Making public school policy

It has been a while since we linked to a Katy Zillmer article. Today she returns with District 622 leaves 10-year integration partnership in this week's Lillie Newspapers.

We have linked to a few stories in the dailies (here, here, and here) on this ISD 622 policy change with respect to the East Metro Integration District (EMID) , but didn't catch the intensity of the opposition until receiving a note from a reader and then reading Ms. Zillmer's article.

In front of a room full of parents, educators and students, the District 622 Board of Education unanimously voted Jan. 22 to opt out of a collaborative project it joined 10 years ago to help integrate area schools.
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[a letter posted on the district website responding to attacks] addresses the presence of a police officer at last Tuesday's meeting. "He was asked to attend because of the level of anger that came through in e-mails and phone calls. We knew that this was an emotional issue for many and felt it was the responsible thing to do."

While they maxed out the allowed public comment time, the spectators remained civil throughout the remainder of the School Board meeting.

For some, it was because they felt their chance to influence the district's choice had passed.
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By the regular board meeting date, there was enough talk around town to fill the room to capacity.

State Rep. Nora Slawik, a Maplewood DFLer, addressed the board first. "It's not Feb. 1 today, and there is still time to think about this. I'm here because I'm concerned and because parents are concerned, and you're setting a big precedent here tonight and you know that."
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With the conclusion of the open forum, the crowd waited, almost in silence, to hear the reasoning of staff and for the board members' final vote.
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[Tom Howley, coordinator of the Office of Educational Equity:] "Some concerns (parents) have may be able to be answered through more conversation, for example, transportation services," Howley said. "I thought the parents who were attending were obviously passionate ... they care a whole lot about their students.

"To see that level of engagement was encouraging actually. I would like to in some way continue a collaboration with all of the folks that were in that room."

The parents have organized and set up an EMID Families website.

Aside from what is likely a few extremists getting vicious as noted in the story, we can start from the assumption that this is democracy in action: an elected board doing what they think is best in conducting their mission, in contention with some of those directly affected who are doing what they think is best for their families and children, as well as the community at large.

In any case, the issue presents an opportunity for Maplewood Voices to learn more about what an 'integration district' is, how our larger school district is working to provide quality public education for our citizens, and how citizens are organizing to work for an important dimension of that quality.

Stephan

[Note: to review the 1/22/08 meeting discussed in the article, the district website says "School Board meetings are also broadcast live on Cable Channel 20 and are rebroadcast daily at 10 a.m. and 4 and 8 p.m."]