# Presentation: 528252

## UNIQUE NEEDS OF URBAN SCHOOLS

- Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities
-  Advisory Committee Meeting
- 16 January 2007
-  Washington, DC
- Lynne Krehbiel-Breneman, M.A., J.D.
- Project Director, Safe Schools/Healthy Students
- Minneapolis Public Schools, Minneapolis, Minnesota

## Minneapolis Public Schools

- 36,370 students:
- African American	15,073		71.8%
- White American	10,231		28.2%
- Latino		  5,954		16.4%
- Asian-American	  3,545	  	9.7%
- American Indian	  1,567	  	4.3%
- _________________
- Special Education*	        6,053	 15.9%
- English Language Lrns*      9,000	 23.7%
- Free/Reduced Lunch*       25,294	 66.8%
- * Included in the total student enrollment

## Minneapolis Public Schools

- Elementary schools (K-5)			23
- Elementary Schools (K-8)			22
- Middle Schools (6-8)			  7
- Senior High Schools (9-12)	 	  	  7
- Special Education Schools		 	  8
- Alternative Schools			  	  8
- Contract Alternatives			19
- Charter Schools			              5
-                                                                    ______
-                        Total:				99

## Unique Needs of Urban Schools and Communities:  A Frame

- Different in scope and scale
- Different in rapidity of change
- Different in the complexities of systems

## “Let us put our minds together to see what life we can make for our children.”				Chief Sitting Bull

## Needs of Urban Schools

- 1.  Strong, articulate, stable, focused leadership at all organizational levels
-         (“. . . to see what life **we can make** for our children.”)
- 2.  A broad definition of “learning” that derives from the needs of children and young people
**            ****(“. . . for our children.”)**
- 3.  Cooperative, honest, data-based conversations; and shared planning & decision-making among school district, city and county entities, community organizations and families
-          (“Let us **put our minds together** . . .”)

## 1.  Strong, articulate, stable, focused leadership at all organizational levels:

- Constant, shared vision
- Consistency in focus and in approaches (curricula and learning supports)
- Clear accountability and responsibility:  who’s doing what for kids

## A broad definition of “learning” that derives from the needs of children and young people: 

- Services are oriented around:
- 		- Food
- 		- Shelter
- 		- Language and cultural needs
- 		- Early literacy
- 		- Inclusiveness
- 		- Physical, mental, and emotional health, safety, and well-
-                being
- 		- Ways of learning
- 		- Academic performance
- 		- Problem-solving skills

## A broad definition of “learning” that derives from the needs of children (cont’d.)

- Human resources are aligned to teach students effectively
- 	-  The most effective teachers and staff work with the most
-         struggling students
- 	-  There is stability among faculty and staff at individual buildings
- 	-  Teachers receive training and skill-building in effective
-         teaching practices; cultural competence; anti-racism, and
-         school-wide/district-wide behavior and learning supports

## Honest dialogue:  Cooperative, data-based conversations and shared planning and decision-making among school district, city and county entities, community organizations, and families and communities about:-  Economic realities-  Racial and ethnic realities-  Social realities-  Crime in the community-  Models for how to work together effectively as    institutions and as individuals  

## Struggles & Barriers

- Changing focus and direction in leadership
- Lack of focus within and outside the district on aligning resources to support the needs of children and young people
- Defining “learning” too narrowly
- Structural systems of power, insularity, status-quo, self-interest, seniority, and race and ethnicity
- Huge racial, cultural, linguistic diversity
- Slowness to adjust in the face of change

## How You Can Help

- Support initiatives that require alignment of resources and services among school districts, government agencies, and community organizations to increase appropriate services for young people
- Offer financial support for professional competency development and training in cultural competence; chemical and mental health awareness; and anti-racism
- Support districts in implementing system-wide learning and behavior supports
- Fund work to explore the most effective staffing systems for learners
- Fund exploration of funding approaches and formulas that make mental and chemical wellness support to student economically viable