comes.

Integration Task Force Meeting: 29 November 2011

These PDF notes of the 11/29 meeting are not official minutes, these are very biased and raw notes. Don’t expect fairness, balance, or completeness! I am just trying to be quick at communicating what is happening on the task force. Initials generally refer to task force members, a list of whom can be found at the official task for website.

During this meeting the task force took testimony from Tom Gillaspy, State Demographer, and Tom Melcher, MDE Finance Officer.

More about the task force on our Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force page.

Integration Task Force Meeting: 15 November 2011

NOTE: These are not official minutes, these are very biased and raw notes. Don’t expect fairness, balance, or completeness! I am just trying to be quick at communicating what is happening on the task force. Initials generally refer to task force members, a list of whom can be found at the official task for website. …Eric

MDE will not be as involved in this task force as in many other committees and task forces. This TF is much more independent. It is a public TF and we can expect that packets and information prepared for the TF will be available on the web.

How to best allocate funds previously allocated per MS 124D.86
$40M for 2014 and $68M for 2015
This statute is now repealed for FY2014

124D.855 newly enacted to outlaw school segregation… Does not condone separating students based on demographic, ethnic, or racial criteria.

Achievement gap purpose was first put in law in 2009 and effective for the 2009/10 school year. Only in its second year.

Green asks for clarification about repurpose. Brenda says that the special session provided urgency to the conversation by sunsetting the provision. Dollars are still there for 2014-15, but what will we do with them after that?

Kirsten, this is a wonderful opportunity to be innovative and creative. She sees repurposing = replacement. Mariani, would not support using a different word and thinks that repurposing offers a lot of room for creativity.

Orfield, points out that Judge Larson never found our districts “unitary” and there may still be an ongoing obligation that would be important to understand.

Anne Parks… Rule has the force of law, but is trumped by statute. Rule will stand even after revenue statute dies. No action to remove rule.

www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us School District Integration Revenue report
Judy Randall presented

Seems odd that this whole meeting is about integration aid, rather than thinking beyond integration. Orfield pointing to Justice Kennedy and Title Six ruling for guidance.

Battle nominates Peter as chair. Ericsson nominates Thomas. TF decides not to nominate the legislators. TF adopts unanimously.

Note that integration transportation aid was not amended by the legislature and is not on the cutting block at this time.

Tuesday’s from 1:30-4pm in CCA Room 13: 11/15, 11:29, 12/13, 12/20, 1/10, 1/17, 2/7. Maybe hold final meeting at statehouse.

END OF NOTES, more about the task force on our Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force page.