Apr 3, 2019

Article #5 from >Volume V, No. 7, January 2019, >Journal of the K-12 Revolution: Essays and Research from Minneapolis, Minnesota<: Stark Culpability of MPS Associate Superintendents for Low Rates of Academic Proficiency


Article #5

Concluding Thoughts:

The Indicative Case of Associate Superintendent Brian Zambreno

 

The general pattern through academic years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 in the elementary schools of the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) has been the prevalence of low rates of academic proficiency and failure to make any truly notable progress, even from such a low starting point;  in many demographic categories, there has actually been significant decline.  Both K-5 and K-8 schools are considered elementary schools in the Minneapolis Public Schools.

                                                                                   

Associate Superintendents Ron Wagner and Brian Zambreno have oversight duties for MPS elementary schools.  Wagner has been an MPS teacher and administrator for many years and must bear responsibility for dismal academic results, particularly at elementary schools with high percentages of African American, Hispanic, and American Indian students and students on free or reduced price lunch.

 

Associate Superintendent Brian Zambreno is new to MPS and thus cannot be held responsible for academic results during 2014-2018.  But Zambreno has a similar professional preparatory background as is true for associate superintendents Carla Steinbach-Huther (middle schools and high schools) and Ron Wagner.  We most likely will see similarly abysmal results for the schools that are now his responsibility as of the 2018-2019 academic year;  if that be true, he will also be culpable for the inadequate academic program in the schools over which he has administrative oversight.

 

Given below are the academic proficiency rates of students at elementary schools during 2014-2018 for which Associate Superintendent Brian Zambreno now has responsibility. 

 

Armatage Elementary School                     Principal >>>>>   Jean Franks

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 65%         74%        74%        77%        75%

 

                                (304)      (308)      (296)     (295)     (288)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 68%         78%        71%        76%        76%

 

                                (302)      (309)      (297)     (293)     (289)

 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                  64%       70%         66%        72%        70%

 

                                 (83)       (105)      (89)       (96)       (90)

 

Bancroft Elementary School                       Principal >>>>>   Diego De Paz

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 35%        34%         34%        36%        40%

 

                                (207)      (254)        (253)      (231)    (228)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 21%        20%         27%        29%        35%

 

                                (208)      (251)        (249)      (227)    (228)

 

 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 24%        19%          21%       19%        32%

 

                                (54)        (81)          (81)        (79)        (72)

 

Barton Elementary School                           Principal >>>>>   Diane Bagley

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 66%         61%        62%        56%        51%

 

                                (473)      (449)      (431)     (442)     (457)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 74%         68%        63%        64%        58%

 

                                (459)      (444)      (443)     (442)     (459)

 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                  54%       42%         46%        41%        48%

 

                                (163)      (151)      (134)      (150)      (149)

 

Cityview Elementary School                       Principal >>>>>   Renee Montague

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 -----         17%         8%          9%         6%

 

                                (-----)    (71)        (114)     (127)     (103)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 (-----)      4%           9%         13%        13%

 

                                 (-----)   (73)        (113)     (128)     (104)

 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 -----        -----           4%         6%         14%

 

                                (-----)    (-----)      (26)        (36)        (37)

 

Dowling Elementary School                        Principal >>>>>   Lloyd Winfield

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 70%         65%        68%        65%        62%

 

                                (255)      (254)      (244)     (256)     (236)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 67%         64%        65%        59%        62%

 

                                (244)      (252)      (244)     (254)     (235)

 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                  72%       65%         67%        66%        67%

 

                                 (85)       (85)        (82)        (88)        (81)

 

Emerson Elementary School                       Principal >>>>>   Aaron Arredondo

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

               

                                 51%         46%        35%        34%        28%

 

                                (195)      (210)      (212)     (233)     (228)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 31%         30%        29%        31%        29%

 

                                (194)      (208)      (211)     (232)     (230)

 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                  34%       23%         33%        30%        23%

 

                                 (61)       (61)        (54)        (73)        (70)

 

Lake Harriet Lower School                           Principal >>>>>   Merry Tilleson

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 82%         88%        93%        93%        95%

 

                                (129)      (121)      (125)     (126)     (127)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 72%         67%        81%        85%        90%

 

                                (129)      (121)      (125)     (126)     (126)

 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 -----       -----          -----      -----       -----

     

                                (-----)   (-----)       (-----)    (-----)      (-----)

 

Lake Harriet Upper School                           Principal >>>>>   Walter Schleismann

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 86%         86%        85%        86%        81%

 

                                (601)      (581)      (603)     (611)     (616)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 84%         86%        85%        80%        82%

 

