EMID Board meets Wednesday 2/20

The EMID Board will get an update on the progress of legislation to allow Perpich to take over Crosswinds at its next board meeting, this Wednesday (2/20), 5:30pm at Harambee.

The board packet agenda also includes a discussion of Stillwater withdrawing from the EMID collaborative, an update on Harmabee’s transition to Roseville, and resolutions placing EMID teachers on “unrequested leave of absence” in order to allow them to seek other employment in member districts.

While this board meeting will likely have fewer fireworks than recent meetings, it is important to realize that the board has, as recently as two months ago, changed its agenda dramatically during the meeting itself. Until the Crosswinds situation, in particular, has completely resolved, it is important for as many families as possible to attend board meetings and witness their actions.

We will also use the meeting as a chance to help you write letters to your legislators and letters to the editor to local papers about Crosswinds. So please, do consider joining us for the EMID board meeting on Wednesday.

The Crosswinds Bill HF592 Introduced!

The Crosswinds Bill in the House was introduced today as HF592 with authors Ryan Winkler, Michael Paymar, Mike Freiberg, Erin Murphy, Carlos Mariani, and Tom Anzelc. More authors will be added in the coming days.

Please thank these legislators for supporting the future of Crosswinds for Minnesota.

If you don’t see your representative on the list, please write to them and let them know that you would like to see them sign onto the bill! If you don’t know who represents you, use the legislative district finder and follow the links!

You can also track the bill using the legislative information system.

Integration gets a new bill at the MN House

The report of last year’s integration revenue replacement advisory task force has new life as HF247 sponsored by task force member Rep. Carlos Mariani. The Session Daily wrote a story describing the “revamped aid plan:”

HF247 takes the group’s advice and creates a new program called Achievement and Integration for Minnesota or AIM, which would combine the goals of racial integration, increased student achievement, and educational equity. The new model resembles the state’s current program in many ways, but task force members say that it would refocus uses of the money in ways that are easily tied to achievement. The new plan also makes changes intended to improve the program’s oversight and more closely track its results.

School districts that receive the aid could spend it on college-readiness programs and efforts to recruit teachers of color, among many other uses. They’d have to set goals for closing the achievement gap and promoting integration, and get state approval for their plans.

School districts would have to spend at least 80 percent of the aid on students, with up to 20 percent allowed for activities, such as teacher training. Districts that fell short of their achievement goals over time would have their aid cut by an unspecified amount.

Crosswinds Intersession at the Capitol

Many intersession students are going to have an exciting day at the Minnesota Capitol this Thursday (2/14) as they spend Valentines Day learning a bit about how state government works. Ms. Siskow launched the field trip as a chance for the Crosswinds World Savvy team to get some recognition for their 2nd place in the World Savvy National Competition for their “Knowledge to Action Plan,” which entailed a plan for using water straws and education program to teacher villagers in third-world countries how to clean water for drinking. They will be recognized at a hearing of the House Education Policy Committee at 10am (feel free to join them in the hearing room in the basement of the State Office Building).

But the trip has become a much bigger event. Other students from her social studies class expressed interest, and now Ms. Siskow is taking a whole group of students not only to the hearing (which will address reforms in integration funding), but also to meet a number of state representatives and state senators, including Rep. JoAnn Ward and Sen. Susan Kent who represent the district where Crosswinds sits.

This will be a wonderful opportunity for our students to see their representatives in action and make their voices heard at the Capitol. It will also be a great orientation for what we expect will be hearings in the coming weeks on the Perpich legislation to take on governance of Crosswinds.

Building Crosswinds

Here are two documents this weekend that shed more light on the “purpose built” nature of Crosswinds. These are both documents prepared by the architectural firm, the Cuningham Group. Incidentally, this group also designed the FAIR school in downtown Minneapolis and the Washington Technology Magnet in Saint Paul.

The two documents I found have been scanned and made available at Scribd. One is a booklet about Crosswinds.

The other is a guide to the school that appears to have been prepared for a jury award tour at the school in 2002.

The firm also has their own web page about Crosswinds. This page lists a number of architectural and design awards for the building.

Check out the Crosswinds video!

Many thanks to the students, teachers, and families who helped us create this video for Minnesota legislators. We know all of you are sending letters to your representatives, feel free suggest they visit emidfamilies.org/crosswinds so they can see the school in action!

The video is available on both Vimeo and YouTube, please “like” it and pass it along to anyone who may help us convince the legislature to give the Perpich Center for Arts Education the authority it needs to keep Crosswinds serving future Minnesota children and teachers.

Make your voices heard!

On January 25, the EMID Board voted to allow Perpich Center for Arts Education to take over governance of Crosswinds if they can receive approval from the Minnesota Legislature by April 1. The Perpich Center for Arts Education is now working very hard to convince the Minnesota Legislature and Governor to give it the authority and funding it needs to run the Crosswinds Arts and Science School. Your voice is critical to this effort, your own state representative and senator need to hear your support for the Perpich proposal.

Please write letters to Governor Mark Dayton and Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius. Let them know what Crosswinds has meant for you and your student and ask them to support the Perpich proposal which will continue to Crosswinds program. Please also write letters to or meet with your State Senator and Representative. Let them know that you are a constituent and why you believe Crosswinds is important.

More information, including addresses and a tool for finding out who your representatives are can be found on our “Contacting your Representatives” resource page.

Joint Committee Hearing on Integration

The Minnesota House and Senate education finance committees are holding a very unusual joint session this Thursday (2/7), 8:15am, in Room 200 of the State Office Building (100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN). This join hearing agenda will include an integration revenue program presentation including the 2012 report and recommendations of the Integration Revenue Replacement Advisory Task Force.

The task force got almost no attention from the last session of our legislature, even though the report included bipartisan recommendations for significant reforms. This joint session should provide some very interesting insights into the thinking of current legislators about the direction of integration priorities and funding.

EMID Families invites you to a meeting with Sue Mackert

As you know, the EMID board has given the Perpich Center for Arts Education only a very short window to seek legislative authority and funding to run our Crosswinds school. If you are interested in helping with this effort, please join us for a meeting with Sue Mackert at Crosswinds this Friday (2/1) at 7pm.

Sue will share the communications plan and talking points that Perpich has prepared for legislators. She can answer your questions about what message legislators need to hear in order to keep the Crosswinds program going under Perpich authority.

This meeting is open to families, students, and staff. If you want to see the Crosswinds program continue, please join us Friday!

A Letter to EMID Families from Sue Mackert of Perpich

Dear EMID Parents, Guardians and Friends,

The strength of Crosswinds is due, in large part, to your ongoing advocacy, strength and sheer determination to do what is right for young people. The EMID Board voted for children this week. They voted to maintain a school that has proven itself to be needed as a school of choice—a school that successfully brings together a community of people able to embrace innovative education delivered in an environment in which all people are valued. I am certain that EMID Board members, in compliance with how governing Boards operate, will support the decision of the majority and will all work in harmony to support the adopted resolution.

You have placed your heart, soul and faith in Perpich to carry on the heritage of excellence you have maintained. We are focused, determined and engaged to make this happen.

We are continuing to assess information regarding the operation of Crosswinds and expect to have an outline prepared early next week for distribution to lawmakers. Your ongoing assistance is welcomed and needed.

I will maintain communication with you through this site and directly with Eric Celeste to keep you up-to-date and informed on how you may participate.

The Perpich Center is honored to be of service to you.

Respectfully,
Sue Mackert

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