| No Administrator Left Behind! | | | | I don’t know? Shouldn’t voters know |
| What happens if the Minneapolis school funding | | | | the staff to teacher ratio before approving a $60 |
| referendum fails this election? What happens is | | | | million tax increase not after approving a tax |
| the voters will be asked to approve it next year | | | | increase? |
| in November 2009 (when we vote in Minneapolis | | | | Union Contract |
| City Council elections). The Minneapolis School | | | | The current contract with the Minneapolis |
| Board and referendum supporters have stated | | | | teachers union severely restricts School Board |
| that if the Referendum fails this year, nothing | | | | and Administration’s ability and flexibility to |
| “bad” will happen. This Referendum will | | | | change teacher assignments to improve student |
| have no effect on school funding in Minneapolis, | | | | performance. The current union contract is |
| for this year (2008-2009 school year) or next | | | | designed to protect the established seniority |
| year (2009-2010 school year). It only affects | | | | system. Teacher assignments (which grade they |
| school funding starting in 2010-2011. | | | | teach, subject and school location etc.) are based |
| Why should people who support children and | | | | on seniority; not experience in a specific subject |
| Minneapolis public schools vote NO on the | | | | or grade, interest in specific the subject or grade |
| Referendum this year? Because they believe that | | | | etc. |
| the children of Minneapolis deserve better than | | | | In business if a company has problems with |
| the current referendum proposal. The current | | | | quality and/or low productivity at a particular |
| referendum is flawed and incomplete. Working | | | | manufacturing plant; do they send their least |
| together the Minneapolis School Board, school | | | | experienced mangers and/or poorest performing |
| administration and teachers union can do and | | | | managers to that plant? NO!! The company |
| should do much better for Minneapolis school | | | | sends its best, most experienced managers to |
| children, than the current Referendum proposal. | | | | “turn around” the poorly performing |
| The District needs to be much more specific | | | | manufacturing plant. The current union contract |
| about the actions steps it will take to achieve its | | | | forces the District to send its newest and least |
| stated goals, which I agree with. Below are the | | | | experienced teachers to the schools with the |
| things I want to know and I think all voters should | | | | poorest performance. The current contract does |
| know made before we support a referendum. | | | | not see having teachers high on the seniority list |
| Unfortunately, the only way to gets this | | | | assigned to a poorly performing school as a badge |
| information is for us to vote NO this year. By | | | | of honor. |
| voting NO we send a message to Minneapolis | | | | The union contract prevents the District from |
| School Board, school administration and teachers | | | | paying a bonus to the best teachers, whose |
| union that they can do much better than the | | | | students show the biggest improvement on test |
| current Referendum proposal for Minneapolis | | | | scores. Shouldn’t teachers, that are |
| school children. | | | | extraordinary, be paid more than poor teachers? |
| Enrollment Decline | | | | The current contract does not allow merit-based |
| Minneapolis parents are voting with their children, | | | | pay. |
| by taking their children out of the Minneapolis | | | | The current union contract also prevents the |
| School District and sending them to suburban | | | | District from holding teachers accountable when |
| districts. This is a major cause of the decline in | | | | their students perform poorly. If a teacher’s |
| enrollment in the Minneapolis School District. This | | | | students perform poorly on standardized tests |
| says 10 times more about the Minneapolis school | | | | one year that is a matter of concern. If a |
| district than all the speeches, reports, editorials, | | | | teacher’s students perform poorly on |
| and commercials on TV & radio etc. | | | | standardized tests five years in a row, which is a |
| combined. Shouldn’t voters know the specific | | | | problem. Teachers, that consistently |
| steps the School District is planning on taking to | | | | underperform, cause problems for the teacher |
| reverse this trend, before not after approving a | | | | that gets those students the following year. |
| $60 million tax increase? | | | | Good teachers, that get students from poor |
| School Closings | | | | performing teachers, have to do double work |
| The School Board and administration will announce | | | | teach current grade work plus teach prior grade |
| which schools they plan to close in February or | | | | work that students did not learn because of the |
| March 2009. I want an aggressive school | | | | poor performing teacher. Good teachers have to |
| closings plan because I want my tax dollars going | | | | double work because they care about getting the |
| to teacher salaries and not to pay for heat, lights | | | | students back learning at grade level. Is this fair to |
