What’s next for Pierre Bottineau French Immersion School?

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In November 2013, just over a year after it opened, Pierre Bottineau’s governing council voted to close the school, citing financial trouble. MPS, however, retains authority over the school and they have stated their commitment to keeping the school open. For the 2014-2015 school year, Pierre Bottineau will move to the Cityview School building, where it will share space with Cityview Elementary. Cityview was one of the schools closed by MPS in 2009; it will reopen this fall as a K-5 “STEAM” school. By relocating to Cityview, the school will have a broader attendance area, and students from both north and northeast Minneapolis can be bused to the school.Tom Franta, the director of MPS’ Office of New Schools since August 2013, said that part of the district’s commitment to Pierre Bottineau will include more financial support, as well as hiring a consultant to help figure out a more appropriate workload for the school’s new director, who has yet to be hired. Continue Reading

Despite hard work, lack of resources cripples Pierre Bottineau

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Once the proposal for Pierre Bottineau French Immersion School was approved, a new founding board for the school was formed. This board was made up of parents, community members, and, eventually, Pierre Bottineau teachers. In 2011, this council hired one of its own—Tina Maynor—to become the school’s first director, or “teacher-leader.” According to board member Chrissy Brogdon, who is also a Pierre Bottineau parent and a French teacher at Anwatin Middle School in Minneapolis, Maynor stood out immediately as a strong candidate for the leadership position.

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Open or closed: What happened to Pierre Bottineau French Immersion School?

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In the fall of 2012, after more than three years of planning and preparation, Pierre Bottineau French Immersion School (PBFI), opened in north Minneapolis. Just over one year later, the school’s independent governing council, which manages the school under the authority of the Minneapolis School Board, recommended that the school be closed. Now it looks like the school will remain open for at least one more year, but not as a language immersion school. After the high hopes and hard work that went into Minnesota’s first site-governed school, what happened? And what can Minneapolis learn from this experience?JoElllyn Jolstad is a Minneapolis Public Schools parent and is employed by the district as a family liaison. Continue Reading

Minneapolis teachers raise questions about new contract

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Provisions for a Community Partnership Schools and an expedited termination process raise questions for some teachers preparing to vote on a new Minneapolis Public School contract. After eight months of negotiation, district and teachers union representatives agreed on a new contract, which was presented to Minneapolis teachers on March 10. Teachers have a week to review the contract details before voting begins on March 17.Minneapolis teacher Jim Thomas said a one-week turnaround is not enough time to adequately review the contract before voting on it. While Thomas acknowledged that this short time frame is not new, he is frustrated that the first union-held information session about the contract will be held on March 17, the same day voting begins.A Special Education teacher with twenty-five years of experience, Thomas says he has had informal discussions with fellow teachers this week, and that he would like to see more healthy debate among them before they sign off on the contract. For Thomas, there are several aspects of the contract that need to be more clearly explained and discussed before members cast their votes.Community Partnership SchoolsThe contract provides for a new “Community Partnership Schools” (CPS) initiative, as part of Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson’s “Shift” proposal for schools with more “autonomy”  and more “accountability.”  The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that accompanies the partnership school provision states that these schools will be able to “take advantage of flexibilities” from district policies and procedures, and the teachers’ collective bargaining agreement, in order to “achieve results” for their students. More on the contract The MPS contract is complicated, and news reports vary somewhat in their descriptions and discussions. Continue Reading

Washington Technology student dreams big to beat the odds in St. Paul

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“I should never set myself up for small dreams,” says St. Paul high school senior Yee Thao, describing his goal of going to college in the fall. “I have optimism, and I don’t want to live in poverty in the future.”This is the third of four articles about the winners of the 22nd Annual Beat the Odds Awards, telling the stories of local high school seniors who have overcome great hardship through determination and courage and who are now headed toward college and continued success. Look for the others in the Twin Cities Daily Planet.Right now, Thao does not have a home, or even a bedroom, to call his own. Instead, he is living with his parents at an older brother’s house, where Thao makes do with a couch for a bed. Continue Reading