Michael Walker is the Director of the Office Black Male Achievement at the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), receiving a salary of $119,224. The department is funded at about $1,000,000, a figure that most likely will soon rise to $2,000,000.
As you review the presentation at the portal of the MPS website for the Office of Black Male Achievement, remember that these are the achievement levels for African American students according the spring 2016 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs):
Percentage of Students Recording
Grade Level Performance on MCAs:
Disaggregated Data for Academic Years
Ending in 2014, 2015, and 2016
Math
African American 2014 2015 2016
Male 20.8% 22.0% 19.1%
Female 21.2% 20.7% 20.5%
African (Somali, Ethiopian, Liberian---
(late 20th/early 21st century immigrant populations)
2014 2015 2016
Male 24.2% 25.0% 23.6%
Female 24.1% 25.9% 21.5%
Reading
African American 2014 2015 2016
Male 18.8% 18.5% 18.2%
Female 24.0% 24.5% 23.4%
African (Somali, Ethiopian, Liberian---
late 20th/early 21st century immigrant populations)
2014 2015 2016
Male 18.8% 19.3% 20.4%
Female 27.6% 24.3% 23.2%
Keep in view, then, that since the establishment of the Office of Black Male Achievement, the actual achievement levels of African American males (whether pertaining to the long-established or recently arrived African American community in Minnesota and the United States) have remained flat at abominal levels of achievement and have even gotten worse as given in some areas.
Here is the presentation of the Office of Black Male Achievement at the relevant portal of the MPS website >>>>>
The Office of Black Male Student Achievement
African American 2014 2015 2016
Male 18.8% 18.5% 18.2%
Female 24.0% 24.5% 23.4%
African (Somali, Ethiopian, Liberian---
late 20th/early 21st century immigrant populations)
2014 2015 2016
Male 18.8% 19.3% 20.4%
Female 27.6% 24.3% 23.2%
Keep in view, then, that since the establishment of the Office of Black Male Achievement, the actual achievement levels of African American males (whether pertaining to the long-established or recently arrived African American community in Minnesota and the United States) have remained flat at abominal levels of achievement and have even gotten worse as given in some areas.
Here is the presentation of the Office of Black Male Achievement at the relevant portal of the MPS website >>>>>
The Office of Black Male Student Achievement
is dedicated to accelerating
academic strategies and narrowing the achievement gap. Reversing the
achievement gap will not happen overnight, nor can we do it alone. We are
acting with urgency to address the achievement gap head-on in our schools.
The Office of Black Male
Student Achievement
“Believe and Achieve Celebration”
Student Achievement
“Believe and Achieve Celebration”
The Office of Black Male
Student Achievement invites you to attend the annual “Believe and Achieve
Celebration” on Thursday, April 28, 2016 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at St.
Mary’s University in Minneapolis. Dinner is provided.
This special event honors
the efforts and contributions of students, educators, parents and community
members throughout the first year of the Office of Black Male Student
Achievement (OBMSA). The program will feature student performances, an awards
ceremony and a year-end presentation from Director Michael Walker.
Questions?
Contact Andria at 612-290-9553.
Contact Andria at 612-290-9553.
Michael Walker in July 2014 was selected to lead the Office of Black Male Student
Achievement. Walker is a longtime MPS employee, having held multiple roles at
Roosevelt High School since 1999. In his new position, Walker will lead efforts
on behalf of the school district to eliminate the achievement gap between
black, male students and their MPS peers.
To this role, Walker brings a
career focus on youth development and helping black youth achieve success. He
earned his undergraduate degree in physical education from Southwest Minnesota
State University and his master’s degree in education from the University of
Wisconsin – River Falls. From 1998 to 2006, Walker served as
community outreach, program and youth development director at the YMCA of
Greater St. Paul and Minneapolis, where he developed programs for social,
academic, athletic and employment skills for youth and served as the
coordinator of the Black Achievers program, an academic achievement and career
development initiative for middle school and high school youth and teens.
Walker worked as a career and
college coordinator for AchieveMpls at Roosevelt High School from 2006 to 2009
before serving Minneapolis Public Schools as Roosevelt’s dean of students from
2009 to 2011 and assistant principal from 2011 to the present.
