Concluding Comments
Current Assemblage of MPS Board of Education Members:
The Best That I Have Observed During My Nine Years of Intensive
Investigation Into the Inner Workings of the Minneapolis Public Schools
On
the School Board portal of the Minneapolis Public Schools website as of May
2023, one finds that members of the MPS Board of Education have written short
descriptions of their backgrounds and goals as members of the Board. These entries are more succinct statements
than those given on campaign websites.
They also provide contact information for members of the Board.
Immediately
below I give the information as presented in thee accounts, followed by a
favorable assessment of the prospects for transformation at the Minneapolis
Public Schools as this formulation of the Board responds to the leadership of
Interim Superintendent Rochelle Cox, forgoing time-consuming formalities or
conducting a formal search that should result in Cox’s appointment as long-term
Superintendent of the Minneapolis Public Schools.
Sharon El-Amin
Board of Education, Chair
Sharon.El-Amin@mpls.k12.mn.us | 612.986.3281
Term: 2021-2025 | District
2
Sharon
El-Amin represents District 2-Northside Minneapolis area. Sharon has lived,
worked and worshipped in North Mpls for over two decades. She brings over 15
years of business experience managing budget, making tough decisions, hiring
and working with staff to service the needs of the community. Sharon is the founder
of P.A.R.O.S (Parents Alliance Reclaiming Our Schools) founded in 2019. PAROS
was started and continues to work with parents to elevate the voices, inform
the parents and increase community connectedness within North Mpls and MPS.
Sharon
has 3 children, two which have graduated from MPS and has been married for 28
years. Sharon has one grandson that currently attends MPS middle school and
continues to be actively involved in the fight for quality education for all
children. Sharon brings ACTION and urgency for students, parents, educators and
the community to rebuild trust and working relationships with families and education
by working together!
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
This is the second of several articles presenting the
current members of the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education; this entry presents At-Large Board Member and
Board Chair Collin Beachy and his own
entry identifying his experience and goals as a Board member.
Collin Beachy
Collin.Beachy@mpls.k12.mn.us | 612.668.0447
Board of Education, Vice-Chair
Term: 2023-2027 | At-Large
Collin has been a public
school educator and coach for twenty of the past 25 years. Born into a family
of educators, Collin is passionate about public education. Collin became a
special education teacher to change lives. His most recent position was as a
special education teacher and equity lead at Transition Plus in Minneapolis
Public Schools.
Collin grew up Staples,
Minnesota and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education &
Coaching from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. He has a Master of Arts
in Autism Spectrum Disorder from Concordia University in St. Paul. He lives
with his partner Mark and their dog Hijinx.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
This is one of several articles presenting the current members of
the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education; this entry presents
At-Large Board Member and Board Clerk Lori Norvell and her own entry
identifying her experience and goals as a Board member.
Lori
Norvell
Lori.Norvell@mpls.k12.mn.us | 612.919.8136
Board of Education, Clerk
Term: 2023-2027 | District 5
Lori Norvell represents
District 5, which is southeast Minneapolis. Lori is a former Minneapolis Public
Schools educator, and has had experience as a substitute teacher, Special
Education Assistant, and the majority of her time as a middle school math teacher.
She has taught at Nellie Stone Johnson Community School and Anthony Middle
School. With other 20 years of teaching experience (8 years in MPS) in 6
different states, Lori brings to the school board knowledge of the day-to-day
work by educators in schools and classrooms.
Lori has 3 children: two
graduates of Washburn and a current Washburn student. In her free time, Lori
enjoys biking, walking/running, cooking, and hanging out with her family.
Abdul
Abdi
Abdul.Abdi@mpls.k12.mn.us | 612.895.0270
Board of Education, Treasurer
Term: 2023-2027 | District 1
Abdul
Abdi is the Minneapolis School Board's District 1 representative for the
northeast and southeast Minneapolis communities. He received his bachelor's
degree in computer science from Metropolitan State University in 2002. He also
has a range of business, IT, and leadership certifications. Abdul has over 20
years of professional experience in various roles. He has a track record of
successfully leading diverse technical teams to address complex business and
process challenges.
