Article #7 on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education >>>>> District #6 Member Ira Jourdain >>>>> Error-Prone, Philosophically Bereft, Politically Tainted, But Seemingly Well-Meaning

Article #7 on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education >>>>>  District #6 Member Ira Jourdain  >>>>>  Error-Prone, Philosophically Bereft, Politically Tainted, But Seemingly Well-Meaning

 

Ira Jourdain was suspect from the beginning of his tenure on the Minneapolis Public Schools(MPS)  Board of Education for running against Tracine Asberry in November 2016.  Asberry was the best participant that I have witnessed on this or any other school board.  She did not have a clearly expressed dedication to the knowledge-intensive preK-12 education that I advocate, but she did manifestly care about fundamental skills in mathematics and reading.  Whenever Chief of Research, Evaluation, Assessment, and Accountability Eric Moore would deliver the latest round of bad news regarding  MPS student academic performance, Asberry would ask detailed questions pertinent  to plans for improvement.  When Moore or others would offer double talk or pleasing promises, Asberry would ask why we inevitably get the same vows for future progress that we’ve gotten before but little of substance to warrant confidence.

 

Asberry made a nuisance of herself by not walking the party line of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT)/ Democrat-Farmer-Labor (DFL) calling failure as she did by that name and implying that better instruction was needed.   As detailed in previous articles, board members Kim Ellison,  Rebecca Gagnon, and Nelson Inz acted at the behest of the MFT/DFL cohort to recruit opponents to run against Asberry and Josh Reimnitz.  Inz endorsed Bob Walser against Reimnitz;  Gagnon endorsed ira Jourdain against Asberry.  Both endorsees won narrowly.

 

Thus Jourdain is politically tainted. 

 

He also is philosophically bereft, giving no evidence of any knowledge of the history of education or any coherent views of his own. 

 

As a matter of particularly great irritation to me, Jourdain has stated that he signed waiver forms for his children (he has two, one in elementary and one in middle school, enrolled in the Minneapolis Public Schools) to opt out of taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs);  moreover, when he did this at a regular meeting of the MPS Board of Education, Jourdain looked out at the audience and advocated letting other parents know that they had the right to allow their children to opt out.

 

The MCAs are linked to the Minnesota State Academic Standards and are the most objective way of assessing student mastery of the standards.  When students opt out in significant numbers, as they have done at Henry, South, and Southwest high schools, this vitiates the pool of students assessed and skews the accuracy of the results.  Allowing and encouraging students to opt out is irresponsible.

 

Jourdain bears the political taint of MFT/DFL backing, he is philosophically bereft, and he is error-prone.  Urging students to opt of the MCAs went beyond error to indication of political taint (the MFT rails against standardized testing) and philosophical waywardness.  Less clear was his voting with a

5-4 majority led by Rebecca Gagnon to restore $6.4 million dollars in funding that had been cut in a well-crafted budget emanating from Chief Ibrahima Diop’s Finance Division in spring 2018.  Gagnon was putting herself in the service of her affluent constituency in Southwest Minneapolis (she occupied an At-Large position but counted voters in that area as key supporters);  Jourdain voted with the slim majority roused by his campaign endorser and mentor Gagnon.

 

Jourdain, who respects Ibrahima Diop and eventually realized the error of his ways, later showed remorse for his vote.  Also, Jourdain has expressed skepticism about the academic promises proffered in the MPS Comprehensive District Design, now under review pending further public vetting and due for a vote in spring semester 2020.  On a recent evening, he sounded some very Asberry-like comments of the “Haven’t we heard this before?” type.

 

The vibe of one who cares emanates from Jourdain’s vocal tone and facial expression.  He has the unfortunate connection to the MFT, he lacks philosophical coherence, and he has been prone to errors.  But Jourdain gives some evidence of improvement.  If he can distance himself from the MFT/DFL cohort, develop a consistent philosophical approach to academics, and avoid major miscues of the type that characterized his votes especially in the first two years of his tenure, Jourdain gives some hope for improvement.

 

I have learned to hope faintly with regard to members of the MPS Board of Education.

 

But with the likes of Bob Walser, Nelson Inz, Kim Ellison, Jenny Arneson, Kim Caprini, and KerryJo Felder still abiding on the board, one seizes hope even if borne on waves emanating indistinctly from chambers much less than fully known.