Following the Minneapolis Public School debate

Julie Landsman's Follow the Money blog post about the Minneapolis school board election sparked heated debate in the comment section, and a counter-argument in a blog post from Chris Stewart, an education reform activist and former Minneapolis school board member. The passionate argument arises from the failure of Minnesota (and, specifically, Minneapolis) schools in educating children of color. I know and respect both Stewart and Landsman, and think that commenters also made important points. I've summarized the discussion below. I hope that more readers join in. 

Landsman's primary point was her concern about "how Josh Reimnitz can move into a district weeks before filing and find $37,000 dollars in his pocket for a school board election," compared to the more typical $5,000 that the losing candidate raised. 

It astounds me that Reimnitz’s money and outside corporate connections poses no problem for those who profess to care about the democratic process. Is it because the most important thing we should be doing now is dismantling teacher unions? Is it because Minneapolis School Administrators have a misplaced belief that Teach for American is salvation for our kids and thus Reminitz’s connections outweigh Wycoff’s seventeen years of hard work and knowledge? 

I know that Teach for America has become influential in our city. I know that young people who join this group sincerely believe they are doing the right thing when they come into schools for their requisite two years, schools where poor students make up at least seventy-five percent of the population. I have been hard on them for the last four years and I will continue to question their lack of in-depth training, their lack of experience in our city, much less in public schools and the embrace they have received from neo liberals all over the country.

Stewart denounced her discussion of the campaign funding and her criticism of TFA.

In truth the Reimnitz/Wycoff race was not about money, it was about two points of view.

Reimnitz testified with personal experience that all kids can learn; that there are good and bad teachers in Teach For America and in traditional classrooms; that good school leaders make a difference and bad ones create problems for teachers; and that unequal education is a moral issue and a civil rights failure. ...

The Teacher For America members I've met believe my children can learn and that great teaching can make the difference. The MFT, Landsmen, Wycoff, and their fringe-left conspiracy theorists have few answers for my community other than "more funding" and lower expectations for children that dare to be poor. That song and dance has paid their mortgages since Nixon, and all the while we have paid the price.

Commenter Ken B. thought Stewart's article was also conspiracy-infected:

Mr. Stewart seems to have a big problem with the Minneapolis teachers' union (and other issues) that IMO colors his view of the candidates for this school board seat.  He asked a lot of "questions" about the MFT, but he doesn't seem to have asked them for answers and gave "answers" that are as conspiracy-laden as his accusations.

Mr. Stewart didn't ask what a 26-year-old with no children, no previous contact with the MPS, and experience only with Atlanta schools actually knows about kids here and the MPS.  He didn't ask Mr. Reimnitz why he isn't teaching in Minneapolis, where he could affect the kids directly.  He also didn't mention or look into why Teach for America was pushing their agenda and candidates in public school districts all over the country.  Do they know what's best for Minneapolis kids?

Mikki commented that the achievement gap was uppermost in her voting decision and support of educational reform:

And which kids are we putting first? ...

Minnesota’s achievement gap is consistently among the largest in the nation, especially North Minneapolis. THIS has to be addressed. What we've been doing so far isn't working. This is why I voted for education reform in my school district 4 this year. A friend who gets paid very little money to teach early reading skills in a North Minneapolis school program shouldn't have as few resources as she does compared to where her (and my) kids attend their neighborhood schools. Yes, I think despite her lack of teaching experience, those students are getting at least some of what they need in order to eventually come closer to being put first.... and they need more. I am in favor of reformers (experienced and new) who want to find and implement solutions.

In a response to her comment, Landsman clarified and expanded on what she thinks needs to happen:

The segregation of schools is horrible. In Minneapolis some schools in the district have amazing resources while others go without paper. A new building is built for millions while teachers have no science equipment. I am not against reform. But I am for economic reform that creates equity in our schools and within our schools system. I believe school reform involves putting the most well prepared teachers with the kids who need them the most. As I said in my column, real reform will come when we counsel bad teachers out of the profession more efficiently, put committed teachers with all our kids, providing them with residencies and year long apprenticeships before they take their own classroom when they are new. I have said all along I would be thrilled if TFA teachers wanted to teach alongside another experienced teacher..what a gift to have them in our classrooms.

The segregation of our schools here has to do with how they closed down so many schools on the northside that were successful. It has to do with a history of neglect by our school system for the kids who live in this part of town. It has to do with the power of southwest parents who get what they want . So I truly don't think you can cite this situation as something our teachers had anything to do with. I taught at North High when it was a vibrant amazing school. Yet the feeders were closed and they lost kids. There is so much that needs to be done around this situation that involved race and racism and equity. It is not solved by creating charters or closing more schools.