In
addition to his professional achievements, Abdul is also a community organizer
and skilled problem-solver. He and his family have lived in Northeast
Minneapolis for the past 16 years, and his children have attended several
schools in the area, including Waite Park Elementary, Pillsbury Elementary,
Northeast Middle, and Edison High School.
Abdul
is passionate about children's education. He firmly believes that all students
deserve to receive a high-quality education. In the past, he actively
participated in the District Parent Advisory Council, where he worked
collaboratively with parents, teachers, school administrators, and the district
to build trust and strengthen relationships within the school community.
In
his free time, Abdul enjoys spending quality time with his family, engaging in
activities such as reading, watching documentaries, and going for walks in
parks.
Fathia
Feerayarre
Fathia.Feerayarre@mpls.k12.mn.us | 612.814.7761
Board of Education, Director
Term: 2023-2027 | District 3
Fathia Feerayarre is a
Minneapolis Public Schools parent and a resident in South Minneapolis,
representing District 3. Currently, Fathia is also a Minneapolis Civil Rights
Commissioner, representing Ward 6. Fathia earned her Bachelor’s of Social Work
at the University of Louisville Kentucky and her Master’s of Education at the
University of Minnesota, and she is currently a Doctoral student at Walden
University. Fathia has tremendous experience working for nonprofit
organizations including the Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace & Justice,
Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Catholic Charities, and the University of
Minnesota where she is currently a Behavioral Health Case Manager.
Fathia’s professional
experience includes advocating for women and girls' right to education, ending
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and advocating for refugee and immigrant
families. Fathia believes in the Muhammad Ali saying, "Service to others
is the rent you pay for your room here on earth". As parent and a board
member, Fathia believes stronger, safer, and better schools require
establishing strong relationships between the families and the district. She
will work for equity in the classrooms, setting a high bar for achievement for
all students, and bringing families and educators into decision-making.
Adriana
Cerrillo
Board
of Education, Director
Adriana.Cerrillo@mpls.k12.mn.us | 612.986.1613
Term: 2021-2025 | District 4
For the past 13 years, she
has been a community activist and organizer advocating for policies to protect
and include marginalized communities. In 2007, she entered the world of community
organizing while in college, after learning that authorities were threatening
to deport a young, undocumented mother in urgent need of medical attention.
Adriana fundraised enough money for the woman’s care and founded the Juliana
Mateo Foundation for Disabled Farmworkers.
As a Florida resident, she
taught at UnidosNow.org and established the Future Leaders Academy for Youth.
Adriana stood alongside Manatee County teachers as they rallied for better pay
and she worked collaboratively with non-profits statewide to successfully stop
Florida from passing its own version of SB-1070. Three years later, Adriana
received the NAACP’s 2013 Unsung Heroine Award for her community
activism.
Since moving to
Minneapolis in 2013, Adriana’s efforts include successfully working to fire a
cop guilty of racial profiling in Chaska, collaboratively giving Know Your
Rights presentations to communities and teaching an American Basic Civics
Program to involve youth in political processes. In 2017, she introduced the
Sanctuary Now platform before Minneapolis City Council to protect immigrant and
refugee rights. For the last two and a half years, Adriana has actively
organized alongside parents at Emerson and other district schools, while working
as a family advocate.
Aside from her passionate
career in activism and advocacy, Adriana is a mother, grandmother, guardian and
business owner.
Ira
Jourdain
Ira.Jourdain@mpls.k12.mn.us
Board of Education, Director
612.757.6469
Term: 2021-2025 | District 6
Ira
Jourdain was born in Red Lake, Minnesota and is an enrolled member of the Red
Lake Band of Ojibue. Jourdain has four children; two of them are currently
enrolled at Bancroft Elementary School. He’s been involved in his children’s
schools through volunteer work and serving on various site councils.
