Nov 19, 2022

Article #2 >>>>> Two New Members of the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education Who Bring Heavy Political Baggage to Their New Role

Lori Norvell

 

Adriana Cerrillos and Sharon El-Amin are the current members of the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Board of Education who may be counted upon consistently to exercise independent judgment,  making decisions in the best interests of students, especially those long academically abused by the district.  Sonya Emerick, elected on 8 November 2022, will be a similarly independent voice.

                                                                                                                                      

Newly elected members Collin Beachy (At-Large) and Lori Norvell (District 5) had the backing of the DFL/MFT (Democrat-Farmer-Labor party/Minneapolis Fededespite ration of Teachers) cohort.  Unlike Abdul Abdi (District 1) and Fathia Feeryarrer (District 3), Beachy and Norbvell did not run an unopposed;  they were opposed respectively by Lisa Skjefte for an at-large seat and by Laurelle Myhra for the District 5 seat.  Skjefte and Myrha are young Native American women who would have brought independent voices to the MPS Board of Education.  Beachy and Norvellgive evidence of being much more dependent upon their DFL/MFT endorsements and may be more likely to follow in the wake of outgoing members Nelson Inz (District 5, not replaced by Norvell) and Jenny Arneson (District 1, replaced by Beachy)---  and to tread in waters in which Kim Ellison (MPS Board of Education Chair) and Ira Jourdain (District 6) still swim.

 

Given this analysis, though, notable is the circumstance that Jenny Arneson apparently considered Beachy to be an undesirable candidate:  She campaigned and advocated behind the scenes for Sonya Emerick and raised no objection to my distributing flyers for Lisa Skjefte and Laurelle Myhra when she and I campaigned jointly on Saturday, 5 November, for Emerick and for non-school board DFL candidates (including Governor Tim Walz and Attorney Keith Ellison.   

 

So I am enthusiastic about Sonya Emerick’s presence on the new school board and remain hopeful about the presence of Abdul Abdi, who in particular gives evidence of having very encouraging potential as an independent voice.  A also have considerable hope concerning the new presence of Feerayarre.

 

Collin Beachy and Lori Norvell, though, carry a great load of political baggage and will have to prove that they can make independent judgments once ensconced on the MPS Board of Education in January 2023. 

 

And of relevance to this matter of being far too embedded in the folly of the education establishment, Lori Norvell features an endorsement on her website from Bob Walser, the silliest, most trivial member whom I have ever witnessed during my eight years of intensely studying the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education.  Walser was an irritating presence who made irresponsible assertions ab0out budgetary matters that offended all other members of the Finance Committee to which he belonged.  While other members of the Finance Committee recognized the expertise of Senior Finance Officer Ibrahima Diop, whose work to achieve the first structurally balanced budget to be presented for many years in the district was consonant with his status as one of the three top professionals in his position across the nation, Walser was continually making irrational and unsubstantiated claims about the work of Diop and his supremely talented staff.  Walser is also a proponent of the knowledge-deficient approach to curriculum and teacher training that education professors have inflicted on the teachers and administrators for at least 40 years.

 

This association of Lori Novel with highly problematic former board members and with an intellectually corrupt philosophy of education makes her particularly suspect as she takes her seat on the MPS Board of Education.

 

The following is a presentation of information as appearing on the campaign website of Lori Norvell  >>>>>

 

>>>>> 

 

Lori Norvell

My family and I moved to Minneapolis 10 years ago. When we moved here, my husband Travis and I knew we wanted our children to attend public school. We chose Minneapolis Public Schools for its rich diversity, variety of programs, focus on arts and cultural expression, and academics. I want other families to choose Minneapolis Public Schools for those same reasons and more. I expect Minneapolis Public Schools to provide the very best education to all students, regardless of their race, their address, or their socioeconomic status. 

I have worked for Minneapolis Public Schools as a Special Education Assistant in a preschool classroom, as a substitute teacher, and for 7+ years as a middle school math teacher. I have also spent time volunteering at my children's schools and with their athletic teams. 

My experience as a recent MPS teacher and my views as a parent and community member allow me to see MPS through various lenses. I made the difficult decision to resign from my teaching position due to unsustainable demands placed on myself and other educators. I want to see change in MPS, where we prioritize the health and education of the whole child, where we prioritize the well-being of our educators. I have taught during the pandemic, have felt the struggle from a lack of support for my classroom, but have also experienced successes in MPS with students in my classroom and my own children. These successes, such as learning new skills, working together, challenging inequities, bring us closer together as we are learning and growing. We can work together with district leadership and community for a stronger MPS.

A school board member is a representative of the community and someone who will advocate for students, families and educators. I will gather your stories and experiences and represent you, your hopes and dreams, and your concerns. I will encourage student-centered decision making, while working with district leadership, other school board members and community for what is best for all our students. I hope I can count on you to partner with me in this time of adjustment and change. I am excited to meet you and hear your stories so I can learn how to best serve my community.

 

No comments:

Post a Comment