Commentary

Minneapolis schools ready to meet tough challenges

by Pam Costain

When Bill Green announced last week that he would step down as superintendent of the Minneapolis public schools next year, friends and media alike called me with questions and concerns.

Was I surprised? Was there a hidden angle to this story? Was the school board panicked about having to look for another superintendent, knowing how difficult it can be to find the right person for an urban district?

No, no and no. I was not surprised, there is no hidden angle, and we on the school board are confident we can hire an excellent replacement.

Green took over the reins during a difficult time, when morale was at an all-time low and public confidence was shaky at best. Green rebuilt frayed relationships and restored confidence in our ability to educate the children of our city.

He hired a group of talented leaders and gave them permission to do whatever was necessary to begin major reforms. Many of his senior managers uncovered deep-seated problems in their departments and have set about building a new, more accountable institution.

Green has done a marvelous job stabilizing the district, but I was not surprised when he announced his decision to leave. A man of many talents, he yearns to return to his twin loves of teaching and writing. He is a modest man who values quiet spaces, scholarship and time to think. You get none of that as an urban school superintendent.

Several key decisions have to be made early. Will the search be national or local? What is the competition for superintendents? What are the most important qualities the new superintendent will need in order to lead the district at this time? What do various constituencies want to see in a new superintendent? How quickly can we move and how will the public interact with the process?

Look, I will be honest with you. This will not be easy, and the challenges still facing the Minneapolis public schools are enormous.

Despite excellent progress with the most recent union contract, a renewed focus on high quality teachers and principals, innovative responses to our most struggling schools, and the passage of the 2008 referendum (Thank you, Minneapolis voters), we are not making anywhere near the progress necessary to boost achievement for students of color.

We must close the achievement gap in the next few years, even as we raise the standards for all children. We must make greater investments in early childhood programs in order to ensure that all children are ready for kindergarten. We must have a more generous and reliable source of revenue from the state.

And we must continue to gain even greater flexibility with our unions in order to allow for longer school days, a longer school year, more autonomy in our schools, and greater empowerment for teachers and principals to do what is best for the children in their building.

People ask if I like being a school board member. I appreciate the concern because it is a daunting task, with low pay and long hours.

I couldn't do the job if I didn't believe that high-quality public schools are the foundation of our democracy, and that the city's future is tied to the success of our public schools. And that education is still the most reliable path to opportunity for the majority of our children.

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Pam Costain is a member of the Minneapolis school board.