Among the most notable facts pertinent to staff at the Davis Center (Minneapolis Public Schools central offices, 1250 West Broadway) is the superb training, formal and through experience, of Senior Finance Officer Ibrahima Diop, Senior Operations Officer Karen Devet, Senior information Technology Officer Justin Hennes, and Special Education head Rochelle Cox.
This contingent is supremely talented, dedicated, and immensely skilled at what they do.
The same cannot be said of Superintendent Ed Graff; Interim Senior Academic Officer Aimee Fearing; Associate Superintendents Shawn Harris-Berry, LaShawn Ray, Ron Wagner, and Brian Zambreno; or any member of the Department of Teaching and Learning, Office of Black Student Achievement, and the Department of Indian Education.
The lack of scholars among MPS academic decision-makers has disastrous consequences for the district.
Excellent education is a matter of excellent teachers imparting a logically sequenced, knowledge-intensive, skill-replete curriculum to students of all demographic descriptors throughout the preK-12 years. An excellent teacher is a professional of deep and broad knowledge with the pedagogical ability to impart that knowledge to students of all demographic descriptors.
The Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) have decision-makers who have insubstantial academic credentials.
Teachers at the median are mediocre at best.
What results, then, is academically slim curriculum, imparted by teachers of minimal talent.
Students from grade 2 forward lack knowledge that they should possess in mathematics, natural science, history, government, economics, literature, English usage, and the fine arts. They have poor vocabulary development and slim grasp of fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, proportions, and probability necessary to succeed in algebra, geometry, pre-calculus, and calculus courses. Because of the knowledge-deficient, skill-deplete approach to curriculum and the mediocre teaching in the Minneapolis Public Schools, MPS students do not gain the necessary knowledge and skill base to achieve at a high level on the ACT college readiness exam; in particular, students from families facing dilemmas of finance and functionality tend to record a score in the 9-14 range, not even reflecting middle school capability.
MPS students do not read broadly and deeply across a full liberal arts curriculum. Students move forward from grade 5 having little knowledge of any subject area. Curriculum and teaching is not much better in middle school and high school; only students who take Advanced Placement (AP) courses learn anything of substance, and then only in the off-chance of getting a teacher qualified to impart college preparatory curriculum.
Perusal of the credentials below indicates why curriculum and teaching are so weak at the Minneapolis Public Schools.
The following are new additions for academic year 2020-2021; their credentials indicate the weakness already present in staff carry-overs from the 2019-2020 year:
Department of Teaching and Learning, 8 December 2020
Abdi Ogle, Cultural Facilitator
B.A., General Studies
Licensure:
ACTFL--- Somali
Erin Clarke
B.A., Geology (College of William & Mary)
M.A., Geology (University of Wisconsin)
M.A. Education (Univeristy of Minnesota
Jennifer Hanzak
B. A. , Child Psychology (university of Minnesota)
M.A., Education (University of Minnesota
Licensure:
Elementary Education
Lori Ledoux
B.A., Dance (University of Minnesota)
M.A., Education (University of Minnesota)
Education Specialist (Education, University of Minnesota, Mankato)
Licensure:
Dance, K-12
Principal, K-12
Meghan Gasdick
B.A. Elementary Education (Florida State University)
M. A., Educational Leadership (University of Minnesota)
Office of Black Student Achievement
Ndeke Abdula
B.A., Psychology (University of Minnesota, Duluth)
M.A. Human Services (Concordia)
Quiana Sorel
B.A., Child Psychology (University of Minnesota)
M.A., Public Affairs (Tufts University)
Umar Rashid
B.A. (Metro State University)
M.A. Public Affairs (University of Minnesota)
Department of Indian Education
Anjanette Parsian
B.A., Education (Minot State)
M.A. Educational Administration (University of Minnesota)
Licensure:
American Indian Language (9-12)
Tasheena Chapelle
B.A., Education (Augsburg)
M.A., Education (Augsburg)
Now peruse the credentials of those making or implementing academic decisions at the Minneapolis Public Schools:
Academic Credentials for Key Staff at the Davis Center (Central Offices of the Minneapolis Public Schools, 1250 West Broadway)
Ed Graff
(Superintendent)
M. A., Education Administration (University of Southern Mississippi)
(online degree)
B. A., Elementary Education University of Alaska, Anchorage
Professional Licensures
District Professional Administrator, District Superintendent
District Professional Administrator, Principal K-12
Aimee Fearing (Executive Director, Teaching and Learning)
Bachelors Degree
ESL Education (University of Northwestern)
Masters Degree Education Hamline University
Doctorate Degree
Education
Hamline University
Professional Licensures
K-12 Principal Licensure
Expiration, 30 June 2023
K-12 ESL Licensure
Expiration, 30 June 2023
5-12 Communication Arts Licensure
Expiration, 30 June 2023
English as Second Language
Shawn Harris-Berry (Associate Superintendent)
Bachelors Degree (1985)
Business Education (University of Wisconsin--- Eau Claire)
Masters (1995)
Secondary School (University of St. Thomas)
Administration
Doctorate Degree (2005) Educational Leadership St. Mary’s University
Other Credentials
Teaching License – Business Education (7-12) expires 6/30/2020
Administrative License – District Superintendent expires 6/30/2020
Administrative License – K-12 Principal expires 6/30/2020
Administrative License – Secondary School Principal expires 6/30/2020
LaShawn Ray (Associate Superintendent)
Bachelors Degree (1994)
Social Sciences (University of Wisconsin – River Falls)
Master’s Degree (year 2006)
Education (St. Cloud State University)
Superintendent’s License (2018) Minnesota State Mankato
Other Credentials
Teaching License – EBD (K-12) expires 6/30/2023
Administrative License – K-12 Principal expires 6/30/2023
Superintendent – 6/30/2023
Ron Wagner (Associate Superintendent)
Education Specialist Degree (University of St. Thomas)
M.A., Education (Ball State University)
B.A. or B.S., Education (Ball State University)
Licensures:
Elementary Education
English/ Language Arts
Mathematics
District Superintendent
K-12 Principal
Brian Zambreno (Associate Superintendent)
Doctorate (PhD), Education (St. Mary’s University of Minnesota)
Education Specialist Degree (University of St. Thomas)
M.A., Education (Hamline University)
B.A. or B.S., Liberal Arts (University of Minnesota – Twin Cities)
Licensures:
District Superintendent
K-12 Principal
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
All dilemmas at the Minneapolis Public Schools are traceable to the insubstantial academic training of academic decision-makers at the district.
This academic decision-making contingent must be overhauled and replaced by new staff members who are scholars capable of designing and implementing knowledge-intensive curriculum and training teachers pedagogically skilled at imparting such curriculum.
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