Minneapolis schools cut ties with achievement gap group

Minneapolis school officials are terminating a $375,000 contract with the Community Standards Initiative, an embattled north Minneapolis advocacy group that could not fulfill its promise to help address the district's vast academic achievement gap.

Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson made the decision after weeks of searing public criticism prompted CSI leader Clarence Hightower to say the group was not equipped to do the work. It is a dramatic turn for a politically connected organization whose troubles have stretched to the Capitol.

"Mr. Hightower acknowledged that his organization does not have the capacity to fulfill the overall goals and objectives in its contract with Minneapolis public schools," said Stan Alleyne, the district's chief communication officer. We "plan to move forward with ending the contract."

The termination is effective Oct. 17.

"I take full responsibility," Hightower said in an interview Thursday. "I feel pride and ownership in developing the model as far as we have gotten it," he said. "I also know I don't have the capacity to get it to the point that it can meet the needs of 300 children."

The announcement came the day a group of education advocates demanded an independent review of how the contract got awarded to a group that lacked qualifications and the resources to provide students with mental health referrals and boost community engagement.

The call for an investigation is the latest sign of growing tensions over CSI's leaders and the contract that was awarded without a competitive bid or much public debate.

The group, which includes University of St. Thomas law professor Nekima Levy-Pounds and Chris Stewart, a former school board member and education advocate, want to know what role the local state senators, board members and the superintendent played in awarding the contract.

Community outrage over the contract intensified after reports that DFL state Sens. Bobby Joe Champion and Jeff Hayden privately told school officials they would withhold state education funds if CSI did not get the contract. Champion and Hayden strongly deny threatening school officials.

Earlier this week, a group of North Side residents protested outside of the Rev. Jerry McAfee's New Salem Baptist Church, where he held a rally in support of Champion and Hayden, who are now facing a Senate ethics inquiry over their role in awarding the CSI contract.

The Star Tribune first reported in September that district officials had scant evidence of what the CSI was doing with the money and wanted to end the contract with the group, which is run by community activists Al Flowers and Hightower. Even by the group's own accounting, it had fallen far short of its monthly goals.

The organization was supposed to enroll more than 750 students in its school intervention program by the end of September. In a letter sent to the district on Oct. 4, CSI said it had enrolled 174 students.

Hightower said he appreciated district leaders for putting CSI through a "rigorous process" that involved developing specific goals before giving the organization money.

Hightower said that process "made the program stronger," but he admits the organization fell short.

CSI's work, however, will continue, he said.

"CSI as an organization will go forward under the direction of Al Flowers, and his board and his executive director," Hightower said.

Community organizations still want answers as to why the organization was awarded the contract in the first place.

Natonia Johnson rallied a group of North Side residents to form Not on Our Watch, which aims to hold north Minneapolis leaders more accountable.

With a group of about 20, Not on Our Watch protested outside of McAfee's church on Sunday, chanting, "Hayden and Bobby Joe got to go" and "No justice. No Peace." A YouTube video shows a group of men outside the church shouting expletives at the group.

"We said enough is enough. How can you celebrate [Champion and Hayden] when Hayden was hit with an ethics complaint?" Johnson said. "We do not condone that kind of conduct at all. We wanted the community, particularly north Minneapolis, to know that there are some residents who live here who are not in support of this kind of leadership."

Johnson said she will demand at Tuesday's school board meeting that the district show how CSI spent the awarded $47,000.

"We want full accounting of all moneys that went to CSI, penny for penny, dollar for dollar," Johnson said.