Join the discussion by reading the full Landsman and Stewart posts and the discussions that follow, and adding your own thoughtful comments.

• No single action will solve all the problems. But when Landsman says the the problems are "not solved by creating charters or closing more schools," she dismisses what thousands of families of color are saying. They've had enough and are sending their children to places like Hiawatha, Harvest Prep, Global Academy and Friendship Academy. All people of color don't agree..some continue to send their children to MPS. But to dismiss high performing charters are not part of the solution seems to ignore what thousands of families are saying. What does it say about Ms. Landsman's racial attitudes that she is so willing to dismiss the decisions that African and Latino parents have made to attend these schools? - by Joe Nathan on Thu, 11/29/2012 - 9:56pm
  • Something to follow. - by Carol Duff on Thu, 11/29/2012 - 10:03pm
  • Great point Joe. The insufferable maternalism that discounts our choice has got to stop. - by Chris Stewart on Thu, 11/29/2012 - 10:21pm
  • Joe-- First, I have to say that, knowing a little bit about your work, I'm very disappointed in the way you've gone after Julie Landsman personally. That's completely unnecessary. She's dedicated her life--her entire life--to advocating for disenfranchised youth and families. I appreciate your point, but where, exactly, do you have evidence that any problem regarding school segregation or achievement gaps have been solved by charter schools? Systemically speaking, the research shows just the opposite--that charter schools are more segregated and have virtually no effect overall on the achievement gap. That doesn't mean that all charter schools are awful. It means that a lot of resources continue go to into solutions that have nothing to do with the problem. And the result is that the poorest families who disproportionately are NOT the families with kids in charter schools (again--this is a problem nationally, not just in the Twin Cities area) and who still rely on neighborhood public schools end up getting doubly-shafted because those are the schools that end up closing or with lower and lower funding. I'm trying to follow your logic. In your post below you say that thousands of people of color are voting with their feet by choosing charter schools. But there are way, way, way more families of color who aren't choosing charters than there are those who are choosing charters. If we're going by a vote, charters clearly lose, right? The other issue is this: they're not really getting to choose between all possible options. Do you think people would choose the opportunity to leave neighborhood public schools if those schools were adequately funded and staffed and resourced? Really, if we all cared about education gaps we would be doing much more transformational things than opening charter schools. We'd be battling our butts off to ensure that every working adult has access to living wage work, that everybody has access to health care and affordable housing and healthy food and everything else. Pretending like these gaps are going to disappear if we just reorganized kids a bit seems a bit illogical, which is why so many people wonder what other motivations are behind school "reform" initiatives that pretend like those bigger inequities don't exist. I guess that's a different conversation altogether. Similarly, Chris, knowing something about your work, your characterization of Julie's arguments as "fringe-left-conspiracy" is disappointing and simply asinine and says more about you than it does about Julie and her commitments. If the core goal here is to create a more equitable and just educational system, then that sort of personal attack makes you part of the problem. It's destructive to any real commitment to moving forward. Julie is raising questions that a lot of people have, including a lot of families of color and low-income families. Plus, it is a fact, for instance, that TFA-affiliated organizations all over the country are finding ways to support and fund candidates for school board positions, often with money from outside the local area, that will push the TFA agenda. That's not news and it's not fringe-left. It's reality. It also is a fact that more and more resources once earmarked for public education are being diverted into public enterprise. Why is naming those sorts of realities "fringe-left" to you? People tell me I'm radical or fringe-left when I say that racism still exists or that poor people ought to have access to the same level of education as wealthy people. Does that make me fringe-left to you? My struggle with the people who advocate for charter schools is that the advocacy appears to be so uncritical. The critical questions being raised about charter schools seem to be coming almost entirely from outside the organizations that relentlessly push the virtues of charter schools. Joe--have you ever written anything, among all the stuff you've written, that challenges other champions of charter schools to address the racial and economic segregation in charter schools or the way that charter schools draw precious resources out of neighborhood schools? If so, it needs more visibility. What I see happening for the most part are people committed to protecting a truly "public" public school system raising those questions and then fierce attacks on those people (like Chris's attach on Julie) by charter school advocates in the same way anybody who ever raises a question about TFA immediately is dressed down, sometimes by Wendy Kopp herself. It's almost as though there's a sense that nobody has the right to raise questions about these things, which only is going to raise more suspicion about what's really happening. Finally, Joe, regarding your comment below, it's always OK to raise questions. That's different from a personal attack. Julie hasn't called you or Chris any names or suggested that you're a racist or that you have racist motivations. You've been suggested that about her, and you should be ashamed for that. Not only that, but it makes you sound completely out of touch with the last 20 years of educational advocacy work being done in the MSP area and how central Julie has been in that work. That's exactly the sort of thing that ought to make people suspicious about what's hiding behind those personal attacks. And that's too bad, because this is a critical conversation for everybody. Withdrawing from this conversation is not the same as withdrawing from the struggle for equity and justice. At some point one's energy is better spent elsewhere if there's not commitment to civil conversation. Paul. - by Paul C. Gorski on Fri, 11/30/2012 - 1:50pm
