*** School board incompetence ? -- are poor school auditing controls nickel & diming us ?

Just when you think you can't be any more disgusted by the inept leadership at
MPS (including and especially school board members and top leadership), along
comes an article like this. I hope voters remember this the next time MPS comes
begging to Minneapolis taxpayers for another referendum levy. I had heard some
time ago they were gearing up for this in 2015 or 2016, but I haven't seen any
follow-up.
 
When I moved to Mpls nearly 20 years ago, the schools were in the pits. I was
told they were rebuilding, revamping, and getting on the right track. Just pass
this or that referendum and we'll be OK, was the message. Referendums passed.
Meanwhile, charter schools were on the rise. I hated the idea of charters. I
hated the Republican voucher ideas. I hated Ember Reichgott's book. I thought
charters were the death knell for public schools, and the focus needed to be on
supporting the public school system, not creating a parallel universe of
charters. My neighbors continued to move out in droves when they had a kid or
their kids neared school age, unless they could get them into nearby top-notch
St. Anthony Village schools via open enrollment. SAV then had waiting lists,
and now I believe is booked up solid. Meanwhile, charters seemed to crop up on
every corner. I frowned upon my Mpls neighbors abandoning MPS for charters,
suburbs, etc. I heard more and more horrors stories about leadership at MPS,
but still thought "we" could recover. I sensed I was beating a dead horse in
trying to see MPS succeed, and most people had moved on.
 
Well, it's now 2015. I give up. Mpls schools are still in the pits overall, and
leadership has sunk to new lows. We need to wave the white flag of surrender on
MPS. The ship has sailed, and it sunk. I can't believe I'm saying that, but for
various reasons, the battle has been lost and I don't see a road to recovery
with the attitudes displayed by MPS leadership, especially the school board
members (and that goes beyond this recent Strib article). I no longer frown
upon my neighbors who move out, use charters, use open enrollment, etc. I would
do the same. I now understand they were doing what was best for their kid. I
hate to admit that, but MPS leadership has shown it simply cannot get its act
together. They just don't seem to "get it," and this article of leaders
behaving badly ought to send outrage into every Mpls resident. My condolences
to the rank and file employees of MPS, many of whom are as disgusted as I am.
 
**** So is there any example in the US where a school district is "taken over"
or put into some sort of receivership or under some guidance of an outside
party or under the auspices of the feds? How do we get that to happen here? We
need radical change. Please explain why I should not feel this way, School
Board Members and any MPS supporters who are left. (Oh yeah, that's right --
the last time -- the only time -- I wrote to the school board, all but one
ignored me a few months ago and the one who did respond was condescending and
again showed poor leadership and a lack of critical thinking skills on the
topic I had written about.)
 
Still Cranky,
Gayle Bonneville - NE Mpls
 
 
On Jan 11, 2015, at 5:37 AM, Cheryl Luger wrote:
 
> sat jan 11 10/21 pm
> my post at ~5 am
> WHY INTERNAL AUDITING MATTERS
> thanks, strib.anyone heard of INTERNAL AUDITING CONTR0LS ???
>
http://www.startribune.com​/local​/minneapolis​/288154331​.html​?page​=all​&​;prepage​=1​&​;c​=y​#continue
>
> guess I don't know how to react to this.
> actually I do ... but my gut feeling comments would not be 'appropriate'.
> looking to deflect blame on the teachers unions ? ... look inside ... lots of
blame to go around.
>
> am I frustrated, disappointed , betrayed ?
>
>
> so it's not the unions alone,
> it's not the dedicated teacher alone,
> it's not the parents alone
> responsible for the budget and spending priorities diverting our tax dollars
from the kids ?
>
> a lot of 'stakeholders' have a cut in this.
>
>
> maybe it's time to look at the school admin
> and nickel and diming the taxpayers
> .... and who suffers, the kids, future jobs for our families and
productivity and the economy ?
>
> where are the INTERNAL AUDITING CONTROLS ????
> like... it's not that we have raised questions before.
> remember a former school supt who had a nifty car and perks ( as well as
other off the books benefits from staff paid pluses) ?
>
> guess we haven't learned much.
>
> long term consequences ...... the forces behind the privatization of private
ed. will use this to promote their agendas.
>
> stopping my post now before I get sanctioned on the forum. I am really
disturbed.
>
> ..kudos to the strib and Ms. matos.
>
> best wishes,
> Cheryl luger
> Nokomis east\
> from long time supporter of school board referenda... unless there are
changes , perhaps not in the future
>
>
> “I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder
> to see them not ashamed.”
> --- Jonathan Swift
>
>
>
>
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