                                (602)      (586)      (601)     (615)     (615)

 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                  81%      84%         81%       76%       76%      

 

                                (244)    (243)      (222)     (238)      (264)    

 

Lake Nokomis Keewaydin Elementary School           Principal >>>>>            La Shawn Ray

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 54%         52%        51%        45%        49%

 

                                (366)      (387)      (413)     (411)     (428)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 47%         47%        51%        47%        56%

 

                                (366)      (387)      (413)     (411)     (428)

                                 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 43%         37%        31%        40%        45%

 

                                 (110)    (111)     (131)     (112)     (142)

                                  

Hmong International Academy                 Principal >>>>>   Jamil Payton

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 23%         23%        23%        18%        15%

 

                                (274)      (310)      (324)     (327)     (317)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 16%         15%        18%        18%        18%

 

                                (274)      (319)      (325)     (326)     (318)

                                 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 12%         12%       12%       12%       12%         

 

                                 (92)    (105)        (96)      (114)     (106)

 

Howe Elementary School                             Principal >>>>>   Kevin Oldenburg

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 59%         61%        64%        67%        74%

 

                                (151)      (163)     (169)     (172)     (192)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                  59%        61%        64%        67%        74%

 

                                (151)      (161)     (168)     (171)     (197)

                                 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 43%         48%       61%       59%       67%         

 

                                 (44)       (56)        (57)        (46)       (60)    

 

Marcy Open  Elementary School               Principal >>>>>   Donna Andrews

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 57%         50%        51%        47%        45%

 

                             (434)         (450)      (481)      (477)      (498)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                  47%        49%        51%        51%        48%

 

                                (441)      (443)     (482)     (464)     (499)

                                 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 44%         46%       48%       40%       39%         

 

                                (129)     (162)      (143)     (144)     (175)    

 

Seward Elementary School                         Principal >>>>>   Tammy Goetz

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 49%         46%        44%        37%        37%

 

                                (558)      (555)     (536)     (545)     (541)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                  54%        51%        48%        41%        48%

 

                                (558)      (555)     (536)     (545)     (541)

                                 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 53%         42%       43%       40%       33%         

 

                                (188)      (171)     (176)     (181)     (174)    

 

Sheridan Elementary School                      Principal >>>>>   Yaijaira Guzman Carrero

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 31%         35%        24%        19%        19%

 

                                (191)      (195)     (209)     (179)     (166)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                  17%        18%        19%        16%        22%

 

                                (190)      (191)     (207)     (185)     (164)

 

Webster Elementary School                       Principal >>>>>   Ginger Davis Kranz

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 -----        -----         42%        -----        46%

 

                              (-----)      (-----)    (24)       (-----)    (53)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 -----        -----         33%        -----        38%

 

                                (-----)    (-----)    (24)       (-----)   (53)

 

Science                               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 -----        -----         -----        -----        -----

 

                                (-----)    (-----)     (-----)    (-----)    (-----)

 

Whittier Elementary School                       Principal >>>>>   Lauri Lamberty

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 51%         43%        38%        31%        32%

 

                                (298)      (305)     (302)     (283)     (262)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                  43%        40%        38%        33%        36%

 

                                (291)      (299)     (297)     (288)     (262)

                                 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 26%         40%       37%       19%       34%         

 

                                (68)         (93)       (84)       (103)     (83)    

 

Windom Elementary School                       Principal >>>>>   Jim Clark

 

Math                     2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 58%         61%        67%        57%        57%

 

                                (166)      (181)     (212)     (246)     (260)

                                                                               

Reading               2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                  45%        53%        59%        53%        53%

 

                                (164)      (180)     (211)     (247)     (262)

                                 

Science                                2014       2015       2016      2017      2018

 

                                 54%         43%       65%       47%       50%         

 

                                (46)         (46)       (51)       (74)        (80)

    

Regrettably, these schools will in all likelihood record similar student proficiency rates for academic year 2018-2019 as was the case for academic years ending in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.  That prediction will almost certainly hold true for many specific and two overarching reasons:

 

1)  Reasons pertinent to curriculum and teacher quality that produce these wretched results have not been address;  and

 

2)  Associate Superintendent Brian Zambreno, like Carla Steinbach-Huther and Ron Wagner has neither the academic heft nor the courage to do what is necessary to confront the dilemmas posed by knowledge-deficient curriculum and poor teacher quality.

 

Given those realities, Brian Zambreno becomes just a cog in a bureaucracy that ill-serves the precious young people of the Minneapolis Pubic Schools, and his becomes an indicative case of the manifold inadequacies of this and all other locally centralized school districts of the United States. 

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