[Please note: these are not official minutes, they are just the jottings of one parent with a bit of ranting thrown in. I hope they may be helpful to parents who were not able to attend the meeting tonight, but please don’t treat this as in any way official or the last word. Ask around and talk to other parents for a more complete picture. …Eric]

First, what I consider the headline of tonight’s meeting: Dr. Cassellius Wants to take 11-12 at Crosswinds Off the Table.

A lot else was talked about, but the meeting really heated up when it became clear that Brenda would, as Superintendent, ask the EMID Board this Wednesday to cancel plans to consider adding 11th and 12th grade to Crosswinds. She considers it a matter of “capacity and effort,” and thinks “we would have a really difficult time building a solid high school program.” She is also concerned that we have not, even in years of trying, been able to maintain enrollment numbers from 8th to 9th grades. Her vision for EMID, she made very clear, is as a preK-8 set of schools. While she has not ruled out 9th and 10th at Crosswinds, those grades are also clearly not part of her vision for the district. When asked about the span of IB Middle Years from 6-10 she said there were approved IB Middle Years schools that were just 6-8.

Needless to say, this was a revelation to many of the parents at the meeting and generated significant conversation. I heard a lot of disappointment and distress, a few even questioning whether Crosswinds could survive as 6-8. I may have missed it, but I didn’t hear any parent support for this vision, but frankly the meeting got quite (appropriately) emotional and I don’t know that anyone sympathetic would necessarily have stepped up to offer their support. The clarity with which Brenda stated her case was actually quite courageous, but it was certainly not what this site council wanted to hear.

If you want to be a part of this conversation, you should consider attending the EMID Board Meeting this Wednesday (9/15) at 5:30pm at Harambee.

Aside from that very big news, there were many other tidbits from this meeting. Read on to see a list in roughly the order they were discussed
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Some parents have gotten an email notification that interviews for Crosswinds Principal candidates will be on Thursday 9/16 from Noon to 4pm. All are welcome. Please RSVP, details below.

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There will be a Welcome Reception for our new Crosswinds Interim Principal, Bryan Bass.

Wednesday, August 18
6:30 pm
Crosswinds School

Please come to meet Bryan and, as importantly, have him meet you. Pass the word to all Crosswinds parents, friends and families. If you want some background reading, MinnPost ran a story about Bass back in June.

EMID Superintendent Brenda Cassellius asked that we share this message with EMID Families.

Families,

Last week I sent an e-mail informing you that Crosswinds Principal Anne Andersen and Crosswinds Assistant Principal Roger Kocinski have decided to retire. Since that announcement, I have met with staff, parents, and the site council at Crosswinds to better understand what characteristics they feel are most important in a new leader and to determine our next steps.

Overwhelmingly, staff and parents suggested we hire an interim principal to quickly get off to a great start to the school year. They also suggested posting the position and interviewing as soon as possible in order to secure our next leader.

Crosswinds staff expressed wanting a principal who knows urban and suburban youth as well as someone with tough love, consistent discipline, and connectedness with students and families. Someone who will push teachers, but also be supportive. Someone who can be flexible yet make the hard call. Someone who understands IB and MYP and can help with instruction and assessment. Someone inspiring.

The parents want a person who knows teenagers and can relate to their many developmental needs. They want someone who is a good communicator and has demonstrated experience with parent engagement. They also want someone who brings a high level of integrity and understands diversity. They also want a tough love kind of person.

I considered these desired qualities in a school leader and made several inquiries within the Twin Cities educational community. After careful consideration, I have selected Bryan Bass, former principal of Brooklyn Center High School, as interim principal for Crosswinds. Bryan is an experienced instructional leader and respected high school principal. At BC High School, he decreased suspensions, increased the number of graduates going on to post-secondary education, and partnered with the community to open an onsite clinic of wrap-around services so students could get things such as eyeglasses and medical exams.

Despite this long list of accomplishments, the federal No Child Left Behind rules forced Brooklyn Center to replace Bryan after the school failed to make “adequate yearly progress” quickly enough to satisfy the government¹s guidelines. I want to address this issue directly. I have complete confidence in Bryan’s abilities to ensure we have a great start and don¹t lose ground in the weeks ahead. He is a “no excuses” educational leader – as am I. We both believe in high expectations for all of our students and we understand that transformational change takes time. While I believe accountability is key in improving our schools, I also know a school¹s success hinges on a community of teachers, principals, students, and those who support learning.

We will post immediately for the permanent position and begin interviews mid-September. I have carefully weighed all the options before us and feel placing a strong interim at Crosswinds and taking our time to find the best person for the job is the prudent course of action. Bryan has agreed to the interim position for as long as needed while we search for our next permanent principal. I have attached his resume for your review.

Please join me in welcoming Bryan Bass to our community of learners at Crosswinds. A welcome reception will be held Wednesday, August 18 at 6:30 PM for staff and parents. Those who are unable to attend next week are invited to meet him at our open house on September 2.

Sincerely,

Brenda

Anne Andersen announced on Friday that she and Roger Kocinski will both be leaving Crosswinds next week. While this news is very sudden and upsetting, every indication is that this is truly a decision that Anne and Roger have made for personal reasons. There does not seem to be a deeper political undercurrent here. Even so, the news is shocking and our new superintendent and the staff of the school will have their work cut out for them to get the new school year started with vigor, enthusiasm, and a sense of direction.

Toward that end, Brenda Cassellius is calling a special Crosswinds Site Council meeting on Tuesday, 8/10, at 6:30pm. We all realize this is short notice, but time is of the essence. Here is the topic…

I see three options for leadership next year:

1. Hire a permanent principal (this is unlikely to yield the best candidates given the late date)
2. Hire an interim
3. I am an experienced middle and high school administrator as is our new Director of Teaching and Learning and we could work collaboratively with a team of teacher leaders in a new model

I am considering all three and want your feedback and input. We have much work ahead of us and we need to use this change to our advantage to create the best outcomes for our children.

If we do it intentionally and together we will find excellent solutions!

Meanwhile, please take a moment to share your thanks for a job incredibly well done with Anne and Roger. They will be sorely missed, but the work they have done to set a course for our school should serve us all well for a long time to come.