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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuman Rights and Diversity - 11/11/2010 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2010 7:00 P.M., 125 EDEN PRAIRIE CENTER Office of Housing and Human Services COMMISSION MEMBERS: Pam Spera(Chair), Marcy Harris (Vice Chair), Peter Huck, Linda Crawford, Lauren Juergensen, Gayle Sanders and Robert Rozanski STAFF: Molly Koivumaki, Manager- Housing and Community Services; Heidi Wojahn, Recorder STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Ryan Borchardt and Salman Ikramuddin GUESTS: Melissa Krull, Superintendent/Eden Prairie Schools Patricia Magnuson, COO/Eden Prairie Schools Ahmed Jama, Community Member I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Spera called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Commissioner Lauren Juergensen and Student Representative Salman Ikramuddin were absent. Commissioners Marcy Harris and Robert Rozanski were excused from this evening's meeting. Introductions were made. IV. NEW BUSINESS Krull distributed boundary input session handouts and presented upcoming changes to the Eden Prairie School District. She and Magnuson have been sharing these plans with a variety of leadership groups to get the facts out and to garner support and courageous public advocacy. The reasons behind the changes are to help close the achievement gap between white students and students of color/low-income students and to better utilize school capacity. Plans to accomplish this include reconfiguring K-4 schools to K-6 schools, adding a new school, and defining new boundaries. Cedar Ridge, Eden Lake, and Lower Campus are close to or exceeding capacity while the other schools are well below capacity with the district trying to lease available space. The Spanish Immersion school is currently on two campuses which is not ideal, and Eden Prairie is losing Spanish immersion students to other districts. Converting Oakpoint to two K-6 schools will bring the Spanish Immersion school to one location as well as house a new elementary. Early childhood families (birth to 5 years of age) have been enrolling in classes elsewhere. The proposed changes will assist with better use of space overall for early childhood and allow the district to grow those programs. There has been a dip in achievement scores among students who transition to new schools. This is particularly evident in 5th grade test results. Some students do not adjust well to changes. Better results occur with reduced transitions between schools which is why the shift to K-6 HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES November 11, 2010 Page 2 schools is happening. The numbers of free and reduced price lunches is disproportionate with Forest Hills carrying over 40 percent of the burden. The new boundaries will more evenly distribute these students so each of the five elementary schools will have approximately 20 percent of the students on free and reduced lunches with a differential of no more than two percent. Research shows low-income students and children of color do better in school when they are not isolated. Crawford stated she had been following the developments closely and stated there are parents of both white and minority students who are upset by the proposed changes. She asked what will be different because changing schools alone does not ensure success. She suggested approaching or offering focus groups to parents of disadvantaged students who are performing well to find out what they are doing differently than those students who are not achieving success. Magnuson said the best thing the schools can do is ensure there is a highly qualified teacher in front of each classroom utilizing best instructional practices. They have been interviewing teachers in classrooms where all students are succeeding, regardless of race or income. Krull added while parent involvement is key, they want to structure school environments conducive to all children where they can feel a sense of community and belonging. Magnuson distributed maps and reviewed the proposed boundary changes. There have been seven input sessions to date. Most of the high-end housing is on the west side of town; most of the low-end housing is on the east side. Much of the green area of the map is commercial/industrial. The size of the district is not large at six by six miles, so no student will need to be on the bus an inordinate amount of time. One of the goals of the task force was to keep bus times intact ensuring the longest bus ride would stay at 35 minutes and the average ride would remain at 20 minutes. They also considered logical geographic groupings (i.e. major highways) to create boundary lines and sustainability. This should prevent neighborhoods from repeatedly having to move and should be the last significant boundary change for a long time, although regular re-evaluation will need to be done to ensure balance. Discontiguous boundaries are not uncommon in school districts and are determined in order to fill capacity, balance demographics, and keep communities together. It is new for Eden Prairie, however, and some people are having a difficult time accepting the proposed changes. The reason the green section around Mitchell Lake was chosen as a discontinguous section is because it is between major highways (Highways 5 and 212) and it is not within one mile of any school. Residents of Bearpath, a gated community south of 212 and west of Dell Road, are also having a hard time. They are more than a mile from Cedar Ridge with Dell Road separating them from the school. They will have a simple bus ride to Prairie View,but they would prefer to stay at Cedar Ridge partly due to proximity reasons. Another vocal group of citizens reside in the westernmost portion of the yellow section of the map (south of Highway 1/Pioneer Trail). While they are within a mile of Cedar Ridge, they are not walkers and are a group easily shifted to another school based on natural boundaries and numbers of students. Complaints are starting to come from residents of the small orange section of the map because they are closer to two other elementary schools than to Cedar Ridge. Residents directly to the west of Eden Lake are beginning to come to terms with the shift to the new school. