Open Letter to Julian Bond re: Minneapolis NAACP branch

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Open Letter to Julian Bond re: Minneapolis NAACP branch | The Smoking Gun: 2004 year end NAACP PIC report | NAACP Parent Information Center 2004 year end report | Minneapolis NAACP officers cut a deal, bypass Executive Committee

Subj: Open Letter to Julian Bond re: Minneapolis NAACP branch

Date: 3/9/2005 11:06:50 PM Central Standard Time

From: Socialist2001

To: mpls@mnforum.org

And Appendix: Letter date June 30, 2003 from Evelyn Eubanks, Resigned chair of The Parent Information Centers Commission, to Barbara Zohn MN Department of Education, PIC project manager

-----------------------------

March 9, 2005

From: Doug Mann,

NAACP life member

Executive Committee member-at-large, Minneapolis NAACP Branch

Julian Bond,

Chair, National Board of Directors, NAACP

Chairman Bond,

During the week ending February 19, 2005 I became aware that officers of the Minneapolis NAACP branch had failed to report to the branch Executive Committee findings of a management consultant, who reviewed financial books and records of the Minneapolis NAACP Branch and Parent Information Centers. I have since uncovered, and publicly disclosed, evidence of serious misconduct on the part of the branch administrator and others, including efforts to fraudulently obtain a $400,000 state grant contract for the Minneapolis Parent Information Centers, Inc. This information can be found at my web site, www.educationright.com

Background on NAACP Parent Information Centers

In 2000 the NAACP national board approved the settlement of an educational adequacy lawsuit, which stipulated that "The Choice is Yours" program, a limited, one-way city-to-suburb bussing program resolved the problem of students of color being inadequately educated in the Minneapolis Public Schools. The Choice is Yours program is a greatly watered-down version of the choice plan rejected by the branch membership in 1999. The Lawsuit, initiated by the Minneapolis Branch, was filed against the state of MN in 1995.

In 2002 the state of Minnesota offered the NAACP a state grant contract to operate the "NAACP Parent Information Centers," which opened for business in August 2003. The NAACP PIC was authorized to spend up to $400,000 in 2004.

The Minneapolis NAACP branch has also refrained from addressing the educational access gap between black and white students. In Minneapolis Public Schools, teacher turnover is very high and newer teachers are heavily concentrated in most of the district's predominantly black schools. Strong educational programs can't take root in that kind of environment. And the district is making only token efforts to equalize instructor quality.

For a majority of students of color in Minneapolis, school choices have been narrowed to the worst of the district run schools and to charter schools, but not to the better district-run schools that serve predominantly white neighborhoods. And in racially diverse schools, black students tend to be over-represented in classrooms for "low-ability learners."

Please give this matter your full attention

Sincerely,

-Doug Mann

APPENDIX: Letter dated June 30, 2003 from Evelyn Eubanks, Resigned chair of The Parent Information Centers Commission, to Barbara Zohn MN Department of Education, PIC project manager

---------------------------------

June 30, 2003

Evelyn Eubanks

2410 Ferrant Place North

Minneapolis, MN 55411

Barbara Zohn

1500 Highway 36 West

Roseville, MN 55113

Dear Ms. Zohn,

On June 28, 2003, the General Membership of the Minneapolis Branch of the NAACP voted to return the grant money for the Parent Information Centers due to a lack of oversight of the educational lawsuit and a conflict of interest.

Please be aware that the NAACP Constitution and By-laws do not allow the Branch President or Executive Board to act independently of, or reverse decisions made by, the General Membership in matters such as these. Therefore, any further attempts to collect, retain, or acquire additional revenues for the Parent Information Center by individual members or officers of the Minneapolis Branch without authorization from the General Membership would constitute fraud and intentional dereliction of duty.

