Knowledge-Intensive Principles for Curriculum and Teacher Training Should Guide Replacement for Current Academic Portion of MPS Comprehensive District Design

Although the process has been too protracted, development of the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS)  Comprehensive District Design has accompanied financially adept decisions and will result in a rationalized transportation system that will save eight million dollars ($8 million), induce attendance at community schools, geographically centralize and more equitably situate magnet schools, better integrate special education students into the general student population and maximize chances for attendance at the nearest community schools, and provide abundant opportunities for students to train for particular vocations.

 

The Design thus has potentially favorable impact in many areas.

 

But the MPS Comprehensive District Design cannot possibly achieve what matters most >>>>> 

 

>>>>>    the impartation of a knowledge-intensive, skill-replete education that is the core mission of any locally centralized school district.   

 

The academic portion of the MPS Comprehensive District Design should be replaced by a projected program guided by the following philosophical principles and establishing curriculum and teacher training on the basis of those principles:

 

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While keeping and resituating current magnet programs, Spanish Immersion, and other specialized programming, the emphasis should shift away from such programming toward the provision of a unified knowledge-intensive, skill-replete curriculum to all students.

 

>>>>>    All preK-5 schools will impart specified knowledge sets in grade by grade sequence pertinent to mathematics, natural science (biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology, nutrition), social science and humanities (government, history, economics, geography, psychology), English usage and literature (classical Western, world, ethnic-specific), and fine arts (visual and musical).  PreK-2 students will have a strong grasp of phonics and phonemic awareness, and they will develop fluency and comprehension by reading a bevy of high-quality literary works.  Students at all grade levels will continue to read fiction and nonfiction of high quality and rigor;  and they will graduate from grade 5 with a very strong foundation of subject area knowledge.

 

>>>>>    All middle schools (grades 6-8) will provide a knowledge-intensive, skill-replete education that proceeds logically from curriculum at grades preK-5.  Students will have the opportunity to study foreign languages provided on the basis of student expressed interest, student ethnic composition, and the importance of certain languages worldwide:  Those to be considered at each site will include Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Somali, Hmong, Dakota/Lakota;  Ojibwe/Anishinabe.  Students will study algebra I, geometry, and algebra II in succession;  master the fundamentals of American and world history, incorporating a wealth of information germane to the histories of all major ethnic groups and world populations;  continue to acquire strong knowledge sets in Western classic, world, and ethnic-specific literature;  master standard courses in biology, chemistry, and physics;  and pursue instrumental and choral activity options, as well as continuing the academic study of the fine arts (visual and musical).

 

>>>>>    On the strength of such rigorous academic curriculum at grades preK-5 and grades 6-8, students will arrive in high school (grades 9-12) ready to focus on Advanced Placement courses in Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, United States History, World History, Economics, Psychology, English, and Spanish.  They will be offered a range of subject area electives and multiple options for acquiring skills in vocations that match students’ driving interests.  In grade 12, each student will conduct an individual research project, producing a paper that follows manual of style guidelines, with abundant citations in proper form, and meeting specifications of research papers at the four-year college and university level.

 

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Thus, students will graduate from the Minneapolis Public Schools with knowledge and skill sets that should be associated with first and second year college students but in reality will exceed the actual knowledge and skill level of typical students at those stages in the college and university experience.

 

All pre-K through 12 teachers will be given rigorous subject area training and knowledge of constituent student populations. 

 

Teachers will be mandated to develop pedagogy capable of imparting the knowledge and skill sets of the rigorous curriculum.  While a variety of pedagogies can possibly deliver such knowledge and skill sets, academic decision-makers at the Minneapolis Public Schools will stress that knowledge directly imparted by teachers in the context of whole-class discussions is typically the most efficient and provides for vigorous critical analysis and exchanges by students expressing a wide variety of viewpoints.   

 

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The academic portion of the current MPS Comprehensive District Design should be replaced by text descriptive of a program following the above principles.

 

Otherwise, there will be no improvement in student academic proficiency rates, the district will continue to neglect its prime reason for existence, and the exit of student populations from the district will proceed disastrously.

 

Following the above described principles of curriculum and teacher training would not only save the school district from greatly degraded status and even closure but project the academic program of the Minneapolis Public Schools as a model for locally centralized school districts throughout the United States---  and have favorable implications for public schools systems throughout the world.