Walker is a product of MPS,
having attended Holland Elementary, Franklin and Sanford middle schools and
Roosevelt High School. He and his wife have three children, two of whom are
school-age and attend MPS.
Director of Black Male Achievement – Michael Walker
Michael Walker brings a career focus on youth development and assisting black youth to achieve success. He earned his undergraduate degree in physical education from Southwest Minnesota State University and his master’s degree in counseling from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls as well as his administrative license from St. Cloud State. From 1998 to 2006, Walker served as community outreach, program and youth development director at the YMCA of Minneapolis and Greater St. Paul, where he developed programs for social, academic, athletic and employment skills for youth and served as the coordinator of the Black Achievers program. Walker worked as a career and college center coordinator for AchieveMpls at Roosevelt High School from 2006 to 2009 before serving Minneapolis Public Schools as Roosevelt’s dean of students from 2009 to 2011 and assistant principal from 2011 to 2014. He is the inaugural director for the Office of Black Male Student Achievement, where his sole responsibility is changing outcomes for Black Males who attend Minneapolis Public Schools. Walker is a product of Minneapolis Public Schools.
Family and Community
Inclusion Specialist – Andria Daniel
Andria Daniel is
passionate about helping build communities where everyone’s voice is heard and
valued. She believes it is important for families and students to feel fully
supported. Over the years, she has worked with parents to create and facilitate
listening sessions to address issues that affect the academic success of
children. Andria’s goal is to generate unique and positive experiences for
families and to create new pathways between home and school. She has a master’s
degree in family education from the University of Minnesota.
As the family and community
coordinator for the Office of Black Male Student Achievement (OBMSA), Andria
works with parents to understand how important it is to be involved in their
children’s education from cradle to career. As a parent of three, she believes
there is a shared responsibility of building the capacity of effective family
engagement, which is linked to learning.
Office Specialist, Senior – Cierra Burnaugh
Cierra Burnaugh is a native of north Minneapolis and a graduate of North High School. Cierra is deeply rooted in her community. Through her work with the Office of Black Male Student Achievement and as a Dance Studio owner in north Minneapolis, Cierra strives to build, uplift and empower her community. Cierra has worked in multiple positions within Minneapolis Public Schools and in many positions in her community to service the evolution of her people. Her passion for her community and her people drew her to the Office of Black Male Student Achievement. As the senior office specialist for the office, Cierra works directly with staff, student and community members to ensure the mission of the office is achieved. Her mission in life is to provide knowledge of self to her community to ensure they know where they come from and where they are going.
Office Specialist, Senior – Cierra Burnaugh
Cierra Burnaugh is a native of north Minneapolis and a graduate of North High School. Cierra is deeply rooted in her community. Through her work with the Office of Black Male Student Achievement and as a Dance Studio owner in north Minneapolis, Cierra strives to build, uplift and empower her community. Cierra has worked in multiple positions within Minneapolis Public Schools and in many positions in her community to service the evolution of her people. Her passion for her community and her people drew her to the Office of Black Male Student Achievement. As the senior office specialist for the office, Cierra works directly with staff, student and community members to ensure the mission of the office is achieved. Her mission in life is to provide knowledge of self to her community to ensure they know where they come from and where they are going.
Coordinator, Educational Equity – Corey Yeager
Corey Yeager is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Yeager is currently the educational equity coordinator for Minneapolis Public School, working under the umbrella of the Office of Black Male Achievement. He is completing his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota, with an emphasis in family social science/couple and family therapy. Corey’s therapeutic work is primarily focused on serving African American adolescents and their families. Much of his professional career efforts have been intentionally concentrated on facilitating community change through democratic, grassroots efforts.
Marjaan Sirdar grew up in a low-income, single parent home in east
Bloomington. He attended predominantly white schools and often felt invisible. Marjaan never had any teachers of color or any
positive Black men to look up to. This led to anger and violence as a teenager
with the potential of prison or death. This experience led him to teaching.
