Successful Community Engagement Meeting at Masjid Annur on Saturday, 20 January 2018, Just One Indication Arguing Persuasively for an MPS Board of Education Community Engagement Committee

At the regular second-Tuesday meeting of the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education in February, members of the board will vote on whether to approve the establishment of a new Community Engagement Committee.

 

I strongly recommend a “yes” vote to establish this committee.

 

One indication as to why there should be such a committee may be seen in the vigorous discussions that ensued at a Community Engagement gathering held at Masjid Annur (a mosque in the 1700 block of Lyndale Avenue North, close to Cub Foods in North Minneapolis) on Saturday, 20 January 2018.  This gathering was organized by MPS District Member KerryJo Felder, along with District Member Rebecca Gagnon and new Vice-Chair Siad Ali.  New MPS Board Chair Nelson Inz and District Member Kim Ellison were also in attendance.  The idea for establishing a Community Engagement Committee is Felder’s;  she has gotten strong support from Gagnon and Ali, who would also be on the official committee if an affirmative vote comes at the February meeting.

 

There were about 40 citizens who attended the meeting.  Felder greeted attendees and solicited topics of interest for discussion.  Attendees enthusiastically voiced numerous concerns for discourse then sorted themselves into three groups to pursue these topics under the major categories of Equity, Finance, and Advanced Learners.  The designation of the latter group came in response to attendance by numerous professionals and parents advocating for the advanced learner.  Felder led the Advanced Learner group, Gagnon the Finance group, and Ali the Equity group.

 

I attended the Equity group, wherein vigorous discussion ensued as to inequities present in the Minneapolis Pubic Schools.  I articulated my five-point program for overhaul of the Minneapolis Public Schools and explained how the advancement of this program would greatly enhance equity across racial, ethnic, and economic lines.  One person gave a wrenching account of her negative experiences with special education professionals at the Minneapolis Public Schools.  The imam (leader) of Masjid Annur gave a forceful plea for decision-makers at the Minneapolis Public Schools to reach out to the faith community for help in tutoring students and the provision of resources for struggling families.  Two participants stressed the de facto tracking policy that exists in the Minneapolis Public Schools;  one of these emphasized the specific situation at Southwest High School, where Advanced Placement classes are overwhelming filled with white students while students of color sit in less challenging classes.  Another discussant stressed that the experiences of her children in the Minneapolis Public Schools have been favorable and that her aim as an activist is to advocate for continued improvement and the equitable delivery of the academic program for all students.

 

Members of this group represented social workers, employees of the Minneapolis Public Schools, a faith leader, activist parents, and myself.  The discussion was far more engaging and useful than was the case in similar groups at two World Café Events that I attended, one at Southwest High School, the other at the Davis Center (central offices of the Minneapolis Public Schools, 1250 West Broadway) during the  spring semester of 2017.

 

Such gatherings could continue even if not under the aegis of the MPS Board of Education.  But Felder’s initiative deserves an affirmative vote to make Community Engagement an official committee of the board.  Currently there are a total of four committees, two that meet monthly (the Finance and Policy committees), and two that meet annually or as needed (the Superintendent Evaluation and Audit committees).  The Finance and Audit committees serve a useful oversight function but members tend to approve the pertinent reports and policies of MPS administrators.  The need for the school board to evaluate the superintendent’s performance is clear. 

 

But none of these committees addresses as a matter of primary focus either the academic performance of students or community concerns about the program and policies of the Minneapolis Public Schools.

 

Over time, I will be advocating for an Academic Performance Review Committee.

 

For now, I stand firmly behind Felder’s advocacy for a new Community Engagement Committee, to be one of five official committees of the MPS Board of Education. 

 

The vigorous discussion that ensued at the 20 January 2018 gathering provides strong indication as to why a Community Engagement committee should be given official approval at the 13 February board meeting.  And clear, logical thinking should result in little opposition to the formation of an official committee to promote such discussions in many like gatherings for the expression of community opinion in settings across Minneapolis for many years to come.