The following is the mission statement of the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Department of Teaching and Learning posted on the MPS website, seemingly current as of 27 September 2017:
Our Mission
Through the lens of racial equity, Teaching and Learning provides culturally relevant resources and leads the implementation of research based instructional practices that ensures that all students meet or exceed grade level standards.
Given the fact that MPS student academic performance is so abysmal, with fewer than 25% of African American, Hispanic, American Indian, Hmong, and Somali students achieving grade level standards in mathematics and reading, the claim that the MPS Teaching and Learning Department oversees “the implementation of researched based instructional practices that ensures that all students meet or exceed grade level standards” is a falsehood and the implication that racial equity is being achieved is likewise decidedly not true.
Who is most responsible for this situation at the Minneapolis Public Schools?
Cecilia Saddler now directly oversees the MPS Department of Teaching and Learning, effectively replacing Macarre Trayham, who was deposed last spring 2017, at the same time Chief of Academics, Leadership, and Learning Michael Thomas assumed the duties formerly held by the similarly deposed Susanne Griffin. Saddler now reports directly to Chief Thomas; according to the best information available to me, Saddler’s title is, as of December 2017, Deputy Chief of Academics, Leadership, and Learning rather than Deputy Chief of Schools, as still given on the website.
Michael Thomas is among the most talented of staff members currently working at the Davis Center (MPS central offices, 1250 West Broadway). He expresses great confidence in Saddler. Both hold superintendent licensure.
But Thomas and Saddler seem to be operating under Superintendent Ed Graff’s assumption that staff training in and implementation of Social and Emotional Learning practices, along with a new K-5 reading curriculum, will bring student basic skills up to grade level and lead to quality academic programming. As I have detailed in many articles posted as you scroll through this blog, MPS students are not making appreciable academic progress during this 2017-2018 academic year--- and they never will achieve grade level standards in mathematics and reading with a primary reliance on Social and Emotional Learning and a new K-5 reading curriculum.
Academics are the purview of Saddler and her staff at the Department of Learning. She and that staff have much work to do, and that work must be shifted to a philosophy guided by knowledge-intensive, skill-replete curriculum of the Core Knowledge type.
Academic programming is the reason for the existence of the Minneapolis Public Schools and all locally centralized school districts. Accordingly, I am giving much space to these matters in my nearly complete book, Understanding the Minneapolis Public Schools: Current Condition, Future Prospect.
I have great respect for Michael Thomas and hope that his confidence in Saddler is justified.
The progress made in improving academic results for MPS students that I am able to report when the book attains final form in the next very few months will determine whether Thomas’s confidence is justified.
Here I give Saddler and the other Davis Center staff members in the MPS Department of Teaching and Learning who bear responsibility for the academic achievement of students of the Minneapolis Public Schools:
Teaching and Learning Staff Directory
2017 - 2018
…………………………………………..
Cecilia Saddler, Deputy Chief of Schools
612.668.0140 Telephone
