Horizon Scanning: Don Allen

I've learned you cannot fix everything, and some things do not want to be fixed because they make money for mediocre results (there can never be rich people without poor people).

By Don Allen, Senior Columnist for the Postmodernist Practicum, rejecting the search for broad generalizations when we know we need to look into the blindspots. 
 

I’ve read insightful articles this week from some of Minnesota’s premier thinkers and nuanced leaders about education this week. The article by Dr. David Schultz, “Minnesota is an educational leader in racial inequality” (2024) https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-is-an.../600373971/ - and Brother Khalique Rogers & Dr. Joe Nathan’s piece, “Counterpoint: A nuanced view of what will reduce educational inequities” (2024) https://www.startribune.com/counterpoint-a.../600374190/ bring to light from two point-of-views what many of us are concerned with, Black learning organizational excellence in a time of unprecedented mediocrity. Both articles are spot on, underscoring the unbalanced state of our educational system when it comes to charter and public schools and our Black children's learning. There are some shining stars, but the systems need your support. What happens to ‘our’ children inside some of our Black-run charter schools reinforces the pipeline to prison in 3rd and 4th grades, i.e., if your grade 3 is 94% in the 0-10 percentile across the board (reading, math, life-skill communication). It’s public information, no secret. The challenge with fixing the system is that ‘the systems’ have grown accustomed to substitutions, meaning that ‘power’ is unevenly distributed amongst inferior human capital, generating ‘no receipts.’ Let me explain further, in the Twin Cities, we have created a new class, not on top, not on the bottom, ‘invisible.’ What does evolution look like with equity as defined by having successful learning organizations in our communities? It's crucial for our community to be involved in this change, and your voice matters.

Let’s follow the breadcrumbs from 2015. We know what was wrong 10 years ago. What’s with the slow rollout?

START HERE READ THE AUDIT (2014-15). “…leader in racial inequality” - “nuanced view.” https://drive.google.com/.../1W2oJAn.../view...