Announcements | Twin Cities School Notebook

March 23, 2009 • 6:32 pm 0

Monday Schools Roundup (3/23/09)

(Photo: Flickr/Ingirogiro)

Today, for your delectation, we have updates on three stories I’ve been following here at TC Schools, plus potato chip cookies (wierd, I know…)

First, St Paul Public School’s Superintendent, Meria Carstarphen, was formally offered the job as Austin schools’ Superintendent. Even though Carstarphen was declared the sole finalist earlier this month, the Austin school board had to wait out a 21-day public comment period, with two meetings where the public could question Carstarphen and air their views on her appointment. Sadly (for us interested observers), it doesn’t sound like there were any fireworks. Carstarphen will finish out the school year here in Minnesota before moving to Austin this summer; the Austin paper summarizes challenges awaiting her.

Next, a rather obscure bill that would give teachers at traditional public schools a much more direct hand in how their individual schools are run seems to be gathering steam. At least, the proponents have convinced a Star-Tribune columnist. When I first heard about the bill, it was hard to see how the bill would get traction — not directly related to Minnesota’s huge defecit, you’d think lawmakers would ignore it, even if it has a number of high-powered backers like the Minneapolis and St Paul teacher’s unions. Sturdevant’s column, though, shows backers are trying to sell it as a cost-saving measure: let teachers run their own schools (a la charters), and there will be lower administrative cots.

Third, Scott County schools (think: Savage, Shakopee, etc.) are taking “baby steps” to address increasing segregation in their districts as immigrants (and poverty) moves to the suburbs. At the West Metro Education Project parents’ meeting two weeks ago, Minneapolis Board of Education Director Chris Stewart told me that some suburban districts flat-out of trying to segregate all their low-income students and students of color into a few select schools (he refused to name specific schools). The content of this article suggests there may have been something to his accusation.

Lastly, the Pioneer Press has two of what I assume will be a larger serries of stories on the death of school sports in Minnesota. The PiPress’ Bob Shaw blames it on hyper-compettetive kids-athletes and a generation of helecopter parents who push kids to win above all else. Kids are pushing back, he says, by dropping out of sports that are no longer fun.

And finally, Potato Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookies. Intriguing, sure. But eeew!

Filed under: Announcements, Minneapolis, Minnesota, St Paul, Achievement Gap, Announcements, Budget Crisis, Education, Education Policy, Meria Carstarphen, News, Segregation, St Paul Public Schools