Minneapolis Public Schools Lose Students To Charter Schools

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