Josh Pauly was one of the district-wide, at-large members of the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Board of Education until he resigned in the midst of negotiations between the district and the unions of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and Education Support Professionals.
At the meeting of the board last evening (Tuesday, 12
April 2022), many speakers---
especially middle and high school students--- arose to express their opposition to the 42
additional minutes each school day and the two extra weeks that were included
in the agreement that ended the strike.
I find the district’s claim that the extra time and
days needed to meet state requirements for time in class to be valid, but I
understand that students and parents are frustrated. But in my analytical framework, the source of
the frustration, not well understood by those arising in opposition to the
additional hours and days, lies in the academically insubstantial education
received every day by students of the Minneapolis Public Schools, so that extra
time enduring
knowledge-deficient, skill-deplete coursework and
uncreative pedagogy heavy on videos and worksheets makes the extra time
objectionable.
After the time period for public comment ended, the
board proceeded with a short but very important regular meeting. After overseeing pro forma votes on contracts
and the like and approval to name changes for Sheridan (to Las Estrellas) and
Jefferson (to Ella Baker) schools, MPS Board Chair Kim Ellison made two
important announcements.
1) Applications
will be open for the seat vacated by Pauly beginning on Thursday, 14 April and
extending through Thursday, 28 April;
the vote on Pauly’s replacement will take place at the Tuesday, 10 May,
meeting of the board.
2) At that same
meeting, after purportedly considering and discussing in the course of the next
four weeks candidates for the interim superintendent position necessary given that
Ed Graff’s resignation will end his tenure on 30 June 2022, the board will also
at that 10 May meeting take a vote to select the interim superintendent.
3) And at that
very 10 May meeting, the process for conducting the search for a permanent
superintendent will also be announced.
These are critical decisions. I have discussed the matter of the interim
and permanent superintendent positions and will continue to provide much more
analysis and commentary on these vital matters.
But those decisions will be greatly affected by the
composition of the board, which in the aftermath of Pauly’s departure, consists
of four political hacks devoted to the abysmal status quo--- Nelson Inz, Kim Caprini, Kim Ellison, and
Jenny Arneson; two forward looking,
independent voices of great integrity---
Adriana Cerrillos and Sharon El-Amin;
and two members--- Siad Ali and
Ira Jourdain--- who may be moving toward
the values embraced by Cerrillos and El-Amin.
If the latter is true, the vote to replace Pauly becomes particularly
critical, in ways that will affect many decisions, the initially most vital of
which will be selection of the interim and long-term superintendent positions.
Examine, then, the following list, knowing that the
four objectionable defenders of the status quo--- Inz, Caprini, Ellison, and Arneson--- are listed first; followed by the very promising agents of
critically needed change--- Cerrillos
and El-Amin; and then the two
members--- Ali and Jourdain--- who seem to be encouragingly evolving toward
the values of Cerrillos and El-Amin.
Be active.
Be alert.
Be in communication with the agents of change.
And be present at the meeting of Tuesday, 10 May 2022,
of the MPS Board of Education.
Perpend >>>>>
The Political Hack Defenders of the Abysmal Status Quo >>>>>
Nelson Inz, Kim Caprini, Kim Ellison, and Jenny
Arneson
>>>>>
Board
of Education, Chair
Kim.Ellison@mpls.k12.mn.us
| 612.668.0445
Term: 2021-2025 | At-Large
Board
of Education, Vice-Chair
Jenny.Arneson@mpls.k12.mn.us
| 612.382.0734
Term: 2019-2023 | District 1
Board
of Education, Clerk
Nelson.Inz@mpls.k12.mn.us |
612.206.5284
Term: 2019-2023 | District 5
Board
of Education, Treasurer
Kimberly.Caprini@mpls.k12.mn.us |
612.876.1838
Term: 2019-2023 | At-Large
High-Integrity Agents of Change >>>>>
Adriana Cerrillos and Sharon El-Amin
>>>>>
Board of Education,
Director
Adriana.Cerrillo@mpls.k12.mn.us |
612.986.1613
Term: 2021-2025 | District
4
Board of Education, Director
Sharon.El-Amin@mpls.k12.mn.us |
612.986.3281
Term: 2021-2025 | District 2
Demonstrating Possibility of Evolution Toward Values
Demonstrated by Cerrillos and El-Amin >>>>> Siad Ali and Ira Jourdain
>>>>>
Board
of Education, Director
Siad.Ali@mpls.k12.mn.us | 612.206.5204
Term: 2019-2023 | District 3
Board of
Education, Director
Ira.Jourdain@mpls.k12.mn.us |
612.757.6469
Term: 2021-2025 | District 6
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