David Manolis, Parent representative to the Harambee Site Council, Crosswinds Technology Specialist, and former Tri-District Environmental Science Specialist, offered this teacher's perspective to the 622 board on 21 January 2008.
I am writing to you concerning ISD 622’s possible withdrawal from its collaboration with East Metro Integration District 6067. Though I am not a resident of District 622 or a constituent of yours, I believe that my perspective as one of the very few teachers who has taught in EMID since it opened the Tri-District School in 1996 may prove relevant to you as prepare for your vote tomorrow night.
After reviewing the documentation that the District 622 & EMID task force presented to your January 15th study session, it seems obvious that a major concern of yours is how effectively EMID programs impact all district 622 students, not just the students whose families have chosen to send their children to our schools. On page 31 of that document, the task force highlighted that “a total of 5 students from ISD622 are involved in EMID student programs [other than students attending EMID schools].” On the surface, that number looks appalling; however, I’m very concerned that the task force did not consider the whole story. I believe you should consider the following points before jumping to any conclusions about the impact EMID has on District 622 students:
I did not see any documentation that indicates the number of District 622 teachers who have attended EMID professional development programs. Programs such as S.E.E.D and the REACH Project can have a tremendous impact on students- and the number of teachers who have attended them should be included in a balanced assessment of the efficacy of EMID programming. Though an EMID timeline was included in the packet 2 pages after the above quote, I’m not sure if the task force considered the full context of EMID outreach programming before making its recommendation to you. The low number of District 622 students attending EMID programming makes sense if you consider the fact that the EMID school board, with the support of all member districts, disbanded its outreach programming after the 2005-2006 school year. At that time, an EMID task force began an extensive planning process that finally culminated last June in the creation of the EMID Office of Equity and Integration, which is charged with delivering high quality outreach programs to member districts. That office has had less than 6 months to launch its professional development and student programming, advertise events, and begin serving teachers and students- it is no wonder that so few students have yet to attend their programs! In twelve years teaching at EMID schools, I have seen EMID attempt many different outreach efforts- some more effective than others. With the Office of Equity and Integration, however, I think EMID has finally found the right formula. It is led by two of the most talented and hard working educators I have ever worked with, and it has the resources and support to make a difference for students and teachers outside the two EMID schools.
It seems to me that if you vote to withdraw from EMID, then District 622 will in essence need to duplicate the work that has already gone in to creating the Office of Equity and Integration. I believe that would be an unnecessary waste of time and resources. I also don’t believe that the options in front of you right now are limited to either maintaining the status quo or withdrawing from EMID. I’m not a politician, school administrator, or a lawyer, but it seems to me that the fact that District 622 was recently designated as racially isolated could open doors that might change the dynamics of the EMID partnership. For instance, it could lead you to stipulate a certain percentage of EMID’s Office of Equity and Integration programming be earmarked for district 622 students and teachers. I’m sure that thoughtful and deliberate planning could come up with many similar ways that a continued collaboration with EMID could help you meet the changing needs of your student population. Please give that a chance, and vote to continue your partnership with EMID.