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Blog Posts / Letters to and from MPS
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Is MPS Backtracking on Efforts to Improve Reading Instruction for the Children of Minneapolis?
“If we want to keep being distracted about testing and a new curriculum and teaching teachers better, we're gonna continue to dismantle...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Feb 137 min read
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Please, No More Delays
Over the last school year we have been a part of the Literacy Steering Committee that was to advise the district and the school board on...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Jun 9, 20244 min read
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State Reading Assessment’s Are Driving Our Schools off the Track, Time to Hop on Another Train
In 2016, City Pages had an article about Bonnie Laabs, a SPPS science teacher who promised to triple science proficiency scores if hired...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Feb 5, 20234 min read
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Benchmark Audit: Why we have been advocating for this!
The MPS academic team has released the audit of Benchmark Advance 2018 version. This is one of the items in our literacy effort we have...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Jan 23, 20235 min read
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Interview with former educator about MPS ELA curriculum
Here is a computer generated and lightly edited transcript of a previous call we had with Wendy Lundsgaard about the ELA curriculum MPS...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Jan 16, 202329 min read
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Interview with MPS Educators
Earlier in 2022, we had the opportunity to interview two MPS educators about their experiences with literacy instruction in MPS...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Jan 8, 202346 min read
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Meeting with SPPS on Literacy!
Khulia Pringle arranged a meeting with the SPPS academic team today to discuss literacy in St. Paul. Here are some of our notes from the...
MPS Academics Advocacy
May 12, 20223 min read
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Conversation on MPS K5 ELA Curriculum
For more than 18 months, through discussions with educators, community leaders, experts, advocates and parents, common themes and...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Jan 29, 20222 min read
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Benchmark Review - Colorado Dept of Education
Dear Superintendent Graff, Dr Fearing, Sr. Officer Moore, Chair Ellison and MPS Board – Enclosed are two recently obtained rubrics...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Nov 23, 20214 min read
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An Educator's Experience with LETRS Training
Join us for our latest call with educator Sherri Lucas-Hall where we discuss the urgent need for teachers to receive training in how to...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Sep 13, 20211 min read
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Reading Instruction in MPS, a Parent's Perspective
My literacy instruction journey began a few years ago when my son was in preschool and I noticed others mentioning reading as the next...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Aug 10, 20217 min read
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Is MPS' Level 3 Intervention from Fountas & Pinnell like feeding sick kids Twinkies?
Fountas and Pinnell tweeted out their tip of the day to parents. A strategy called "Lips the Fish" where a student looks at the first...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Jun 26, 20214 min read
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Protest for Literacy!
Join us Tuesday 6/15, 4:30-5:30 at the Davis Center for a Protest on Literacy. Why are we protesting? Check out this video featuring...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Jun 14, 20211 min read
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What should community "asks" be for MPS Literacy Plan?
This post is a whole journey - hang in there & help us fight a good fight... Half of all MPS students don't read at grade level. HALF....
MPS Academics Advocacy
May 2, 20215 min read
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Letter to Representative Davnie in Support of HR 288 LETRS Grants for Minnesota Teachers
Representative Davnie – We are writing to express our support of HR288 supporting LETRS grants for teachers across the state. We asked...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Mar 11, 20212 min read
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Letter to MPS Board regarding Board Mtg on LETRS
Dear MPS Board, CC: Superintendent Graff and Cabinet We are writing to express our frustration with the Board of Education’s vote against...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Mar 10, 20213 min read
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Oakland NAACP - Advocates for Foundational Literacy
Literacy advocacy aligns with the goals our Board has set for the Superintendent. The February Board meeting the Board set the following...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Mar 1, 20214 min read
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Letter to MPS Board requesting support of Literacy PD as part of Legislative Agenda
Dear Chair Ellison and MPS School Board, We are writing to request MPS School Board amend its legislative agenda to include support for...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Feb 26, 20212 min read
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Testimony House Education Finance Committee for HF288 LETRS Training
Sara Spafford Freeman testified before the House Education Finance Committee in support of HF288 LETRS Training. Her comments: Chair...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Feb 23, 20212 min read
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Testimony at MN Senate in favor of SF244 providing $ for LETRS training.
Testimony was made in support of SF244, a bill that provides $1million per year to educators who teach reading to pursue a deeper...
MPS Academics Advocacy
Jan 27, 20211 min read
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