• This totally unfounded personal attack on me by Mr. Nathan, and now by Mr. Stewart makes any fruitful discussion of solutions and possibilities for this reprint of my column impossible. Discounting my life's work as an educator and community activist negates any chance for finding common ground. When the editor approached me about this project, I had hoped for a civil discussion. - by Julie Landsman on Thu, 11/29/2012 - 11:00pm
  • There are places that civility does not exist........sad. - by Paula Evans on Fri, 11/30/2012 - 7:42am
  • Julie, we can have a civil discussion. That might begin by admitting your piece about Josh and his supporters was mean spirited and intended to question their integrity. At the same time, you remained completely uncritical of the MFT candidate, the MFT in general, and the broken endorsement system that has been nearly hostile to African American candidates (see @[100003549631925:2048:Tracine D Asberry]'s race, for instance) that think independently. If your piece about Reimnitz was an attempt at civil discussion we might want to set new rules for what we consider "civil." - by Chris Stewart on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 6:26pm
• Apparently it's ok for Ms. Landsman to question the motives, beliefs and actions of others. But when her statements are questioned, when it is pointed out that thousands of families of color are voting with their feet (and they apparently believe there is something of value in some charters, which she dismisses), then she withdraws. Low income families in this city and this state don't have the option to withdraw. Fortunately people like Eric and Ella Mahmund, like Datrica Chuckwu, like Eli Kramer, like Chris Stewart have stepped forward. I support the decision of low income families to select MPS schools. I also support their right of families to select charters, or to send their kids to suburban schools, if that's where they think that things will work best. Let's get clear that money spent on elections doesn't not necessarily produce victories (see Koch Brothers). Ms. Landsman is upset among other things about the $ spent on Josh's campaign.) That campaign benefitted from long time local activist Pam Costain and her work with the Wellstone Alliance. Those people know how to organize. And oh, by the way, the late Paul Wellstone, ia good friend, n a joint session of the Minnesota legislature, described charters as "a marvelous idea now spreading around the country." It's time, it's way past time, to stop making excuses for public schools, and to learn from the most effective ones, whether district or charter. - by Joe Nathan on Fri, 11/30/2012 - 2:44am
  • The rich and the beggar have equal freedom to sleep under bridges. - by Paul Meyer on Sun, 12/02/2012 - 1:50am
• I believe a constructive discussion of the value of charter schools, the problems with public schools including the need for principals with courage and commitment to do their part as well as for teachers to be open to trying new perspectives and teaching methods, the need for equity of resources in our schools would be a fine thing. I believe that looking at the success and failure of charters openly and honestly, as well as at the record of public schools would add to this exploration. Implying that those who disagree with you are racist will not get us anywhere. - by Julie Landsman on Fri, 11/30/2012 - 9:17am
  • Isn't that for sure. Who said that charters are meeting the needs of African Americans better than public schools? There are some pretty awesome failures that way, too. Jeesh. Talk about a far flung comment. In fact, I thought research showed that charters primarily benefited white kids. And I don't believe charters are required to provide special education to its kids--could be different in MN. Some of the strongest partnerships I have witnessed are when community-based organizations work with school districts to build schools. The relationship leads to some pretty strong academic environments. I used to work for TAF as the after-school program manager. They have been working WITH districts to build pretty amazing academic environments based on PBL and STEM. The relationship tends to make TAF and the district stronger. http://www.techaccess.org/ - by Paul Teske on Fri, 11/30/2012 - 9:49am
• The complicated and intricate solutions for the Minneapolis schools need honesty not slander. I have been reading these postings with great interest. The issues discussed are critical for our city to thrive. I am disappointed that Mr. Nathan and Mr. Stewart have attacked. Ms. Landsman. Their action shuts down an interesting discussion and changes the focus for me. Clearly, Nathan and Stewart are not aware of Landsman's work. Her books have guided citizens in our city and nation. Her voice is one of front-line experience and scholarship. I attended her dialogue sessions around the publication of her book "A White Teacher Talks About Race". These sessions were co-sponsored by the Hennepin County Libraries and school districts in suburban Hennepin County and Minneapolis. The State of MN offered continuing education credits for attending teachers. These sessions had tough, insightful and inspiring dialogue between teachers, students, parents and citizens. Also, hope, which Julie Landsman has in abundance. The student is always at the center of her work, which makes her voice believable. I have not listed all of her accomplishments, this does not seem necessary to express my dismay that she, a leader in this field, is a subject of discussion rather than the students and parents of our schools. Mr. Nathan and Mr. Stewart, please apologize and continue in dialogue with Julie Landsman and the rest of us. - by Pamela Holt on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 8:59am