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………………….……………………
Teaching and Learning
Telephone >>>>>
612-668-5300
Fax >>>>>
612-668-5305
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Northstar Science Center
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612.668.2114
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612.668.2113
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Administrative Support
Jeanne Lacy Executive Assistant N2-056 8.5353 Jeanne.Lacy@mpls.k12.mn.us
Jake Hirschman Curriculum Assets Assistant N2-106 8.5329 Jacob.Hirschman@mpls.k12.mn.us
AVID
Tommie Casey 9-12 AVID Coordinator N2-101 8.5472 Tommie.Casey@mpls.k12.mn.us
Christen Lish K-8 AVID Coordinator N2-103 8.5302 Christen.Lish@mpls.k12.mn.us
Paula Kilian 6-12 AVID Coordinator N2-102 8.5486 Paula.Kilian@mpls.k12.mn.us
Elementary Team
Carey Seeley Director, Elementary Education N2-055 8.5352 787.8019
Carey.Seeley@mpls.k12.mn.us
Alice Kos K-5 Literacy DPF, Network N2-094 8.5300 Alice.Kos@mpls.k12.mn.us
Jessica Driscoll K-5 Literacy DPF, Network N2-096 8.5372 Jessica.Driscoll@mpls.k12.mn.us
Julie Tangeman K-5 Literacy / Science DPF N2-081 8.5315 Julie.Tangeman@mpls.k12.mn.us
Kelly Meade K-5 Literacy DPF, Network N2-092 8.5393 Kelly.Meade@mpls.k12.mn.us
Kristi Bostad K-5 Literacy DPF, Network N2-093 8.5332 Kristi.Bostad@mpls.k12.mn.us
Marium Toure' K-5 Math DPF, Davis N2-083 8.5350 Marium.Toure@mpls.k12.mn.us
Mary Lambrecht K-5 Math DPF, Network N2-084 8.5361 Mary.Lambrecht@mpls.k12.mn.us
Natasha Parker K-5 Math TOSA, Network N2-085 8.0131 Natasha.Parker@mpls.k12.mn.us
Norma Alejandro K-5 Literacy DPF, Network N2-095 8.5363
Norma.Alejandro-Mattson@mpls.k12.mn.us
Sara Naegeli K-5 Literacy DPF, Network N2-082 8.5369 Sara.Naegeli@mpls.k12.mn.us
William Samsel K-5 Math TOSA, Network N2-086 8.0479 William.Samsel@mpls.k12.mn.us
K-12 Programming
Ashley Krohn K-12 Library and Media N2-071 8.0411 Ashley.Krohn@mpls.k12.mn.us
Information DPF
Kimberly Henscheid SSPA Arts N2-074 8.5334 Kimberly.Henscheid@mpls.k12.mn.us
Nora Schull K-12 Arts DPF N2-076 8.5346 Nora.schull@mpls.k12.mn.us
Sarah Loch K-12 Health/Physical Ed DPF N2-073 8.0418 Sarah.Loch@mpls.k12.mn.us
Material Management
Terry Dinovo Materials Coordinator 1225 7th St. N 8.0686 730.0473 Terry.Dinovo@mpls.k12.mn.us
Science Center
Timothy Lilla Science Senior Materials Handler Sci Ctr 8.2114 Timothy.Lilla@mpls.k12.mn.us
Donell Shinder Science Materials Handler Sci Ctr 8.2114 Donnell.Shinder@mpls.k12.mn.us
Mark Berg Science Materials Handler Sci Ctr 8.2114 Mark.Berg@mpls.k12.mn.us
Tara Newhouse Senior Material Handler of Sci Ctr 8.2112 Tara.Newhouse@mpls.k12.mn.us
Living Organisms
Secondary Team
Dr. Naomi R. Taylor Director, Secondary Education N2-053 8.5351 999.8207
Naomi.Taylor@mpls.k12.mn.us
Chris Jones 6-12 Math TOSA/Network N2-075 8.5335 Chris.Jones@mpls.k12.mn.us
Chris Wernimont 6-12 Math DPF/Network N2-062 8.5380 Christopher.Wernimont@mpls.k12.mn.us
Colleen Atakpu- 6-12 Math DPF N2-061 8.5373 Colleen.Atakpu@mpls.k12.mn.us
Shiggs
Hamdi Ahmed 6-12 Literacy TOSA/Network N2-064 8.5374 Hamdi.Ahmed@mpls.k12.mn.us
Hibaq Mohamed 6-12 Literacy DPF N2-066 8.5360 Hibaq.Mohamed@mpls.k12.mn.us
Jennifer Rose K-12 Science DPF N2-072 8.5341 Jennifer.Rose@mpls.k12.mn.us
Katie Stephens 6-12 Literacy DPF/Network N2-065 8.5365 Katie.Stephens@mpls.k12.mn.us
Sarah Huffman 6-12 Literacy TOSA/Network N2-063 8.5318 Sarah.Huffman@mpls.k12.mn.us
Talent Development & Advanced Academics
Kelly McQuillan 9-12 Talent Development N2-052 8.5303 Kelly.Mcquillan@mpls.k12.mn.us
/Advanced Academics
Theresa Campbell K-8 Talent Development / N2-054 8.5376 Theresa.Campbell@mpls.k12.mn.us
/ Advanced Academics
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