Teacher, Social Studies – Richard Magembe
Richard Magembe joined the Office of Black Male Student Achievement (OBMSA) in August 2016. He has been an employee of MPS since 2012, formerly serving as a school support program assistant at Stadium View School. In his new role as a life coach, Richard will assist the OBMSA in their mission to close the achievement gap between black male students and their peers.
Prior to his employment with MPS, Richard received his
undergraduate degree in social work from St. Cloud State University and his
master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Argosy University. In 2009
he started his career in education serving as a teaching assistant at Hancock
Elementary School in the St. Paul Public Schools District. After providing two
years of service to Hancock Elementary, Richard served as an educational
assistant at St. Paul’s Johnson High School during the 2011-2012 school year.
Community Expert Classroom
Coach – Jamil Jackson
Jamil Jackson is a community expert classroom coach for the OBMSA. He is also executive director of C.E.O (Change Equals Opportunity) a life skills mentoring program for males of color ages 12-25, assisting in the areas of college, career and cultural exposure. As the executive director of Run and Shoot EBL (Elite Basketball League), he uses sports as a way to build authentic relationships with young Kings of the community, help assist with college recruitment/placement, and bring together both youth and adult males to fellowship and learn from each other about what “Being a Man of Character is”.
Jamil was raised and resides in north Minneapolis where he coaches youth sports at Farview Park. He is an active board member for the Farview Area Community Council, TakeAction MN, and Core Team Member for J4A (Justice For ALL) working to reform our criminal justice system and build relationships with incarcerated men to help assist their transition back into our community.
The Office of Black Male
Student Achievement was created specifically to address the needs of the
largest demographic group within MPS. It represents an equitable approach to
tackling the challenges that exist for the school district’s black male
students.
The degree to which racial
disparities continue to persist in MPS is unacceptable. Native-born African
American males consistently perform at or near the bottom on nearly all
performance indicators in MPS. We must focus on supporting black male students
in more aggressive and effective ways.
We must commit to having equity
in this district and lead more intentionally around getting results for these
specific groups. Accelerating the growth of students who are two and three
years behind will require more targeted resources and support.
While many “special groups” are
already institutionally represented in MPS through departments and programs (Special Education, American Indian, NABAD
and ELL programs, etc.), there is no
specific structure to support the achievement of the lowest-performing group of
students.
Some of the stated goals for
the department and the young, black men it will serve include reducing chronic
absenteeism, remedying the disproportionate suspension and expulsion rates,
raising persistently low graduation rates and increasing the number of students
in advanced placement and honors courses.
Specific, measurable goals
include the following:
BEHAVIOR: ↓ disparities in suspensions by 25%
As part of the proposal announced by Minneapolis Public Schools in November 2014,
the Office of Black Male Student Achievement will work with school district
leadership and school leaders to help reduce the disparities in suspensions
between black male students and other subgroups by 25% for the 2014-15 school
year. We want to make sure that our young men are in class so they have
access the instructional time they need to be successful in school.
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GRADUATION: ↑ four-year graduation by 10%
This goal mirrors the larger
district's goal stated in the Acceleration 2020 strategic plan. This Office will use the full resources of the
district to improve the currently sits at 39% for black male students, nearly
25 percentage points less than their white male counterparts.
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ATTENDANCE: ↑ percent of “A” attenders
"A" attenders are
students who attend school 95% or more. In order for our students to do
better in school, they need as much instructional time as possible. To that
end, we’ve established an incremental goal of increasing attendance to an “A”
level for the 2015-16 school year. This number should be positively
influenced by the commitment to reduce suspensions.
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ADVANCED COURSEWORK: ↑ participation
We aim to increase the number of
black male students who take Advanced Placement (AP), International
Baccalaureate (IB) or Post-Secondary Education Options (PSEO). Currently
among black males, 17% of 10th graders, 28% of 11th graders and 15% of 12th
graders take these classes. Among their white peers, 62% of 10th graders, 72%
of 11th graders and 58% of 12th graders take these classes.
