Minneapolis School District Latino parents frustrated with district policy
Enclosed is a post I made to the E-Democracy Minneapolis Issues email list today. It has been adapted slightly. The issues are local, but they are relevant in Many urban school districts today.
I know that both sides, the Minneapolis School district and Latino parents, have some very good points, and both sides are lead by very good people. I'm friends with people on both sides. But there still seems to be a lack of understanding of why Latino parents are so frustrated with the Minneapolis School District (MPS) , and how frustrated they are, to the point that they will leave the district at the same rate that African American parents did before, unless something changes soon.
Of course we all know how devastating to MPS loosing more students could be. More cuts, more layoffs, more closed schools. Most board members, if not all, are trying very hard to understand this frustration, and I think are trying to address the issues presented by Latino parents. But unfortunately they don't seem to be able to get through to the parents. On the other hand I think some Latino parents don't have all the information (we'll attempt in La Prensa de Minnesota soon to provide that info in Spanish) and they might've been provided some misinformation.
I've talked to and LISTENED to enough public officials to understand that it's not the same to be a school or education activist than to govern. Once you govern you have the responsibility of doing the right thing, while having to listen to many different and conflicting special interests, and you have the obligation to balance budgets. That's not easy.
Although I tend to agree with Caty's sentiment that we should all work to a solution to our schools that benefits all kids instead of each single group, the reality is that there are some issues that only affect some groups and not others. We all want a better economy, an affordable and quality health care system, we want to own our homes, and we want our kids to get an adequate education so that they will have a better life than ours. Those are universal.
But most African American, Latino, Native and Asian people know what it's like to be treated as inferiors because of the color of their skin, and are going to be more sensitive to this issue. Immigrants struggle with learning English at exactly the same rate as Scandinavian and Eastern European immigrants to Minnesota did at the beginning of the twentieth century. Latino parents will push for programs that will teach their kids English, because they are more affected by this. Other kids in MPS don't have this challenge.
After LISTENING, to Burroughs parents, I think this is how many of them think: Contrary to what the KKK whining ranters in the Star Tribune comments section say, Latino parents desperately want their kids to learn English as quickly as possible so they have a real chance at the American dream. These immigrant parents are much more American in spirit than the anonymous Star Tribune cowards. They have risked it all, some of them their lives, to give their kids a better life in the US. That's true love for America. They work too many hours and don't have the time to learn English adequately, like Swedish and German immigrants did before them, but will do anything to see their
kids learn English.
Some found what they needed in Burroughs. You know how hard it was for them to find Burroughs? How much they risked to find it? But they did, and know they feel it's being taken away. That's the way some white parents at Burroughs feel. They didn't risk as much to get there, but they found the right school for their kids. And now they feel that's being taken away. Anybody would be frustrated beyond belief over this.
Senator Patricia Torres Ray eloquently stated in a recent letter: "Latino parents are opposed to this change, arguing that the district is creating ghettos by assigning all ELL kids to the 4 worst schools in the district" I have to say I have to agree with that statement. What parent would feel good about that?
But here's the other side of the story. A district that's lost too many kids and had to lay off too many teachers. A district that has made a true commitment to provide all of their kids a better education. Too many parents and kids at MPS schools don't have the type of school that Burroughs is. Too many kids and parents have had their schools closed. Too many parents and kids don't feel safe in their MPS school. Too many kids are two years behind in reading and math. Too many kids are not graduating from High School. And it's just about everybody's fault at MPS: Parents, teachers, principals, administrators, board members, voters, even if they all point fingers at each other.
But MPS is finally doing something about it. The reality is that all the kids currently enrolled at Burroughs Native Language Program (can some one explain this name to me? I think kids are learning English not native languages, but I digress) will continue in the program until they move on to middle school. Also the demand for the program is going down every year at Burrows. Why?
I just got a letter form MPS board member Chris Stewart that said: "In the 2007-2008 school year only 15 Latino families selected the program, while a minimum of 26 are
needed. For 2008-2009 there were 10 Latino families that selected NLL at Burroughs. When eight of them were contacted only two opted to remain at Burroughs while six chose Windom." If this is true, what are we arguing about here?
It also seems that a number of African American parents that live close to Burroughs want the programs offered at Burroughs. Shoudn't they have a right to choose what's best for their kids too?
MPS needs to do more and more, with less and less money. Tough to do. I don't have too many answers here, but I hope I presented both sides. I will continue to listen. I hope both MPS and Latino parents will truly listen to each other. Because all of our kids educations in Minneapolis are at stake
here.
I also wanted to address Jay Clark's comment about Chris Stewart not being at the meeting. Jay is a good guy, who has worked tirelessly to help the Latino community. And I thank him for that. But his implying that only Tom Madden, Pam Costain, Lydia Lee, and Carla Bates, Patricia Torres Ray and Senator Linda Berglin where at the meeting, so they care but Chris Stewart doesn't care because he wasn't there, is simply not true. I recently disagreed with Chris on this forum, over the way he seemed to have approached this issue and about integration.
But I know Chris well enough to know he does care about the Latino community and has been a strong defender of the NLL program. We might disagree on how to get there. But Chris is one of the hardest workers on the MPS board and contrary to his occational media image, he spends almost all his board time, quietly and effectively working to improve education for all kids. I think that attempts by some to divide Latinos and African Americans to get whatever their goals are for MPS is not going to work. We have the same problems. Low test scores and low graduation rates. The only difference is some Latino kids need a little bit more help learning English.
