Achievement
Gap Committee
Candidate
Questionnaire
Mike Endrizzi: MPS
School Board Candidate, District 1
email@ Mike4MPS@me.com
1. The Minneapolis Public Schools have struggled for some time to raise the achievement of low-income students and students of color.
1a. What in your opinion are the most important factors in raising student achievement?
> The 3 most important factors in raising student achievement are 1) Security of our students, 2) Technology and MPS' investment in it and management of it, and 3) Innovation of our current resources and technologies.
A.) SECURITY: Ensuring a safe classroom environment is the simplest way to raise student achievement. An anxious student who feels threatened will not perform up to their ability. Nationally, teachers agree that student misbehavior is the biggest problem/barrier preventing classroom success.
I was a MPS full-time contracted teacher (2003-2009) enlisted to support struggling MPS classrooms. In my own MPS District 1, I taught at Edison HS, Sheridan Elementary, Northeast MS, Marcy Open, Pillsbury, Wait Park, as well as Putnam, Holland, and Webster Open among other schools. I was a part of the teacher's union and respected their representation, however, teacher and student security has not been an issue given enough attention by this district's leaders.
As a MPS teacher, I have witnessed and experienced gang members in the classroom and the fear they invoke in others who are FORCED into classrooms with them. I taught at Stadium View School (MPS’ school at Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Facility). Teaching gang members, murderers, rapists and other juveniles at Stadium View taught me that our most valuable tool in education is compassion and a belief that every child NEEDS and DESERVES an education, but more importantly a safe environment for it to be fully received.
B.) TECHNOLOGY, THE GOOD AND THE BAD
1) Technology, The Bad: MPS has no policy that is consistently enforced or dynamic management plan for the new technologies that our students are confronted with every minute of every day.
Most students Text, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, skype, YouTube, etc, etc...IN CLASS!
>Students use school computers and view banned sites with a simple "proxy" search on Google.com Advertisers will always have available "proxies" to bypass our school's filters. This problem is widespread and very threatening to our entire school environment.
>2nd graders bring cell phones to school.
>Level 3 offenders have had access to regular phone lines while awaiting trial or placement.
>Gang members and drug dealers use technologies to increase their take.
>Our teacher's and administrators don't fully understand these technologies and are currently helpless in confronting it.
These 3 simple examples are only the tip of the iceberg. "Technology Abuse" happens to our students because corporate interests invest heavily in advertising and getting our students' attention. These companies invest more money in our students than we do. Sadly, MPS has NO Strategy or management plan for this, and so our students continue to disrupt our classrooms daily because of it.
2) Technology, The Good: MPS could use new technologies to save millions of dollars immediately. MPS currently wastes millions of dollars on "non-sustainable" older technologies and outdated industries.
C.) INNOVATION: Some discussions that need our attention.
>The whole world is digitizing, why aren't we? Our use/waste of Paper products that create trash rather than innovating digital media seems criminal in 2010. A worksheet or test or book can be digitized with no waste.
>MPS spends up to $100+/each on outdated text books rather than using digital books w/immediate updating potential . Laptop computers that promote better management and efficiency should be standard for every student of the district.
>MPS only uses Traditional classroom lecturing incorporating computers and Smart Boards, but there is NO "On-Line option" in MPS (this is a proven technology for learning that is available at most any College or University). In addition to regular classrooms, MPS should make all K-12 classes available on-line, making every lecture and every lesson as well as worksheets and tests available to every MPS student at any time, anywhere. All students in this district should be issued a digital reader( like the Apple IPad) with the capacity of being the only item needed for class.
Ideas like these and the action of pursuing them will also attract much the 13,000 students within our district's borders who "choose" not to attend MPS.
The Minneapolis Public Schools have struggled for some time to raise the achievement of low-income students and students of color.
1b. What measures should the school board take to improve student outcomes?
The school board needs to understand that raw test data does NOT explore or include the nuances of a student's life experience which greatly effect their testing. Examples of data not included in test scores:
1) A student helping raise siblings at home.
2) A student who switches schools because of their family moving into a new rental or home.
3) A student confronted by gangs who is bullied and is always fearful.
4) A student who is hungry or starving.
5) A student addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Students in these examples can NEVER be understood or reached if we base our system so heavily on corporate-manufactured testing that is "1-size-fits-all" and applied nationally.
I believe MPS is a very unique urban/suburban example that needs to look past national mandates that follow "cookie-cutter" standards. We need to find proven micromanaged learning systems that take the dynamic aspects of a MPS student's life and adds them to an empirical formula resulting in success. If we can identify a learning pattern or hurdle in a student, then we can apply a proper learning system that already exists.
Note: Corporations make money every time a test is cracked or system of text books is bought by the district. Corporations have no consideration for our students' and community's welfare, they are profit driven. Corporations that print, sell, manufacture MPS materials' have no investment in our communities' success and we should always be reassessing our focus on local resources, business, and manufacturing.
1c. If the school board follows your suggestions, how soon would you expect to see significant results?
If the school board follows my suggestions, MPS will stop losing millions of dollars on waste, methods, testing, programming, and poor management immediately.
2. Some people are concerned that focusing on academic achievement for low-income students means that insufficient attention is being paid to the needs of average and high performing students. How do you respond to that concern?
Those who are should re-examine this issue and remember that our school system is one public body, and if one limb fails then the whole body is effected. If you look at the numbers of "high-performing" students and "low-income" students while applying students' demographic data, you'll find that this concern stems from a lack of district unity. There are solutions for improving district unity that can resolve some concern, however I am committed to creating a level playing field for academic achievement, and that means focusing on areas of inequality which exist in particular areas within the district. Equal opportunity comes through good management of resources.
