Mission
We exist to
ensure that all students learn.
Vision
Every child
college and career ready
The Comprehensive
District Design is a plan to ensure that all Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS)
graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills to be successful in three
key areas:
- Academics
- Social and Emotional Skills
- Career/ Life Experiences
The plan
- Keeps of at the center
- Realigns resources to provide predictable staffing and programming
- Supports stable funding through a multi-tiered strategy that includes intentional recruitment and retention of students and families
MPS has
demonstrated it can provide academic excellence for some students.
[Note from
Gary Marvin Davison: MPS does not
provide academic excellence to any student in the school district; this is true of most K-12 providers of
education in the United States. Those
who wrote this text are making a false claim, or they are clueless].
This plan
is designed to provide academic excellence for all students so that they are
- Prepared for excellence and success in career, college, and life
- Equipped with a broad array of knowledge, capacities, skills, and experience
ELEMENT 1 is
to set clear expectations for all graduates and for the daily experiences of
our students, staff and families:
- The MPS Promise: MPS students will graduate with a well-rounded education.
- MPS supports the federal definition of a well-rounded education:… courses, activities, and programming in subjects such as English, reading or language arts, writing, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, global languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, geography, computer science, music, career and technical education, health, physical education, and any other subject, as determined by the state or local agency, with the purposes of providing all students access to an enriched curriculum and educational experience. [Every Student Succeeds Act:S. 1177-298]
- MPS students, families, and staff will have daily experiences that support effective teaching, learning, and engagement for all.
2018-2019
Uneven
experiences and access to programming
By 2022
Expect
An aligned
district structure to deliver on the new MPS Promise:
- Curricular offerings at each grade supports achieving the MPS Promise
- Schools and district develop culture, resourcing, practices, and r elationaships to delver on the MPS Daily Experience
ELEMENT 2 is
to enhance academic programming that delivers academically and relevant
programming that meets the needs of all learners. MPS will consistently provide an
individualized approach to instruction that begins in pre-kindergarten with all
students participating in high-quality coursework aligned to state standards,
enriched to result in a well-rounded education.
[Note
from Gary Marvin Davison: The phrase, “individualized
approach to instruction” is problematic;
every teacher, admistrator, and staff member should be sensitive to the individual
life circumstances of each child and young person enrolled in the Minneapolis
Public Schools; but curriculum and
pedagogy utilized should be consistent from student to student, including an
abundance of whole-class instruction.
2018-2019
Inconsistent
access to enriched curriculum, specialized programming, and enriching
educational experiences
By 2022
Expect
Elementary students
will receiving the academic foundation they need to become creative and
critical thinkers. Before transitioning
to middle school, they will also have guaranteed access to accelerated learning
opportunities and either band or orchestra.
Middle
school students will receive rigorous coursework that allows them to build on
their foundational skills. They also
will have guaranteed access to accelerated learning and two global languages.
High
schools students will receive challenging elective options and access to career
and technical exploration, PSEO, and accelerated learning options.
ELEMENT 3 is
to create a solid and predictable foundation upon which schools can build to
meet the unique needs of the students they serve:
- We will incorporate a predictable staffing model that ensures a common foundation for all MPS schools and students.
2018-2019
Student
supports vary from school to school
By 2022
Expect
All schools
have predictable staffing that includes nurses, counselors, instructional
supports, special education, and other positions that support the MPS Promise
ELEMENT 4 is
to provide clear, equitable academic pathways supported by efficient and
financially sustainable transportation options.