  • I don't like conspiracy theories either, but it is fact, not theory, that the GOP and ALEC are consolidating power across the country by financially backing people for School Board, then state legislatures and governorships with corporate backing that profits directly from the privatization of public infrastructure, including schools. So where did the $37,000 come from? - by Marcia Wattson on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 10:46am
  • Pamela, I'm not moved by your false indignation and inability to be objective. Julie attacked good people while ignoring a great deal of inequity in her own camp. With all her years of experience I think she can handle the blowback from writing such a mean spirited piece about Josh Reimnitz and his supporters. - by Chris Stewart on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 6:21pm
  • "insufferable maternalism", civil? - by Julie Landsman on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 7:51pm
  • Yes. Telling us what choices are best for us is maternalism. And, given the fact that black self-determination has been abridged to our detriment - it is insufferable in 2012. Maybe you wouldn't choose to have TFA teachers or charter schools, but what about those of us that do? Should you have the final word on what we want for our own children? - by Chris Stewart on Sun, 12/02/2012 - 1:41pm
• Thanks, Marcia...we are back to the orginial question. Great to see a classmate (Southwest High) is also interested in Ms. Landsman's suggestion to follow the money. Let's plan to attend a few School Board meetings together. Perhaps, we can enlist Boyer and others to also attend these meetings to view the work of the Board. Like you, I believe in public education. When I worked in the northern suburbs in the early 90's, one of the school boards spent most of their meetings trying to ban books, while ignoring the critical fiscial and social issues. Leaving that area to work twenty minutes south on Highway 100, the new school district had the banned book titles on their required 7th & 8th grade summer reading lists. What is the agenda of the financial contributors? - by Pamela Holt on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 2:00pm
• I would like to make one thing clear: I have spent most of my career challenging teachers in public schools who are members of unions. It is what I do. And they get angry and frustrated with me. To imply that I am a spokesperson for MFT and the way they do or do not endorse candidates is in error.. I support experience in the classroom being rewarded. I support experienced teachers for all students, including those in the most troubled schools. I support decent pay and working conditions for all teachers. I support parents making choices. I support social justice curriculum for all students. I do not support the Eli Broad foundation or Michelle Rhee or ALEC dictating to us how we, in Minneapolis should, run our schools or in their funding of candidates from outside our city. My piece on Reminitz was about the issue of money and I said that clearly. If this concern about outside intervention and control by organizations makes me a conspiracist instead of a realist then I think we are going to have to agree to disagree. I don' think it has to degenerate into name calling, however. - by Julie Landsman on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 8:19pm
  • I, as a educator of color, who has known Julie Landsman for many years and have taught in the public school systems and charter schools in Mpls. and Chicago, have not experienced Julie Landsman as counterproductive to public school teachers OR communities of color who sought justice or self determination. - by Louis Alemayehu on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 8:37pm
  • Bravo Julie.....let me channel Al........" You are kickin' a-- and takin' names" on this subject. They just don't get it. Keep up the good fight. - by Paula Evans on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 8:44pm
  • Ditto to the above! Keep up Julie! - by Debra Stone on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 9:27pm
  • As an African American educator, for more than 20 years, I love and support Julie in all she does. Some white people are I'm sure put off by her because she calls it as she sees and has experienced it. For the name callers and haters feel free, because she has endured and faced many a coward. Cowards are those who hide behind computer screens, and smart phones. I love you Julie and Maury! - by Kristy Pierce on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 10:07pm
• It is now time to close down this discussion of me personally, with thanks to those who have supported my work. It is time to find another forum and another way to address issues, not personalities. The cause of educating our students, of graduation rates, of equity in resources for all children is way beyond accusation and innuendo and assumptions. Let's find a way to work this out together. I need to focus on the projects in education I care deeply about now and those of you I know will also do the same. Energy has to go to the work with the kids. - by Julie Landsman on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 11:22pm
  • Amen. - by Pamela Holt on Sat, 12/01/2012 - 11:32pm
  • As always the consummate professional and gracious lady - by Mary-Louise Clary on Sun, 12/02/2012 - 9:20am