3. It has been suggested that certain provisions of the teacher’s contract prevent the administration from staffing the schools adequately to meet the needs of students. Please comment on your opinion of the current teacher’s contract.
I was a part of the Teacher's Union in Minneapolis during my 6 years contracted to teach with MPS. I appreciate to this day most of what the Union has done. I believe that with proper negotiations and compromise, a contract or certain provisions in that contract can be resolved to handle any staffing or management issue.
4. One idea to improve student outcomes is to spend more time on task. That might mean a longer school day or a longer school year. Do you favor increasing learning time for students, and if so, how would you like to see that happen?
Yes, I favor increased learning time for students through the incorporating of new technologies. Currently, our students are quick learners to available technologies. Teachers and administrators need to be WISER about new technologies' management and policies with respect to education and students who use them all the time.
Time on task needs proper instruction. Proper instruction can be made available in a "non-linear" audio/video format to be viewed anywhere, anytime, by anyone with a computer and internet access. Repetitive viewing can bring clearer understanding.
All MPS classes should be available on-line with accompanied grading and merit systems. A "MPS on-line Learning Network" can be put up to efficiently broadcast any grade, any subject, any time, with multiple viewing ability and testing. Example: On-line colleges and Universities have been around for years and is very successful in achievement as well as garnering revenue.
Minneapolis has a WiFi city-network in place. With a simple computer all students can learn at any given time by simply logging onto the MPS-Network. If managed correctly the school year would never cease, but would not require many of the expensive "hard" resources and would cut back on classroom size. I do not condone the elimination of conventional classroom instruction.
5. Early childhood education is often offered as an important strategy for addressing the achievement gap.
5a. What are your views on investing in early childhood education?
Early Childhood Education is critical to a students' success and needs to be prioritized. The fact that we have hungry children in younger grades within the MPS district is an example of how there is something critically wrong in MPS' perception of early childhood education.
A child's brain has a greater ability to learn and function when it has proper nourishment. We need to PRE-EMPT learning disabilities caused by malnourishment.
5b. How can there be better alignment between pre-k programs and the K-12 system?
When the school board realizes that new technology with proper innovation and management allows and promotes parallel/similar learning strategies found in both programs as well as extending into adult education, this will be a non-issue.
6. Some people suggest we need more flexible or innovative models of delivering education.
6a. Do you favor or oppose charter schools?
6b. What should the relationship be between the charter schools and MPS?
6c. Do you favor or oppose self-governed (teacher-led) schools?
I favor charter schools as well as charter programs within schools. I also believe a home-schooling charters could be accepted in MPS. All charter schools can provide hard data with regard to advancing new ideas and strategies. Also, MPS is a great way to give a charter legitimacy as an alternative within a neighborhood.
"Self-Governed" is a slippery term; I support and favor "accountable administration" to the greater district's board in any teacher-led schools.
7. A group of Northside residents have formed a Northside Achievement Zone, aiming to replicate some of the outcomes experienced by the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York.
7a.How should the School Board respond?
7b. Is it appropriate for the School Board to make special efforts or investments in a particular portion of the city?
The Northside Achievement Zone is an excellent example of a neighborhood involved. I believe in investing different resources appropriate to demographic challenges.
8. With 65% students of color, the Minneapolis Public Schools face significant challenges with regard to integration. Some people prioritize integration efforts, while others argue that that it is more important to improve the quality of schools in low income neighborhoods. What is your opinion on this? Do you favor efforts to increase integration in the city schools? If yes, what steps would you take to make that happen?
I don't believe in "forced" integration. I believe in "open- enrollment" and open programs that are properly funded and open to all MPS students. We don't "need" our classrooms forcefully integrated because classrooms should be about curriculum . Instead, we need to encourage the student body's unity and awareness of cultural and sexual identity and respect for individuality. We can do this through all-school events/calendar events, and throug extra-curricular activies( pep rallies, sports teams, clubs and organizations) that can be integrated to encourage unity among race and culture.
9. Improving governance of our public schools is a big topic of discussion.
9a. What in your opinion are the main governance challenges for public education?
9b. Are there different governance models that you believe are worth exploring
9c. The Governor recommended that the Minneapolis and St. Paul school district be managed by the cities’ mayors. What is your opinion of this recommendation?
Good governing requires good management of resources. I believe in the MPS school board and their legitimacy in governance. The new trend to district representation within the board is both exciting and overdue.
Mayors should deal with the school system, too. I would be open to data exploring a Mayor's involvement with the school board, however, I think a Mayor is too busy to deal with such a dynamic and should defer to the MPS school board's authority.
10. Your role in the school board
10a. How do you define the role of a school board member?
A School Board member should be an actively concerned member of the community with knowledge of our school system's successes and failures. I am willing to compromise and collaborate with the many dynamics of such a body for the success of our school system.
With my perspective on security, technology, and innovation, my role on the MPS school board will be to provide that perspective as to improve the situation in our schools which I don't think is improving. I am only involved in this election because I feel it is absolutely necessary to present a perspective that I see vacant within the current board and board candidates.
10b. How much time each week do you expect to spend on school related matters?
I am passionate about my ability to engage and help the MPS system. I have been a teacher involved with school related matters since 1989. My life is in synch with school related matters day and night, and I don't expect that to change anytime soon, especially with a 4-year old son at home.
10c. If elected, how many terms do you plan to serve?
At this time, I have no plans further than a first term.
11. Finally, what does success in the Minneapolis Public Schools look like to you.
A goal to success is for MPS is to be a model urban school system in the nation; smart people creating a smarter student body displaying constant critical thinking, assessment and re-assessment of our public system that continues to graduate model citizens. It is proving "accountability" more than just saying the word. Success in MPS begins with responsible and fearless leadership that can enjoy the moment's triumphs and own its failures while learning from them and moving forward.
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