Right now, half of Minneapolis Public Schools students are not reading at grade-level and our district has some of the worst “achievement gaps” in the U.S. Yet Minneapolis district leaders continue to keep their heads in the sand. In May, the district released a Birth to Adult Literacy Framework, which is meant to serve as the foundation for a future district literacy plan.
This plan to have a plan fails to acknowledge the current dismal state of children’s reading across the district. It doesn’t commit to finding out why current reading teaching isn’t working, nor does it lay out goals and strategies to help teachers do better for their students. Worst of all, it doesn’t set measurable goals for student reading so that the public can hold leaders accountable to do better for our children.
It’s time for Minneapolis to do better. As concerned parents, teachers and community members, we are demanding the following:
- A commitment to train educators in the district on the science of reading, evidence-based reading instruction, including phonics and deliberate attention to increase students’ background knowledge, in the classroom.
- An actionable plan to strengthen literacy among students in Minneapolis public schools, that includes measurable goals and outcomes, evidence-based instructional strategies and clear deadlines by which teacher development and best practices in teaching reading will be implemented.
Sincerely,
Lisa Lyon
Ann Kay
Jennifer Bertolatus
Bridget Gernander
Anjula Razdan
Elijah Norris-Holliday
Colleen McKeegan
Megan Larson
Mary Speaker
Susan Lynx
Kimberly Davis
Annika Ewing
Kay Comeaux
Joanne Brockington
Emmy Higgs Matzner
Rachael Joseph
holly huebner
Diana Bloom
Caroline Crouse
Lauren Murdock
Tania Malven
Sandy Rhein
Gerry Milliken
Ellen Disidoro
Nancy Santucci
janna piper
Lauren Murdock
Alison Robbins
Rocquelle Woods
Jane Lonnquist
janna piper
Diana Bloom
Michael Lombardi
Shannon Gruidl
Jessica Strasser
Alice Anderson
Cindy Vega
Sandy Rhein
Aletha Wilks
Rebecca Schanche
Anna Tsantir
Kristina Olson
Sarah Johnston
Rachael Simon-Miller
Lisa Pillow
Emily Mcpherson
Brenda Cartagena
Sophia Herrera
Sandra Beynon
Michael Lombardi
John Loflin
Lauren Murdock
Cornelia Teed
Darren Beck
Aaron Kennell
Jane Lyga Jones
Debra Nutter
Maggie Koerth
Laura Moen-Ftacek
Katie Anthony
Jennifer Garman
Daisy Fontaine
Sonia Walters
Charisma Smith
Sue Stillman
Alyssa Bonnac
Emily Sowell
Lynn Nordgren
Kari Syverson
Andrew Edwards
Rebecca Donley
Susan Lacombe
Ella Carlsson
Claire Tralle
Teena Wildman
Pamela Mehlin
Faith Dietz
Judy Alexander
Bridget Gernander
Jada Nutter
Christin Crabtree
Leslie Bohl
S. Eddie Hofmeister Porter
Jess Thomas
Sara Katz
Tiffany Rapplean
Amanda Gerber
Ikhlas Saleem
Brandon White
Eugenia Drye
Monica Allen
Daniel Sellers
Savannah Hawkins
Phoenix Shadow Of Moon
Jennifer Gitschier
Robynne Limoges
Haleigh Guerrera
Kristin Harvey
Gene Majewski
Kathy Shores
Noel Barnes
Sarah Goebel
Kate Benson
Tamara Tinkham
Kyra Ostendorf
Theresa Bernard
Blain Mamo
Jason Crawford
Erin Shackett
Paula Luxenberg
Reeve Ridgeway
Sara Logan
Stephanie Verdin
Rachael Joseph
Delia Busby
David Weingartner
Elizabeth Olson
Tara Sullivan
Ronnie X Black
Sharon Baker
David Jones
Lauren Murdock
David Nichols
Toya Jackson
Tina Carvelli
Michelle Ndely
Janette Corcelius
Elizabeth Enright
Robert Brown
Khulia Pringle
Sara Spafford Freeman
Gordon Wright
Maureen Kelleher
Rob Samuelson
Tanesha Peeples
Lisa Hollenbach
Joshua Stewart