Sincerely,

Evelyn Eubanks

Resigned chair of The Parent Information Centers Commission

CC: Paula Edme, NAACP Chief of Field Operations

Julian Bond, President, NAACP National Board of Directors

Kweisi Mfume, President / CEO, National NAACP

Reverend Gil Ford, NAACP Region IV Director

---------------------------------

-Doug Mann, King Field

www.educationright.com


	Mann for School Board \| home Open Letter to Julian Bond re: Minneapolis NAACP branch \| The Smoking Gun: 2004 year end NAACP PIC report \| NAACP Parent Information Center 2004 year end report \| Minneapolis NAACP officers cut a deal, bypass Executive Committee Open Letter to Julian Bond re: Minneapolis NAACP branch Subj: Open Letter to Julian Bond re: Minneapolis NAACP branch Date: 3/9/2005 11:06:50 PM Central Standard Time From: Socialist2001 To: mpls@mnforum.org And Appendix: Letter date June 30, 2003 from Evelyn Eubanks, Resigned chair of The Parent Information Centers Commission, to Barbara Zohn MN Department of Education, PIC project manager ----------------------------- March 9, 2005 From: Doug Mann, NAACP life member Executive Committee member-at-large, Minneapolis NAACP Branch Julian Bond, Chair, National Board of Directors, NAACP Chairman Bond, During the week ending February 19, 2005 I became aware that officers of the Minneapolis NAACP branch had failed to report to the branch Executive Committee findings of a management consultant, who reviewed financial books and records of the Minneapolis NAACP Branch and Parent Information Centers. I have since uncovered, and publicly disclosed, evidence of serious misconduct on the part of the branch administrator and others, including efforts to fraudulently obtain a $400,000 state grant contract for the Minneapolis Parent Information Centers, Inc. This information can be found at my web site, www.educationright.com Background on NAACP Parent Information Centers In 2000 the NAACP national board approved the settlement of an educational adequacy lawsuit, which stipulated that "The Choice is Yours" program, a limited, one-way city-to-suburb bussing program resolved the problem of students of color being inadequately educated in the Minneapolis Public Schools. The Choice is Yours program is a greatly watered-down version of the choice plan rejected by the branch membership in 1999. The Lawsuit, initiated by the Minneapolis Branch, was filed against the state of MN in 1995. In 2002 the state of Minnesota offered the NAACP a state grant contract to operate the "NAACP Parent Information Centers," which opened for business in August 2003. The NAACP PIC was authorized to spend up to $400,000 in 2004. The Minneapolis NAACP branch has also refrained from addressing the educational access gap between black and white students. In Minneapolis Public Schools, teacher turnover is very high and newer teachers are heavily concentrated in most of the district's predominantly black schools. Strong educational programs can't take root in that kind of environment. And the district is making only token efforts to equalize instructor quality. For a majority of students of color in Minneapolis, school choices have been narrowed to the worst of the district run schools and to charter schools, but not to the better district-run schools that serve predominantly white neighborhoods. And in racially diverse schools, black students tend to be over-represented in classrooms for "low-ability learners." Please give this matter your full attention Sincerely, -Doug Mann APPENDIX: Letter dated June 30, 2003 from Evelyn Eubanks, Resigned chair of The Parent Information Centers Commission, to Barbara Zohn MN Department of Education, PIC project manager --------------------------------- June 30, 2003 Evelyn Eubanks 2410 Ferrant Place North Minneapolis, MN 55411 Barbara Zohn 1500 Highway 36 West Roseville, MN 55113 Dear Ms. Zohn, On June 28, 2003, the General Membership of the Minneapolis Branch of the NAACP voted to return the grant money for the Parent Information Centers due to a lack of oversight of the educational lawsuit and a conflict of interest. Please be aware that the NAACP Constitution and By-laws do not allow the Branch President or Executive Board to act independently of, or reverse decisions made by, the General Membership in matters such as these. Therefore, any further attempts to collect, retain, or acquire additional revenues for the Parent Information Center by individual members or officers of the Minneapolis Branch without authorization from the General Membership would constitute fraud and intentional dereliction of duty. Sincerely, Evelyn Eubanks Resigned chair of The Parent Information Centers Commission CC: Paula Edme, NAACP Chief of Field Operations Julian Bond, President, NAACP National Board of Directors Kweisi Mfume, President / CEO, National NAACP Reverend Gil Ford, NAACP Region IV Director --------------------------------- -Doug Mann, King Field www.educationright.com