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BEGIN ELIMINATING THE BELIEF GAP
Once of the most striking
elements of feedback from interviews with black male students is the lack of
belief that currently exists. This lack of belief unfortunately resides in a
wide variety of stakeholders at different levels, including the community at
large, parents, families and some teachers. Most problematic though is the
lack of belief express by the students themselves. The Office of Black Male
Student Achievement is devoted to shifting the narrative for our black male
students in this district. This Office will take the lead in helping to
re-shape the mindset from “Why?” to “Why Not?”;
from doubt to hope; from “I don’t think so” to
“Yes I can”.
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My Analysis
Figures provided to me by staff at the MPS Office of Black Male Achievement indicate that independent of the MCA data, no additional numerical tabulations have been done, aside from some slight improvement in GPAs and a bit of an uptick in graduation rates. Grade point averages for African American males as a group linger just above 2.0, and four-year graduation rates remain below 50%.
There has been no improvement, therefore, and even a decline in some areas, relevant to assessment-based academic performance of African American males at the Minneapolis Public Schools during the first two academic years (2014-2015 and 2015-2016) of Michael Walker's tenure at the office of Black Male Achievement. Walker's tenure is coterminous with that of the department, which was established at the beginning of that first academic year of 2014-2015.
Why has there been no improvement?
Understand first that Walker's program now involves 175 middle school students taking classes at eight sites. This is less than 3% of the approximately 6,500 African American males currently matriculating in the Minneapolis Public Schools.
The classes are taught by instructors seeking to build cultural awareness so as to give young African American males the confidence and skills that they need to navigate the system at the Minneapolis Public Schools, which is widely observed to be culturally insensitive.
Certainly, culturally relevant curriculum is important. Key questions reside, though, as to what the best context for delivery of culturally relevant curriculum should be; and whether culturally relevant curriculum can in and of itself improve academic performance.
My answers to these questions offer implied answers as to why there has been no improvement in academic performance of African American males during the first two years of the existence of a department that tautologically is responsible for raising the level of black male achievement:
1) All curriculum should be culturally relevant. All subjects, particularly history, government, other social sciences, and literature should give generous coverage to the specific histories and cultures of key ethnic groups in our society of many origins and belief systems; and the culturally specific information so imparted should be contextualized by the history and culture commonly shared by citizens of all ethnic groups.
I provide such a curriculum in my Journal of the K-12 Revolution: Essays and Research from Minneapolis Minnesota and in my nearly complete new book, Fundamentals of an Excellent Liberal Arts Education. My presentation of curriculum is consistent with the approach taken by E. D. Hirsch at the Core Knowledge Foundation, on which I work my own innovations and extend logically into the high school years (Hirsch has long emphasized curriculum at the grades K-6 and more recently at the grades 7-8 levels).
My Analysis
Figures provided to me by staff at the MPS Office of Black Male Achievement indicate that independent of the MCA data, no additional numerical tabulations have been done, aside from some slight improvement in GPAs and a bit of an uptick in graduation rates. Grade point averages for African American males as a group linger just above 2.0, and four-year graduation rates remain below 50%.
There has been no improvement, therefore, and even a decline in some areas, relevant to assessment-based academic performance of African American males at the Minneapolis Public Schools during the first two academic years (2014-2015 and 2015-2016) of Michael Walker's tenure at the office of Black Male Achievement. Walker's tenure is coterminous with that of the department, which was established at the beginning of that first academic year of 2014-2015.
Why has there been no improvement?
Understand first that Walker's program now involves 175 middle school students taking classes at eight sites. This is less than 3% of the approximately 6,500 African American males currently matriculating in the Minneapolis Public Schools.
The classes are taught by instructors seeking to build cultural awareness so as to give young African American males the confidence and skills that they need to navigate the system at the Minneapolis Public Schools, which is widely observed to be culturally insensitive.
Certainly, culturally relevant curriculum is important. Key questions reside, though, as to what the best context for delivery of culturally relevant curriculum should be; and whether culturally relevant curriculum can in and of itself improve academic performance.
My answers to these questions offer implied answers as to why there has been no improvement in academic performance of African American males during the first two years of the existence of a department that tautologically is responsible for raising the level of black male achievement:
1) All curriculum should be culturally relevant. All subjects, particularly history, government, other social sciences, and literature should give generous coverage to the specific histories and cultures of key ethnic groups in our society of many origins and belief systems; and the culturally specific information so imparted should be contextualized by the history and culture commonly shared by citizens of all ethnic groups.
