Anybody care about the Minneapolis School Board?

[dreamshark]

In an excess of enthusiasm at my DFL precinct caucus this year, I volunteered to be a candidate to the City Convention. The main thing that happens there this year is endorsing candidates for School Board.  Anybody have anything to say about any of the candidates (including incumbents)?

Comments

[mle292.livejournal.com]

It's a very dumb hot button issue, and hopefully not much of an issue within candidates seeking a DFL endorsement (I think city school board positions are non-partisan, but I'm not sure) but it's important.

These days, it's ALWAYS worth knowing if a school board candidate believes in creationism, even *privately.* Even if they're "open minded" enough to allow evolution to be taught, they're willing to make allowances for non-science to be in the science classroom.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Unlikely to be an issue with DFL candidates, but I suppose it might be worth asking the question.

On the other hand, if I were going to ask all the candidates one question I would be more interested in knowing how they plan to meet the needs of gifted (or even average) students while at the same time focusing most of their resources on at-risk students (as required by NCLB). There's no easy answer to that one, but in my mind it's the biggest challenge they will have to deal with.

[mle292.livejournal.com]

I'd like to hear from some of the educators on your flist about that one, but from my limited perspective as a parent, I think that teachers can address that issue better than any school board edict can.

NCLB is part of the move to make teaching a laborer job, with a defined curriculum that applies to every student, rather than a creative job where individual students' needs are met based on knowledge of the individual.

The right answer to that one then is "Find out from teachers how they want to address the immediate problem in their classroom, and work to repeal or limit the involvement of NCLB."

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

In theory I care, anyway. I just don't know much about current issues or candidates.

Second the worry about any whiff of creationism -- since it's often so carefully buried. In fact any overt mention of religion puts me off. Either it's not relevant to schooling, in which case why mention it; or if they think it IS relevant to schooling, then I oppose them.