Article #21 of a Multi-Article Series >>>>> Origins and Maintenance of a Corrupt System of Public Education in the United States

The Travesty That Is the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education 

At-Large Member Josh Pauly  >>>>>  Some Potential on a Board for Which Slim Hope Must Be Considered

Josh Pauly is one of the At-Large representatives on the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Board of Education, along with Kim Caprini and Kim Ellison.  He and Caprini won their seats in the election of November 2018 and took their positions formally in January 2020.

Pauly student taught at Southwest High School, substituted for a while at Lucy Laney and Bethune, and then taught social studies and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination---  a minimally effective college preparatory program) at Sanford Middle School.  He now works in social and community service while living in South Minneapolis.  Pauly holds one of those easily obtained and insubstantial masters of education degrees.

 

In the election of November 2018, Josh Pauly ran in a four-way candidate race for two open positions.  The other candidates were Caprini, Rebecca Gagnon, and Sharon El-Amin.  Gagnon had out-connived herself and run afoul of the Minneapolis Federation of Teacher (MFT) /Democrat-Farmer-Labor (DFL) cohort.  Gagnon ran essentially even with El-Amin, who has great respect and name recognition for her longtime North Minneapolis residency and business ownership, and for her marriage to the imam of Masjid Annur mosque, Makram El-Amin.  Caprini also has longtime residency and parental involvement on the Northside, and she benefitted enormously from MFT-DFT backing in the citywide race.

 

But Pauly was a nonentity whom El-Amin would have defeated handily on the strength of name recognition and length of community service.  Pauly benefited most decisively from the phone calls made, campaign literature, and door-knocking of his MFT supporters.

 

During the campaign, I did not find Pauly to offer much in the way of vision or program for change needed in view of the degradation that is the district of the Minneapolis Public Schools.  His MFT/DFL

backing did nothing to endear him to me.  He seemed to have the inexperience of youth with little compensating vigor;  and rather than offer youthful impetus toward change, he entered his position tainted by association with the MFT/DFL cohort. 

 

Pauly reads from a script anything of substance that he wants to convey before important votes or in making reports to other board members;  he has little spontaneity or ability to express himself off-script, in the moment.

 

Pauly is tentative on matters of curriculum, teacher quality, or other items pertinent to the academic  program at the core of the locally centralized school district’s reason for being.