Examples of
articulate pathways (either whole school or defined programming within a
school):
- American Indian Language and Culture, K-12 Visual and Performing Arts; K-12; Gifted and Talented, TBD; Hmong Studies Language and Culture, K-12; International Baccalaureate, K-12; Somali Language and Culture, K-12; Dual Language Immersion --- Spanish, K-12; Language Immersion, TBD, K-12; Montessori K-8; Other TBD
[Note from
Gary Marvin Davison: The notion of “articulated
pathways” is misguided. Teachers should
be teaching from a common curriculum that includes an abundance of cross-cultural
knowledge that would incorporate American Indian, Hmong, Somali language and
culture; visual and performing arts; and foreign language learning opportunities. Certain ideas of Maria Montessori are useful
in understanding and teaching the young child, but the Montessori approach
results in gaps in knowledge and skill sets and should not be the prime means
of curricular delivery; impartation of
knowledge and skill sets should be in logical, grade-by-grade sequence to all
students. A
knowledge-intensive curriculum should be delivered not via an International Baccalaureate
program; rather, students should acquire
those knowledge and skill sets that will lead to enrollment in Advanced
Placement courses in high school.]
2018-2019
An often
confusing choice system that does not result in equitable outcomes for students
and creates pathways and program articulation that families find hard to
navigate.
By 2022
Expect
- A system with clearly defined citywide, regional, and zone magnet offerings with articulated K-5, 6-8, 9-12 pathways as appropriate, with
* district-supported funding and professional
development
- Site-defined specialty programming and learning approaches supported by site funding
- Programming that acknowledges the unique cultural and linguistic needs of the students who attend
- Specialized citywide special education programs with clear K-5, 6-8, 9-12 pathways
ELEMENT 5 is
to pursue multiple approaches to sustainable funding, including targeted,
data-informed efforts to increase market share
2018-2019
Uneven
enrollment patterns:
- Based on perceived quality of schools and safety issues
- Current MPS market share ranges from approximately 40% to 75%
By 2022
Expect
Differentiated
and intentional enrollment strategies:
- Initial focuse on Northwest and Northeast Minneapolis individual school communities that have capacity and need
- Transportation options that facilitate safe routes to schools
- Create high-quality, culturally relevant programming attractive to demographic groups exiting MPS at the highest rates
- Support districtwide customer service and cultural humility training to strengthen welcoming school climates
[Note from Gary Marvin Davison: Programming should be consistent and
multicultural at all sites. Families of
all demographic descriptors respond to a knowledge-intensive, skill-replete,
ultimately college preparatory curriculum.
They will seek out the Minneapolis Public Schools if they are presented
such a curriculum, and the knowledgeable teachers required to impart such a
curriculum.]
Questions
to Consider
Comprehensive
District Design
With the
district’s challenging demographics, the value of integration often conflicts
with the value of prioritizing the enrollment of students who live with the
school’s neighborhood:
Which value
should be prioritized when enrollment decisions are made?
Would you
support a proposal in which a percentage of seats at a school are held at
schools that are over 70% homogenous to increase diversity?
Would you
support that magnet school enrollment must be diverse to receive integration
revenue?
Would you
support a proposal that adjusts attendance boundaries to increase a school’s
diversity?
Providing
the foundation for a well-rounded education in elementary schools might mean lengthening
the school day for elementary students to ensure that there are enough minutes in
the day to support core instruction. Is
this something that we should consider?
Guaranteeing
a well-rounded education for all students with enrichment opportunities could
mean less autonomy for schools to make staffing and programming decisions. Would you support this if it meant more guaranteed
access to programming supports and enrichment for all students?
K-8 schools
limit the experiences of their 6-8 students because of the costs associated
with programming their low enrollment. With
this in mind, would you support the District moving to K-5, 6-8, 9-12 school design so that all
middle school students have equitable programming?
Providing
predictable staffing for all school could mean a reallocation of resources from
schools with larger budgets. Should the
District provide subsidies for small schools or schools with limited poverty to
achieve equitable staffing?
Data
suggests that there are portions of the city where parents choose to enroll
outside of the District die to concerns about transportation and walk zones, lack
of culturally and linguistically specific schools, and academically rigorous
curricular offerings. Would you support
a plan that offers geographically differentiated transportation options or
program choices specifically to increase market share?
[Note from
Gary Marvin Davison: The questions posed
immediately above are of vital importance.
I will give my answers to these in a looming article.]
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