| Students are Fleeing Minneapolis Schools | | | | problem for Minneapolis schools. Surveys in |
| | | | the African American community show that |
| Minneapolis schools are being faced with the | | | | black parents in general tend to be |
| prospect of empty school buildings as more | | | | dissatisfied with the quality of education in |
| and more students flee the system to charter | | | | Minneapolis public schools. Not that they |
| schools in the district. Minneapolis | | | | have any reason to feel differently. In 2005, |
| schools' enrollment figures have plummeted to | | | | barely 29 % of black students in the eighth |
| just 36,000 this year - that's almost half | | | | grades in Minneapolis schools managed to pass |
| its capacity of 50,000 students. Schools in | | | | basic math tests and just 47% could manage to |
| the north side have felt the pinch the | | | | scrape through the reading tests. Graduation |
| hardest with a 44 percent drop in enrollment | | | | rates for black students at Minneapolis |
| over the past five years. All indications | | | | schools were some of the lowest at fifty |
| are that there is no stemming this tide and | | | | percent. Besides blacks, Asian students are |
| Minneapolis schools have already announced | | | | joining the growing movement out of |
| plans to close 5 schools leaving more than | | | | Minneapolis schools. |
| 2000 students in the lurch, desperately | | | | |
| scrambling to find new schools. | | | | Moves to Stem the Tide at Minneapolis Schools |
| | | | |
| The Exodus of Blacks and Minorities from | | | | The success of charter schools can be traced |
| Minneapolis Schools | | | | to a number of factors. School sizes are |
| | | | smaller, and it is generally believed that |
| A bulk of the students that chose to leave | | | | teaching staff are more in tune with |
| Minneapolis public schools belongs to high | | | | students' requirements and are better able to |
| poverty black neighborhoods and other | | | | meet these needs. Minneapolis schools have |
| minority communities. The statistics reveal | | | | begun to realize that immediate steps have to |
| a strong yet disturbing trend. In the | | | | be taken to avoid the current migration of |
| '99-'00 academic year, more than 48,000 black | | | | students. School authorities have proposed |
| students sought admission in Minneapolis | | | | initiatives that require schools in the |
| schools. Compare this to the bleak picture | | | | district to offer additional emphasis on |
| painted for 2008 when enrollment from black | | | | music, arts, and language besides improving |
| students is expected to touch barely 33,500. | | | | their core academic curricula. It's hoped |
| | | | that raising the bar on academic learning |
| Most black students prefer to enroll at | | | | will stem the growing tide. Even if the |
| charter schools in the district which have | | | | schools do not succeed in attracting students |
| perceived higher standards than public | | | | back to their fold, one hopes that at the |
| Minneapolis schools. This problem of "black | | | | very least they will be able to stop students |
| flight" is, authorities agree, a serious | | | | leaving in masses. |