Readers of today’s article, “Minneapolis Federation of Teachers leader is resolute in ‘righteous’ fight for students” ( Star Tribune, April 1, 2022) by Minneapolis Public Schools beat writer Mara Klecker focused on Minneapolis Federation of Teacher President Greta Callahan should be aware of the insubstantial nature of Callahan’s academic training. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology but, typical for teachers in the district, has only an M.Ed. at the masters level, so that she was abysmally unprepared as a kindergarten teacher at Bethune Community School (preK-5) to teach any key subject area.
In this she is typical of all pre-K-5 teachers >>>>>
>>>>>
Students at the preK-5 level, wherever they matriculate, are
likely in the extreme to master no rigorous, systematically imparted knowledge
sets pertinent to natural science, history, government, geography, quality
literature, or the fine arts. Middle school features more courses in those
areas but those courses are knowledge-deficient. At the high school
level, only Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB)
courses have the potential for academic substance but are often taught by teachers
who do not possess the requisite knowledge base.
Administrators and teachers in the Minneapolis Public Schools are
themselves ill-educated and poorly positioned to signal any reason why students
should not seek any other options, as forlorn as are the alternatives.
This is particularly true for nonwhite students, as the following presentation
indicates >>>>>
Consider the coursework requirements for the M.Ed. at
Augsburg University, where Callahan received both her bachelors and M.Ed. degrees, noticing how devoid these requirements are of rigorous coursework in
mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, literature, history, government,
economics, geography, or the fine arts >>>>>
>>>>>
Augsburg University
Masters of Education
M.ED.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS 2021-2022 (MAE)
PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS
30-31 Graduate
Credit Hours
Required
Core Courses (10 CH)
- EDC
501 – Graduate Proseminar (1 CH)
- EDC
511 – Tools of Inquiry (3 CH)
- EDC
560 – Issues In/equity (3 CH)
- EDC
571 – Navigating Change in Education (3 CH)
Concentration Coursework (12 CH)
*Note: Concentration
Coursework may consist of any education coursework. The following
concentrations are recommended clusters of courses.
Culture &
Curriculum Concentration Options
- EDC
552 – Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (3 CH)
- EDC
5xx – Paideia Theory, Research, and Practice (3 CH)
- EDC
512 – Foundations of Curriculum and Instruction (3 CH)
- EDC
5xx – Out of School Pedagogies (3 CH)
- EDC
5xx – Education Policy and Advocacy
- EDC
566 – Diversity/MN American Indians (3 CH)
- EDC
543 – Critical Geography, Culture, and EcoJustice Education (3 CH)
- ESE
500 – Reading and Writing in the Content Area (3 CH)
- ESL
530 – Language, Culture and Schools (3 CH)
- SPE
530 – Instructional and Behavioral Practices (3 CH)
- SPE
510 – Implementing Assessment Strategies (3 CH)
Community Engaged
Learning Concentration Options
- EDC
552 – Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (3 CH)
- EDC
5xx – Out of School Pedagogies (3 CH)
- EDC
512 – Foundations of Curriculum and Instruction (3 CH)
- EDC
5xx – Non-western Educational Traditions (3 CH)
- EDC
543 – Critical Geography, Culture, and EcoJustice Education (3 CH)
- EDC
541 – Experiential Education
- EDC
542 – Outdoor Education
- ESL
530 – Language, Culture, and Schools (3 CH)
- SPE
525 – Transition and Community (3 CH)
- SPE
540 – Parent and Professional Planning (3 CH)
Elective Coursework
Nine (9) Additional
Credit Hours are required to complete the degree. These credit hours may be
taken as electives from other graduate programs at Augsburg or from Education
coursework. They may also be taken as professional development workshops and
institutes that offer graduate credit. Please contact the Graduate Programs in
Education office or consult the Handbook for more information about these
opportunities.
………………………………………………………………………………..
Lack of substantive subject area knowledge on the part
of their teachers works the greatest hardship on students from families
struggling with dilemmas of finances and functionality at the urban core; such families typically have few members who
have attended a college or university and cannot mitigate the deficiencies of
schools such a Bethune in the manner of some middle and upper middle class
families.
Students at Bethune Community School, where Callahan
taught, has recorded the following abysmal academic proficiency rates for years
from 2014 to 2021.
Bethune Community School
Results of Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments
(MCAs)
Percentage of Students Proficient for Academic
Years Ending in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021
(Note >>>>> The MCAs were not administered for the academic year ending in 2020. Figures given in parentheses represent number of students tested.)
Reading
2014 2015
2016 2017 2018 2019 2021
10%
10% 9%
12% 12% 17%
6%
(153) (115) (137) (135) (130) (115)
(63)
Math
2014 2015
2016 2017 2018
2019 2021
17%
13% 19%
16% 14% 11%
0%
(153)
(113) (135) (135) (126) (115) (63)
Science
2014 2015
2016 2017 2018 2019 2021
5%
10% 7%
7% 14% 0%
0%
(42) (29)
(43) (44) (44)
(115) (63)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Greta Callahan is the typically ill-trained, knowledge
deficient teacher in the Minneapolis Public Schools and one of many leaders of
the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers who have possessed those lamentable features.
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