It’s
his work in human services as a Minnesota Family Investment Program Manager—
helping families overcome challenges like domestic abuse, substance abuse and
affordable housing — along with his experience as a Native American parent that
compelled Jourdain to run for the school board. He has a keen understanding of
what many families face.
Jourdain
is a resident of the Kingfield neighborhood in Southwest Minneapolis.
Kim Ellison
Kim.Ellison@mpls.k12.mn.us
Board of Education, Director
612.668.0445
Term: 2021-2025 | At-Large
Kim Ellison brings a wealth of
experience to the school board working for organizations that serve students
and families and a background informed by 12 years of teaching. She has served
on the LearningWorks at Blake advisory board and the Parents United
for Public Schools Board for nine years.
Kim is passionate about addressing
the achievement gap and is a firm believer that building relationships with
students is key to their success. She asserts that it is necessary to take
a well-rounded approach to educating students. Nutrition, health care,
after-school programs, and enrichment opportunities all support academic
achievement.
She was first appointed to the
Minneapolis Board of Education in January 2012 to fill a vacancy after Lydia
Lee resigned and began her first elected term in January 2013, representing the
northwest side of Minneapolis in District 2. Kim was re-elected in 2016 to
serve as a citywide board member.
In her free time, Kim enjoys
spending time with her four children, reading, swimming and bike riding.
|
Joyner Emerick joyner.emerick@mpls.k12.mn.us | 612.472.6074 Joyner Emerick (any pronouns) is a Minneapolis
Public Schools graduate, a lifelong Minneapolis resident, and a parent of an MPS student with
complex disabilities. Joyner’s educational advocacy is rooted in their experience navigating Special
Education—a system meant to ensure that every child has equal access to education but which fails
to address systemic barriers and gaps in opportunity for many students. Joyner uses these personal
experiences as a framework to stand up for all underserved kids in our district. As a disabled person, Joyner
brings needed lived experience subject matter expertise in the areas of disability justice and equity in
MPS. Joyner believes fiercely that all students are
engaged, motivated and skilled learners, and that it is the job of educational leadership to remove barriers.
Joyner is passionate about frameworks and practices that honor all student strengths, needs, and
identities as valuable and enriching characteristics of our learning
communities. Joyner is committed to elevating student voice and developing
our future leaders by giving our children opportunities to
successfully lead today. “The first step to building power in a community is
building trust. Nobody should trust you when the first words out of your mouth layer on more shame and criticism.
Nobody should trust you if you operate like you're only here for the ‘good ones.’ Nobody should
trust you if you operate like you fundamentally don't need them in the work of
transformation.” —Aaron Scott Halimah Abdullah Halimah Abdullah is a highly
involved 10th grade student at Southwest. She is part of the school’s Muslim
Student Alliance and has also organized and taken part in various
demonstrations and protests in order to encourage systemic change regarding
issues she is passionate about. She believes as a leader in the importance of
courage despite fear and in treating everyone with equal respect and
recognition. “I highly value teamwork and the
amount of collaboration and balance that is needed for teamwork to be successful.
I know when to add input and direction, and I know when to take a step back
and follow,” said Abdullah. --- The Student Representatives
provide an important perspective and give voice to those at the heart of the
district’s work: MPS students. The Board of Education has appointed a student
representative since 2015, and in begininng in 2022 a second student
representative would be selected with the goal of expanding student view and
opinion. Abdullah, along with the other
2023 student representative, Abdihafid Mohamed, will take turns being the
primary speaker at Board meetings but will still be responsible for keeping
up on what's happening by reviewing materials and watching meeting videos
when not in attendance. Additionally, the two will meet regularly together
with board staff to prepare for meetings and coordinate other duties. Abdihafid Mohamed Abdihafid Mohamed is a junior at
Edison High School who divides his time between various student groups, such as Citywide, athletic
teams, an internship and a part-time job. He believes juggling all these
different responsibilities have helped him
learn how to communicate well with his peers and adults by connecting, listening and reflecting on
their thoughts and views. “Change can be started by one,
but requires the involvement of everyone to be finished. I believe with the position of student
representative, I can and will listen to the wants of MPS. I will act as a
vessel and amplify those wants, and with the help
of each and every staff member and student, I will create change in the community and learning
environment,” Mohamed said. The Student Representatives
provide an important perspective and give voice to those at the heart of the district’s work: MPS students.
