this is in response to Lynell Mikkelson's cogent attack on MAEF: Mark Anderson here:> Well, this long, but fascinating posting sure deserves an equal response by > someone involved with the school board. From what you say, I agree that > MAEF is worse than useless. If you get a reply from Carol Johnson, please > post it to this list. And I hope others in the know will also weigh in. > Has anyone else on the List been a volunteer for MAEF like Lynnell? I've > worked in business for the last 20 years. I've seen similar consultants in > that milieu, and they are just as useless there. > > Actually, I disagree with your contention that we should not go into these > schools and hold them accountable for the results that occur there. I think > the kids and the parents probably have more to do with a failing school than > the staff and teachers. But that doesn't mean we leave the schools totally > unaccountable for the results. I'm not sure what the school system should > do, and it sure sounds like MAEF ain't it. But I'm in favor of looking for > an answer. I'm also one of those awful conservatives that thinks > competition is the best solution we have currently. Both public and private > competition. > > Mark Anderson > Bancroft > (Still) Ward 8 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Lynnell Mickelsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2002 4:24 PM > Subject: [Mpls] Banneker, Troubled Schools and outside reviews > > > > > > > > When I read that Banneker was being closed, in part as the > > result of an outside review team, I didn't know what to think. > > > > Because I don't know anything about Banneker. But I was part > > of the same outside review team process. My team was assigned to > > Folwell Middle School (Another team went to Northeast Middle School.) > > But we all went through the same training together and were told to > > ask the same questions. > > > > Based on my experience, I think these outside reviews were > > pretty worthless--both in design and execution. For example, our team > > spent four highly-scheduled days at Folwell Middle School, but we > > were never scheduled to spend any time in the classroom. Instead we > > dragged teachers and staff and students out of the class and asked > > them questions about the school's mission statement and flow charts. > > > > I'm not making this up. > > > > To the best of my knowledge, the same process was used at > > Banneker and Northeast. > > > > It was so bad, I decided to send my own report to the School > > Board and Superintendent Carol Johnson. I attach a very long excerpt > > from my report to give anyone who's interested an idea of what these > > outside review teams actually did. It would all be hilarious.....if > > it was simply a Dilbert parody. Unfortunately, it was real life and > > something the district agreed to do as part of their legal settlement > > with the NAACP. > > > > The Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation (MAEF) was hired > > to run these review teams. MAEF receives millions in funds from the > > state although I believe it's all due to run out in the next couple > > of years as part of budget cuts. (Finally, a specific cut in the > > education budget that I can get behind!!) Over in St. Paul, several > > lobbyists and legislators told me MAEF is known as a total joke. > > Based on what I saw at Folwell, I agree. But this may be the future > > for schools if certain political types have their way: cut school > > budgets and subject schools to these endless "business-style" reviews > > as a way of "holding schools accountable." > > <snip>
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