Commentary; Posted: 4/11/07
Partnerships can make schools better
Joe Nathan
Education Columnist
We’re losing students to nearby schools. What can we do? The call came from northern Minnesota – but it’s a question I hear from someone almost every week.
Minnesota legislators have wisely given families more public school options over the last 20 years. In response, many schools and educators have adapted, improving their programs. That’s what people like the late Gov. Rudy Perpich, and Speaker of the House Connie Levi hoped would happen.
Here are a few examples of positive district responses.
Jerry Ness, Superintendent of the West Central Public Schools, near Fergus Falls, recently described the impact of providing more options, such as Post-Secondary Enrollment Options, open enrollment and charter public schools, “You have to be innovative to survive. Giving students more choices among schools has made us much better.”
Ness explained: To combat post-secondary options, we’ve made partners out of them, rather than enemies.” He listed several agreements with post-secondary institutions that his district has negotiated:
•Courses available at Alexandria Tech
•Colleges in the Schools with Fergus Falls Community College
•Using the same software in certain courses as is used in post-secondary institutions, so that students are more familiar with what they will encounter later in their educational career.
Ness, who has been president of Minnesota Rural Education, reports that the many rural districts are developing new partnerships like these.
Gregg Allen, formerly principal and superintendent in the southern Minnesota Nicollet district, described how his district responded to Post-Secondary Options. With two post-secondary institutions less than 15 miles away, “We had to do something.”
Nicollet cooperated with Fond Du Lac Community College to offer 16 credits a semester in courses that earned both high school and college credit. Before beginning the program, Allen interviewed students to see what they were seeking.
“It wasn’t just more challenging courses. They wanted to be treated more like adults. So we changed the schedule for them, set up a separate lounge, and began offering the courses between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.”
Response was very positive, from students and their parents. Every Nicollet junior and senior took at least one of these courses, and a number of juniors and seniors spent most of their time in concurrent courses. Allen notes “Parents and students really rose to the occasion. The students asked to be treated more like adults – and when we did it, they showed us that they were ready.” Allen hopes to create a similar program in Osakis, where he was recently hired to be superintendent.
Several weeks ago I described Anoka-Hennepin School District’s marvelous STEP program. Located on the campus of the Anoka Technical College, it provides a valuable new option for area youngsters.
In Perham, educators and family members joined together to create a new community recreation center, located at one end of the school. It replaced an old, decrepit gym with a “state of the art” fitness center that serves students and their families, from early morning to late at night.
Competition can help promote new partnerships – and most important...better programs for students and families.
Joe Nathan, a former public school teacher and administrator, directs the Center for School Change, Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota jnathan@hhh.umn.edu.
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