1) Re the discussion of Minneapolis schools testing: The flaw in NCLB/Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment testing to date is that different groups of children are tested year by year. This year's fifth grade math test tests a different group of children from last year's. So the comparison isn't that helpful. The number of kids at a grade level is so small that a difference of a kid or two can make for a big swing. The NALT tests, as mentioned earlier, test the same child's progress over time. The recent outside academic audit faulted Minneapolis for using the NALT, arguing that NCLB is base don the state's MCA test. But the state is slowly moving toward the sort of value-added analysis that NALT gives for its MCA/NCLB testing regiment. It's not expected this coming school year, but perhaps the year after that.
2) My newspaper doesn't seem to be able to get it into print, but Supt. Peebles will be holding a " town-hall" meeting Tuesday night from 6-7:30 p.m. at Burroughs School, which is on W. 50th across from Lynnhurst Park. 3) I attended the SWJ/SS Pride voter forum on April 21 for candidates for 8th Ward City Council. I got a feel for each candidate, and literature from each. That included material from an incumbent park commissioner who's running for the seat. Did she pull a permit? Was the policy enforced? I didn't see any park police checking for permits. 4) Re the predatory lending issue, as someone who covered the property flipping epidsode and later the equity skimming scam, I talked to dozens of people who got taken. Government's response was woefully inadequate. The U.S. attorney's office was selective in its prosecutions, despite the relative ease of picking out the miscreants through computer inquiry of property sales databases. For some reason, the government isn't selective about prosecuting bank robbers, but it takes a half-assed approach to those who rob poor or naive homeowners of their equity or credit. Steve Brandt Kingfield REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
