Editorial: Minneapolis schools' plan holds promise

Minneapolis school board members are poised to make big changes in the way they deliver education -- changes that are direly needed.

The litany of troubles faced by city schools -- including the achievement gap, declining enrollment, financial instability and a loss of public confidence -- demands more than Band-Aid, incremental responses. A set of recommendations released earlier this month meet that demand. The nine-point proposal conveys a sense of urgency and includes stronger, more specific ways to improve student performance.

The report grew out of a planning process that began last spring and included an advisory group of teachers, principals, parents, district staff and representatives from business and civic organizations. The McKinsey & Co. consulting firm examined the district's performance and researched school reform efforts nationally.

Among the recommendations: Increase academic rigor to prepare all students for college; set clear expectations for staff; improve leadership and instructional skills for principals and teachers, and hold them accountable for results -- including rewarding those who do well and training or removing those who don't.

Acknowledging that some parents distrust the schools, the report suggests more district staff be trained to work with families across a variety of cultures. Research shows that building relationships and supporting parental involvement improves student learning.

And because the district has lost millions in funding in recent years and could face more cuts in the future, the report suggests better management of high-cost areas and changes in spending priorities.

Other recommendations call for restarting or replacing the lowest-performing schools and for adopting a "new mindset" toward competing programs -- including charter schools. The study suggests that the district work with successful alternative schools, perhaps even sharing services and facilities where appropriate.

That's a critically important change. Several thousand Minneapolis students have left traditional public schools in recent years, many to attend charter programs. The district needs to learn from those schools' successes and work with them to help students achieve.

While a few details may yet change, the direction and goals of the plan are sound. The school board is expected to vote on the proposal Dec. 11; once the strategy is adopted, the wider community should support it.

For more details about the proposal, go to www.mpls.k12.mn.us. The last of several public forums about the plan will start at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Minneapolis Urban League, 2100 Plymouth Av. N.