I know that both sides, the Minneapolis School district and Latino parents, have some very good points, and both sides are lead by very good people. I'm friends with people on both sides. But there still seems to be a lack of understanding of why Latino parents are so frustrated with the Minneapolis School District (MPS) , and how frustrated they are, to the point that they will leave the district at the same rate that African American parents did before, unless something changes soon.
Of course we all know how devastating to MPS loosing more students could be. More cuts, more layoffs, more closed schools. Most board members, if not all, are trying very hard to understand this frustration, and I think are trying to address the issues presented by Latino parents. But unfortunately they don't seem to be able to get through to the parents. On the other hand I think some Latino parents don't have all the information (we'll attempt in La Prensa de Minnesota soon to provide that info in Spanish) and they might've been provided some misinformation.
I've talked to and LISTENED to enough public officials to understand that it's not the same to be a school or education activist than to govern. Once you govern you have the responsibility of doing the right thing, while having to listen to many different and conflicting special interests, and you have the obligation to balance budgets. That's not easy.
Although I tend to agree with Caty's sentiment that we should all work to a solution to our schools that benefits all kids instead of each single group, the reality is that there are some issues that only affect some groups and not others. We all want a better economy, an affordable and quality health care system, we want to own our homes, and we want our kids to get an adequate education so that they will have a better life than ours. Those are universal.
But most African American, Latino, Native and Asian people know what it's like to be treated as inferiors because of the color of their skin, and are going to be more sensitive to this issue. Immigrants struggle with learning English at exactly the same rate as Scandinavian and Eastern European immigrants to Minnesota did at the beginning of the twentieth century. Latino parents will push for programs that will teach their kids English, because they are more affected by this. Other kids in MPS don't have this challenge.
After LISTENING, to Burroughs parents, I think this is how many of them think: Contrary to what the KKK whining ranters in the Star Tribune comments section say, Latino parents desperately want their kids to learn English as quickly as possible so they have a real chance at the American dream. These immigrant parents are much more American in spirit than the anonymous Star Tribune cowards. They have risked it all, some of them their lives, to give their kids a better life in the US. That's true love for America. They work too many hours and don't have the time to learn English adequately, like Swedish and German immigrants did before them, but will do anything to see their
kids learn English.
Some found what they needed in Burroughs. You know how hard it was for them to find Burroughs? How much they risked to find it? But they did, and know they feel it's being taken away. That's the way some white parents at Burroughs feel. They didn't risk as much to get there, but they found the right school for their kids. And now they feel that's being taken away. Anybody would be frustrated beyond belief over this.
Senator Patricia Torres Ray eloquently stated in a recent letter: "Latino parents are opposed to this change, arguing that the district is creating ghettos by assigning all ELL kids to the 4 worst schools in the district" I have to say I have to agree with that statement. What parent would feel good about that?
But here's the other side of the story. A district that's lost too many kids and had to lay off too many teachers. A district that has made a true commitment to provide all of their kids a better education. Too many parents and kids at MPS schools don't have the type of school that Burroughs is. Too many kids and parents have had their schools closed. Too many parents and kids don't feel safe in their MPS school. Too many kids are two years behind in reading and math. Too many kids are not graduating from High School. And it's just about everybody's fault at MPS: Parents, teachers, principals, administrators, board members, voters, even if they all point fingers at each other.
But MPS is finally doing something about it. The reality is that all the kids currently enrolled at Burroughs Native Language Program (can some one explain this name to me? I think kids are learning English not native languages, but I digress) will continue in the program until they move on to middle school. Also the demand for the program is going down every year at Burrows. Why?
I just got a letter form MPS board member Chris Stewart that said: "In the 2007-2008 school year only 15 Latino families selected the program, while a minimum of 26 are
needed. For 2008-2009 there were 10 Latino families that selected NLL at Burroughs. When eight of them were contacted only two opted to remain at Burroughs while six chose Windom." If this is true, what are we arguing about here?
It also seems that a number of African American parents that live close to Burroughs want the programs offered at Burroughs. Shoudn't they have a right to choose what's best for their kids too?
MPS needs to do more and more, with less and less money. Tough to do. I don't have too many answers here, but I hope I presented both sides. I will continue to listen. I hope both MPS and Latino parents will truly listen to each other. Because all of our kids educations in Minneapolis are at stake
here.
I also wanted to address Jay Clark's comment about Chris Stewart not being at the meeting. Jay is a good guy, who has worked tirelessly to help the Latino community. And I thank him for that. But his implying that only Tom Madden, Pam Costain, Lydia Lee, and Carla Bates, Patricia Torres Ray and Senator Linda Berglin where at the meeting, so they care but Chris Stewart doesn't care because he wasn't there, is simply not true. I recently disagreed with Chris on this forum, over the way he seemed to have approached this issue and about integration.
But I know Chris well enough to know he does care about the Latino community and has been a strong defender of the NLL program. We might disagree on how to get there. But Chris is one of the hardest workers on the MPS board and contrary to his occational media image, he spends almost all his board time, quietly and effectively working to improve education for all kids. I think that attempts by some to divide Latinos and African Americans to get whatever their goals are for MPS is not going to work. We have the same problems. Low test scores and low graduation rates. The only difference is some Latino kids need a little bit more help learning English.
posted by reportesur at 11:09 PM
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