Doug Mann for Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent?

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In a message dated 10/12/2003 8:06:35 AM Central Daylight Time, Pamela Taylor writes [mpls issues list]:

"By the way, Doug Mann, when are you throwing your hat into the ring? I like your politics. You are very consistent and have back-up information when you speak out. Make sure you are at the big meeting. Let me know when your book comes out."

[Doug Mann] Why not? I am an "unqualified" white man. [The board picked a white male politician / corporate executive, David Jennings, who supports the status quo. Jennings resigned in the face of public protests] However, unlike the other "unqualified" white candidate, I think the board (and the folks who want "a seat at the table") should hold a series of community meetings for public input as part of the selection process. As community activist Ron Edwards has written, before we chose another conductor for the education orchestra, we need to decide on what kind of music we want it to play.

The board and our last qualified superintendent have simply been paying lip service to the goal of 'closing the gap,' They say they have been doing it. But the truth is that they have been cooking the data on student achievement. Carol Johnson's administration didn't close the learning gap, not even a little bit.

With support from the school community, the MPS board and administration can see that all students have access to (rather than an "opportunity" to compete for) the kind of educational experience now reserved for a majority of middle class whites and the talented tenth of students of color. That's my agenda and I apparently won a significant amount of support for it in the 2002 school board election (over 20,000 votes).

I have over ten years experience as a team leader (nursing homes and restaurants) and have served as a union shop steward, grievance handler, and bargaining committee delegate. I have experience as a school board candidate, 6 years of experience as an NAACP member (where the political infighting gets kind of rough at times), and many years of experience as an active member (and sometimes a leader) of other membership organizations and ad-hoc committees.

I graduated with honors from the practical nursing program at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College in 1990, where I also completed general education requirements for an Associate Science, Nursing Decree by 1995. I have taken supervisory management courses (generic and for nurses). I have done a fair amount of research and writing on educational topics. I can communicate in Spanish (can generally understand what I hear and read), and am learning French, currently reading Le Seigneur des Anneaux, Tome 1 (Lord of the Rings, book 1).

-Doug Mann


	Mann for School Board \| home Minneapolis News archives \| Green Party Open letter to Minneapolis School Board \| Teacher pay freeze: A bargaining ploy? \| Jennings Resignation: Just a tactical retreat? \| "Reverse racism cuts both ways" \| Doug Mann for Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent? \| Hollman Archives Doug Mann for Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent? In a message dated 10/12/2003 8:06:35 AM Central Daylight Time, Pamela Taylor writes [mpls issues list]: "By the way, Doug Mann, when are you throwing your hat into the ring? I like your politics. You are very consistent and have back-up information when you speak out. Make sure you are at the big meeting. Let me know when your book comes out." [Doug Mann] Why not? I am an "unqualified" white man. [The board picked a white male politician / corporate executive, David Jennings, who supports the status quo. Jennings resigned in the face of public protests] However, unlike the other "unqualified" white candidate, I think the board (and the folks who want "a seat at the table") should hold a series of community meetings for public input as part of the selection process. As community activist Ron Edwards has written, before we chose another conductor for the education orchestra, we need to decide on what kind of music we want it to play. The board and our last qualified superintendent have simply been paying lip service to the goal of 'closing the gap,' They say they have been doing it. But the truth is that they have been cooking the data on student achievement. Carol Johnson's administration didn't close the learning gap, not even a little bit. With support from the school community, the MPS board and administration can see that all students have access to (rather than an "opportunity" to compete for) the kind of educational experience now reserved for a majority of middle class whites and the talented tenth of students of color. That's my agenda and I apparently won a significant amount of support for it in the 2002 school board election (over 20,000 votes). I have over ten years experience as a team leader (nursing homes and restaurants) and have served as a union shop steward, grievance handler, and bargaining committee delegate. I have experience as a school board candidate, 6 years of experience as an NAACP member (where the political infighting gets kind of rough at times), and many years of experience as an active member (and sometimes a leader) of other membership organizations and ad-hoc committees. I graduated with honors from the practical nursing program at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College in 1990, where I also completed general education requirements for an Associate Science, Nursing Decree by 1995. I have taken supervisory management courses (generic and for nurses). I have done a fair amount of research and writing on educational topics. I can communicate in Spanish (can generally understand what I hear and read), and am learning French, currently reading Le Seigneur des Anneaux, Tome 1 (Lord of the Rings, book 1). -Doug Mann