Peebles puts student achievement first, even above politics

Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Thandiwe Peebles is tackling the wide academic achievement gap between African American students and their white peers. Northside parents say that whatever Peebles is doing, she should keep doing it. The Star Tribune quoted Minneapolis Fifth Ward Council Member Natalie Johnson Lee:

Our children need someone with her personality to move an agenda for them and you need to be clear that we are not taking this sitting down... This is not a joke, we are not playing. We are serious about the education of our children and we believe she is the one we need right now to move our children's agenda forward.

In the same article, Rev. Ian Bethel said:

Her leadership style is what attracted the school board to bring her here. Leave her alone and let her do the work. Performance-wise, she has proven it.

Unfortunately, Peebles's leadership style is rubbing some folks the wrong way. We say, bully to Superintendent Peebles. If she broke a few eggs to make some omelets, if she had the audacity to assign extra homework over the winter break, give her a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People, and get out of her way. Education is about the children. Neither African American kids nor our society can afford to wait another semester, another year, another generation for help. For the sake of those children, we hope that Peebles will not ultimately suffer the same fate as another strong female education leader who put academics above politics.

UPDATE: Peebles showed that she has her priorities in order when she told Minnesota Public Radio's "Midday" call-in show on Wednesday, "Student achievement must be a priority, but if style is getting in the way of that, then you need to change that [style]."

EDUCATION

Byzantine K-12 funding rules favor special interests

Who could be in favor of Minnesota's famously complicated K-12 funding formula? Follow the money!

In his Star Tribune article "School funding remains one of life's mysteries," education reporter Norman Draper reveals how a complex, nearly opaque funding system favors special interests:

"I find it analogous to cars," said Mary Cecconi, state director of the Parents United Network and someone who actually claims to understand school funding. "My husband used to be able to fix an automobile 30 years ago without too much difficulty. Now, he could barely open the hood. Why is that? It's because people want more... All those demands create a more complex automobile... I think it's wrong to move toward simplicity."

Mr. Goodwrench and Precision Man would wholeheartedly agree, I'm sure!

Still, some do think that simple is beautiful:

According to Tom Berge, director of finance and operations for the Minnetonka School District, there are 35,000 categories of expenses the state requires schools to track. How do you boil this down into something easily digestible? Many schools don't.

A committee of west suburban school finance directors and business people recently came up with a model that many school officials and some legislators think holds promise. It divvies up school funding by easy-to-understand categories, such as "supplies," textbooks and library books, "professional teaching personnel," and "equipment and facilities maintenance." According to Berge and Golden Valley businessman Ward Eames, who were instrumental in coming up with it, their model is in big demand among school districts statewide.

"I am aiming at everybody associated with schools, an employee of the school, a union member... teachers, parents and the community at large," Eames said. "They should be able to see these numbers and know what's going on with the school."

Until enough conservative Republican political pressure exists to reform (simplify) K-12 funding, it will be understood only by those who stand to benefit from yet another new categorical or compensatory aid payment, or another tweak to one of the funding formulae. As another automobile repair spokesman used to say, "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later." For the foreseeable future, we're going to be doing both, but where all the money goes is not so clear.

EDUCATION

Ready 4 $

Taxpayers in Minnesota and across the country should hang onto their wallets. Another well-funded alliance is after huge "investments" in education -- $185 million to be exact. This time the early childhood people are "advocating for Minnesota's youngest citizens." But who would really benefit from this largesse? Follow the $.

EdWatch has engaged this alliance, Ready4K, by unpacking their claims and counterclaims point-by-point. I have commented on their misrepresentation of Minnesota Department of Education studies, which they continue to use to claim that "Half of all Minnesota kids are left behind because they start kindergarten not fully prepared."

Ready4K has already made a big investment in efforts to turn the North Star State into the Nanny State. They have a slick web site, logos and a polished visual identity, and a large board of directors from "medicine, education, business, public service, the clergy and advocacy." No doubt they have the welfare of Minnesota children at heart, but does it really take a village to raise a child, or does it take a family? Another government program with its attendant bureaucracy, intrusive regulations, and insatiable budgets?

The current American Experiment Quarterly features three articles on early childhood education. As the Legislature is poised to make the big "investment," we should consider the findings of the study "Early Childhood Education: A Caveat" by Darcy Olsen:

America's flexible approach to early education gives children a strong foundation. Skills assessment at kindergarten entry and reports by kindergarten teachers show a large and increasing majority of preschoolers are prepared for kindergarten. The effectiveness of the current system is also evident in early test scores. At age ten, U.S. children have higher reading, math, and science scores than their European peers who attend the government preschools cited by advocates as models for the United States. To the degree that the state remains involved in financing early education, we recommend measures for transparency, program assessment, and improved flexibility through individual student funding.

The Nanny State is still in "draft" form, mostly in the Senate version of the education omnibus bill. Governor Tim Pawlenty and the Legislative leadership are waiting for you to weigh in on the direction for Minnesota's early childhood education, toward supporting parents or toward a takeover of child rearing by those who "know better." Ready4K is standing by, ready for your $.

EDUCATION