The Board of Education has appointed a student representative since 2015, and in begininng in 2022 a
second student representative would be selected with the goal of expanding student view and opinion. Mohamed, along with the other
2023 student representative, Halimah Abdullah, will take turns being the primary speaker at Board
meetings but will still be responsible for keeping up on what's happening by reviewing materials and watching
meeting videos when not in attendance. Additionally, the two will meet regularly together with
board staff to prepare for meetings and coordinate other duties. |
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Rochelle
Cox gained appointment as Interim Superintendent at the Minneapolis Public
Schools (MPS) in June 2022, following Superintendent Ed Graff’s resignation in
May 2022.
Cox
immediately gave heightened attention to three programs slated for implementation
as academic intervention initiatives: PRESS (“Pathways to Reading Excellence”), and LETRS (“Language
Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling”), and the Groves reading
intervention strategy.
Cox created a substantially new
cabinet that includes an entirely new contingent of associate superintendents
who have been given a directive carefully to monitor academic programming and
results at the specific schools for which each is responsible. A new math
curriculum (Bridges/Number Corner) for the first time in recent memory was
during academic year 2022-2023 implemented across all grade levels at all
schools. And for reading/language arts, a similar uniformity of
implementation will be guided by the primary curriculum (Benchmark Advance).
Cox and Senior Academic Officer
Aimee Fearing advocated for high dosage tutoring, provided by the firms of
Carnegie and Axiom, with the latter also giving instruction pertinent to the
ACT College readiness exam. The MPS Board
of Education, to the great credit of this Board that assembled in January 2023,
approved these tutoring initiatives. The
tutoring interventions given by Carnegie and Axiom have been mostly
online; Cox and staff are now moving
forward with in-person tutoring that will begin at the beginning of academic
year 2023-2024, rendered by numerous teams each composed of one licensed
teacher and two Education Support Professionals (ESPs).
Rochelle Cox has focused
relentlessly on academic improvement, addressing dilemmas that no previous
superintendent of the last several decades has addressed.
At the behest of Cox, Senior
Academic Officer Aimee Fearing, Deputy Senior Academic Officer Maria Rollinger,
and Director of Strategic Initiatives Sarah Hunter are leading an effort to
bring subject area substance to grades pre-K through 5, so that student verbal
skills will be developed, as they should be, in the context of logically
sequenced readings in history, government, geography, multi-cultural
literature, and the fine arts; accordingly, students will develop
vocabulary across a multiplicity of subjects that lie at the core of advanced
reading development.
The current assemblage of
members of the MPS Board of Education has been responsive to Cox’s
leadership. On 9 March 2023, The Board
extended Cox’s interim contract through June 2024. Most members of the Board seem to be grasping
that Cox should be the next long-term Superintendent of the Minneapolis Public
Schools. The most likely scenario now
seems to be that the search firm BWP Associates will conduct a formal search,
with Cox as an applicant; the field will
probably be narrowed to three finalists, including Cox. Should the MPS Board of Education then vote
to extend a three-year contract to Rochelle Cox, she will assume the long-term
position.
Under that scenarios, Rochelle
Cox, who possesses enormous personal skills and a great love of children in
addition to grasping the nature of knowledge-intensive, skill-replete
education, very likely will within five years stunningly be able to offer the
Minneapolis Pubic Schools as model for other locally centralized school
districts across the nation.
If the current members of the
MPS Board of Education act in such ways as to make possible this scenario, then
beyond proving themselves to constitute the best assemblage in recent memory,
they also will be part of history-making transformation in public education.
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