I provide such a curriculum in my Journal of the K-12 Revolution: Essays and Research from Minneapolis Minnesota and in my nearly complete new book, Fundamentals of an Excellent Liberal Arts Education. My presentation of curriculum is consistent with the approach taken by E. D. Hirsch at the Core Knowledge Foundation, on which I work my own innovations and extend logically into the high school years (Hirsch has long emphasized curriculum at the grades K-6 and more recently at the grades 7-8 levels).
2) Culturally relevant curriculum is vital, but an exclusive focus on building cultural awareness is not sufficient for academic improvement, nor is it sufficient for excellence in education.
We need to simplify our approach and discard the verbal detritus and philosophical poverty of schemes hatched in our wretched departments, colleges, and schools of education.
Be clear >>>>>
By simplifying our approach to focus on matters relevant to curriculum and teachers throughout the Minneapolis Public Schools, we are then free to concentrate on the truly difficult work of generating a knowledge-intense curriculum and training teachers who are capable of imparting such a curriculum to students of all demographic descriptors.
A logically adept response to the needs of all students will include as a key facet the delivery of high-quality academic remediation (tutoring) to those students lagging below grade level in mathematics and reading.
Decision-makers at the Minneapolis Public Schools in general, and those in the Office of Black Male Achievement specifically, have not given the requisite attention to curriculum, teachers, and tutoring necessary to raise the achievement levels of students similarly considered as a whole or by ethnic identification, including African American males.
Michael Walker's training at the undergraduate level was in physical education; his graduate training has been in education; and his professional experience has been focused in areas pertinent to human interaction. He was a first-rate dean of students at Roosevelt High School. All of this suggests, on the one hand, that his talents are magnificently applicable to matters of cultural sensitivity, multicultural awareness, and family and community outreach; none of this, on the other hand, suggests that Mr Walker is well-positioned to lead a program that should be focused on academic performance.
......................................................................
The existence of an Office of Black Male Achievement clearly should lead to improving and ultimately excellent academic performance for black males.
This has not happened nor will this happen with the current approach.
The approach and reason for existence of the Office of Black Achievement should be reexamined.
Michael Walker should be shifted professionally to the Department of Student, Family, and Community Engagement--- which needs new leadership and great expansion of its mission and activities.
We need to simplify our approach and discard the verbal detritus and philosophical poverty of schemes hatched in our wretched departments, colleges, and schools of education.
Be clear >>>>>
By simplifying our approach to focus on matters relevant to curriculum and teachers throughout the Minneapolis Public Schools, we are then free to concentrate on the truly difficult work of generating a knowledge-intense curriculum and training teachers who are capable of imparting such a curriculum to students of all demographic descriptors.
A logically adept response to the needs of all students will include as a key facet the delivery of high-quality academic remediation (tutoring) to those students lagging below grade level in mathematics and reading.
Decision-makers at the Minneapolis Public Schools in general, and those in the Office of Black Male Achievement specifically, have not given the requisite attention to curriculum, teachers, and tutoring necessary to raise the achievement levels of students similarly considered as a whole or by ethnic identification, including African American males.
Michael Walker's training at the undergraduate level was in physical education; his graduate training has been in education; and his professional experience has been focused in areas pertinent to human interaction. He was a first-rate dean of students at Roosevelt High School. All of this suggests, on the one hand, that his talents are magnificently applicable to matters of cultural sensitivity, multicultural awareness, and family and community outreach; none of this, on the other hand, suggests that Mr Walker is well-positioned to lead a program that should be focused on academic performance.
......................................................................
The existence of an Office of Black Male Achievement clearly should lead to improving and ultimately excellent academic performance for black males.
This has not happened nor will this happen with the current approach.
The approach and reason for existence of the Office of Black Achievement should be reexamined.
Michael Walker should be shifted professionally to the Department of Student, Family, and Community Engagement--- which needs new leadership and great expansion of its mission and activities.
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