Carlos Mariani's January 2010 letter to Alice Seagren

Carlos Mariani's January 2010 letter to Alice Seagren, Dept of Education MDE, administrator of almost $1 billion from the Federal State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) program, part of Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

"Dear Commissioner Seagren:
I am writing in support of Minnesota's Race to the Top application. I believe the proposal offers a powerful way for our state to drive practices needed to reform our K-12 education system as we simultaneously seek to invest more into our schools.
Given that Minnesota's constitution directs the legislature to provide for public schools and the governor to faithfully execute state laws, I expect MDE to work collaboratively with the House K-12 Education Policy Committee and the state legislature during the 2010 legislative session to identify state education policies and laws implicated in the application, and to recommend changes and clarifications where needed.
"I have reviewed the proposal and support many of its components. I have three primary issues of concern that I trust we can address together:
1. That these new efforts keep a strong focus on closing racial inequalities
in academic outcomes ("closing gaps").
2. That we responsibly discern beforehand the major consequences — especially for students - of premising a significant part of teacher and principal tenure, licensure and evaluation on MCA scores. These new performance evaluation systems must be created in true partnership with teachers and principals and be based on good research. They should also incorporate the use of multiple measures established in Minnesota statutes.
3. Minnesotans must be provided with an objective understanding of the pros and cons of adopting national standards and assessments. I had suggested in an earlier communiqué that RTTT funds should be used to create an independent policy research entity that could inform us on these matters. Perhaps the OTAS can fulfill this function?
"Finally, RTTT should encourage greater investment in early childhood education for all that nurtures young students to be ready for school. Such programs should align to the goals of high academic standards in K-12 schools.
"I stand in solidarity with you in working to close the academic achievement gaps between all groups of students and to end race based inequalities in our state's IC-12 education system. I appreciate the Minnesota Department of Education's (MDE) efforts to engage stakeholders, including myself, in the application process and look forward to remaining engaged throughout the RTTT process."

http://ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/factsheet/stabilization-fund.html

Communiqué? solidarity? Come on, this is a needless letter with labored overtones.
After all the MN Department of Education (MDE) went through to obtain this funding, do you think they need Mariani's reminder to comply with federal requirements?
The ARRA requirement is not "racial equality" as Carlos implies.
I'm not even sure what racial equality is in this context.
The requirement for both the Stabilization Fund and Race to the Top is:
http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/faq.pdf
"As stated in absolute priority 1, the Department will only consider applications that comprehensively address all four education reform areas specified in the ARRA: enhancing standards and assessments, improving the collection and use of data, improving teacher effectiveness and achieving equity in teacher distribution, and turning around struggling schools. "

Yet Carlos writes:
"I have reviewed the proposal and support many of its components. I have three primary issues of concern that I trust we can address together:
1. That these new efforts keep a strong focus on closing racial inequalities in
academic outcomes ("closing gaps")."

Since when is our government involved in "closing racial inequalities in academic outcomes"? Isn't that left to the students, after government creates equal opportunity and fosters access?
Government should not achieve equal outcomes. Government should only achieve equal opportunity for students.

Even Wicomico county in Maryland interpreted the requirement differently than did Carlos, although their interpretation may be an attempt to reduce class size based on race which is also un-Minnesotan. Carlos' interpretation is not much better.

http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/B6B6BC28-1077-46B6-BF25-FD4E1A2D1349/22575/Wicomico_County.pdf

"The objective is to highlight inequities that result in low-income and minority students being taught by inexperienced, unqualified, out-of-field or ineffective teachers at higher rates than other students. Similarly, because principals play a critical role in teaching and learning, it is important to highlight inequities that result in low-income and minority students being taught in schools overseen by ineffective principals at higher rates than other students."

Jamie for State Rep