| and especially for repairing and maintaining buildings | | | | students and good teachers? Teacher under |
| that are over 50 years old including several from | | | | performance needs to be addressed, perhaps by |
| the 1920s. Others may want to keep | | | | additional training, coaching from successful |
| neighborhood schools open, especially | | | | teachers etc. If a poor teacher does not |
| neighborhood elementary schools. Some people | | | | improve after being a given reasonable time to |
| might vote No on the referendum if they knew | | | | improve, then that teacher needs to be |
| their neighborhood elementary, middle and/or high | | | | terminated for the benefit of students and good |
| schools was going to be closed. We the voters | | | | teachers. |
| and especially parents deserve to know which | | | | The vast majority of teachers high on seniority |
| schools the District plans to close before we vote | | | | list, work hard to be good teachers. But there |
| on this referendum not after. Unfortunately, that | | | | are a few bad apples that stop working or are |
| means voting NO this year so we will know the | | | | just putting in their time until they retire. The |
| District’s school closing plan before we vote | | | | slackers know that they will never ever be |
| next year. | | | | laid-off because of their seniority. The school |
| Black White Achievement Gap | | | | district needs a union contract that allows them to |
| The achieve gap between black students and | | | | lay off these few bad apples for the benefit of |
| white students in Minneapolis public schools is | | | | students and good teachers. |
| among the very worst in the entire United States | | | | There are some senior teachers that have given |
| - worse than schools in Alabama or Mississippi. | | | | up on black students. They feel no personal |
| The achievement gap has not really changed since | | | | responsibility to go the extra mile to help black |
| it was first identified. | | | | students who are behind catch up. They feel no |
| The Minneapolis school board, administration and | | | | personal responsibility if black students fail. The |
| teachers union say they want to close the | | | | School District needs a union contract that allows |
| achievement gap between black students and | | | | it to lay off teachers that have given up on black |
| white students. Is the District committed to doing | | | | students for the benefit of students and good |
| whatever takes to eliminate the black white | | | | teachers. |
| achievement gap? Or is only planning to do what | | | | The Minneapolis School District needs the leverage |
| is easy and/or what is not controversial? If easy | | | | of passage of the school referendum to negotiate |
| steps could reduce the gap, it would have been | | | | a more flexible and student friendly contact with |
| eliminated years ago. The only way to know the | | | | the teacher’s union. After the referendum |
| level of commitment is to know the specific | | | | what is the Union’s incentive to negotiate |
| action steps the School Board and Administration | | | | changes to the current contract? Voters deserve |
| are committed to taking to close the black white | | | | to know if the union will negotiate changes to the |
| student achievement gap. But the District has not | | | | existing contract will allow performance-based |
| shared with voters what specific steps it will take | | | | pay, performance-based terminations and flexibility |
| to close the achievement gap. I want know and | | | | in teaching assignments before approving a $60 |
| I believe that all voters, parents and especially | | | | million referendum not after approving it. |
| black parents deserve to know if the School | | | | These are the reasons I’m voting for |
| Board and Administration are willing to “take | | | | Minneapolis school children by voting NO on the |
| the heat” for making the unpopular and/or | | | | school referendum this year. Children, parents |
| controversial changes that will be necessary to | | | | and voter deserve more information and a better |
| close the black white student achievement gap, | | | | proposal than the current referendum. I hope that |
| before approving a $60 million referendum not | | | | Minneapolis School Board, Administration and |
| after approving the referendum. | | | | Teachers Union will provide Minneapolis voters and |
| Staff to Teacher ratio | | | | parents with the information we need to make an |
| Several years ago, a study of California schools | | | | informed decision about voting YES next year. |
| revealed that California public school had one staff | | | | Several years ago, the Minneapolis school district |
| employee for every teacher. The California | | | | decided on the number of teacher to layoff, |
| parochial schools had one staff employee for | | | | before even considering reductions in |
| every six teachers. Obviously a much higher | | | | administrative positions. To me this is |
| percentage of revenue went to hiring teachers in | | | | backwards, decisions on the number of |
| the parochial schools than in the public schools. | | | | administrative positions are made first, before |
| What is the staff to teacher ratio in the | | | | teacher layoffs are considered. |
| Minneapolis public schools? Do you know, because | | | | |