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES November 11, 2010 Page 3 Sanders asked if open enrollment is an option for those who are adamant about attending a particular school. Magnuson explained open enrollment is permitted between districts, but in-district transfers are not allowed (for capacity and bus routing reasons) unless there are extenuating circumstances. Doing so would create utter chaos and balance could not be achieved. Crawford inquired about what tools are used to measure progress and how races are categorized. Krull stated achievement is measured annually by the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments and three times a year by the Northwest Evaluation Association. Five categories are used for reporting. There is not a discernible gap between Asian, East Indians, and Caucasians. The achievement gap occurs among Blacks and Hispanics, the percentage of which is almost identical to the percentage of low-income students. Koivumaki brought forth the challenge from the MET Council to build 1800 new affordable housing units in Eden Prairie between 2011 and 2020. Affordable does not necessarily mean low-income and is currently defined as $233,000. Areas being considered are the Golden Triangle and major center which could very well affect the balance among the schools. Spera asked what prompted the shift to K-6 schools. Krull explained the task force came up with about 11 different configurations, five of which were presented to her. The K-6 model made the most sense given the criteria of creating conditions that work for all kids systemically. After these changes take place, more will need to be done in the classrooms. A lot of instruction is taking place so teachers are equipped to meet the different needs of students. Crawford said what she liked about the grades 5-6 model at Oakpoint was the reduction in cliques and bullying. Perhaps some interactive activities can be planned for students from the various elementaries prior to transitioning to junior high. Jama said there is a group of around 100 people who have been most vocal in this process. He has met with a group of 10 or so who weren't even aware of the achievement gap. Somali parents are mostly positive about the changes. Krull said they have some good ideas about making final adjustments to the map. Huck asked what types of changes would be made. Magnuson said they will go back to the criteria to see if they missed anything in terms of geographical areas or bus ride times (being cognizant of weather and traffic). One of the easier changes to make would be to the northwest corner between Prairie View and Forest Hills. There have been some good suggestions for different boundaries in that area. Other areas where people have been complaining are also being reconsidered. If it doesn't violate the criteria and upset the balance, they will try to accommodate residents' requests. Krull reported some parents in attendance at the Somali Family Fun Night explained although they are fine with the proposed changes, they have concerns their children won't be welcome at their new school. Crawford questioned why there should be a fun night just for Somalis; it should be for everyone at the school or district-wide. It sets a precedent when the idea is to have cohesiveness, not to isolate and label people. Given this has been such a volatile situation,healing needs to take place. Spera asked if there was a way to direct people to the studies and research to persuade them the changes make sense. Kids might take on their parents' views and bring that to school with them. Krull said studies are posted on the district website. There are many people who are ok with the plans,but they are laying low. Crawford asked if there was any way the commission could help with the transition. The kids have thoughts and emotions about this, too, and they should be talked to about it in small groups and via activities. Koivumaki said the commission cannot publicly take a stand as they represent the Council;however, one way it can offer support is through peaceful mediation after the decision is made. Crawford HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES November 11, 2010 Page 4 suggested a forum to open up dialogue between families. Krull welcomed support, ideas, and advocacy and then excused herself from the meeting. Magnuson announced a school board workshop will take place Tuesday evening. It is not an opportunity to provide input,but it is a good way to hear what is going on. The next school board meeting is set for November 23 at 6:00 p.m. She encouraged letters to the school board members and newspaper editor. She reiterated their job is to create the best conditions for kids to learn. Spera recalled in the case Brown vs. the Board of Education there being a lot of reasoning why separate but equal is not good for children. Magnuson said one of the studies on the district's website is a longitudinal research study showing white, high-income students who had a diverse experience in high school performed better in college and the workforce than those who did not have an integrated environment. Crawford said her daughter attended The Blake School which is diverse and integrated. Some of Blake's students come from extremely wealthy families and it has not hurt them any to have attended school with poor children. Maybe the district could encourage someone from Blake to come in and talk to the Eden Prairie parents who are apprehensive about the changes. Magnuson thanked the group for listening and stated anything the commission can do would be appreciated. She and Jama left the meeting. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Approved by informal consent. III. MINUTES MOTION: Sanders moved, seconded by Huck, to approve the October 14, 2010 minutes. Motion carried 3-0-1 with Crawford abstaining. V. REPORTS FROM STAFF - Koivumaki A. HUMAN SERVICES REVIEW COMMITTEE (HSRC) No report; HSRC did not meet. B. BIAS CRIME ACTIVITY STATUS No report. C. OTHER REPORTS FROM STAFF 1. School Boundaries At the last meeting commissioners directed Koivumaki to contact the schools to see if there is some diversity outreach the commission can assist with in terms of the proposed boundary changes. As a follow-up Koivumaki contacted Camie Melton, Communications Manager for the District, who in turn spoke with Krull and Magnuson. As confirmed earlier in tonight's meeting, they relayed back they would like HRDC's HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES November 11, 2010 Page 5 support after the boundaries have been approved. Based on what was discussed, Koivumaki recommended the commission go ahead and assist in bringing families together in early 2011. 2. "Where are Your Neighbors" Series The most recent presentation in this series was well-attended. Highlights included a dancer and a group singing the Indian national anthem a cappella. Community Education would like to partner with HRDC again in April 2011 to either highlight another culture or to hold a gathering event similar to the one the commission hosted previously where residents shared what it is like to be an immigrant in Eden Prairie. 3. Faith Community Summit Several churches from Eden Prairie and Chanhassen were represented at the Faith Community Summit held October 28. The goal was to promote collaboration and efficient use of resources. The role of the City is to identify what and where are the needs. For example, three Eden Prairie churches were independently offering Somali tutoring. While the intent is good, it perhaps wasn't coordinated as well as it could have been. Bringing them together helped organize the tutoring and provided a place (in Koivumaki's office) where it could be conducted. The churches were very receptive to the idea of partnership and accommodating changes to their approach. Unfortunately there are philosophical differences which may prevent some churches from working or praying together with other churches. The churches needed to be made aware five of the eight City Council candidates who participated in the candidate forum stated human services should be the responsibility of the faith community. The meeting served as an opportunity to share ideas, too. Westwood Community Church in Chanhassen has a group of men called "Wheelers" who teach basic car maintenance to teen moms. The wives of these men work with the teenagers on presentation and interpersonal skills. Information from the meeting is in the process of being compiled. Crawford brought forth a couple of suggestions: 1) perhaps the churches could view their partnership as an interfaith alliance—they don't need to pray together to participate with one another, and 2) tutoring should be coordinated not just among the churches,but in conjunction with the schools to help close the achievement gap. It should be extended to African Americans, as well, since they have been identified as part of the group suffering academically. A centralized location for tutoring might be beneficial in letting people know where they can go for help. Koivumaki stated there is tutoring already occurring in a few different places; the key is getting the word out. Huck departed the meeting at 8:30 p.m. HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSITY COMMISSION MINUTES November 11, 2010 Page 6 VI. OLD BUSINESS Spera announced seeing a Star Tribune article about another suburb in the Twin Cities area following in the City of Edina's footsteps by recognizing gay unions. Maybe the commission should revisit the idea of bringing forth something similar to the Council. Sanders recalled the Commission decided to wait until the newly elected Council is in place. Crawford attended the results meeting of the International Festival. The committee is thinking about changing the name because attendance didn't give the impression it was an event for the whole community. Location is also being reconsidered. She was the only commission member who attended and expressed HRDC should have had a more visible presence by manning its own booth at the event to let the public know it exists. Koivumaki explained the commission has always staffed the games booth in the past which has been a big attraction. Because there were no games this year, there wasn't a spot for them. They were asked to work the information booth instead. Crawford replied there is a need to attract more people than just families with kids. The entertainment was fantastic and the vendors were happy. She plans to volunteer for the event again in the future. VII. REPORTS FROM COMMISSION MEMBERS None VIII. FUTURE MEETINGS/EVENTS The next HRDC meeting will be Thursday, December 9, 2010, 7 p.m. at Eden Prairie Center, Room 125. IX. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Sanders moved, seconded by Crawford, to adjourn. Motion carried 3-0. Chair Spera adjourned the meeting at 8:40 p.m.