Education Notebook

2 Rochester High School principals announce departures

(From today's paper. For the sake of interest, the other principal left in Rochester, John Marshall's Tim Limberg said he isn't going anywhere for next year.)

Two of Rochester's three high school principals will leave the district at the end of the school year for positions in the Twin Cities area, the Post-Bulletin learned Tuesday morning.

Mayo High School Principal Tim Dorway has been offered the principal job at Chanhassen High School, while Century High School Principal Chuck Briscoe will leave Rochester to become the associate superintendent for secondary education at Anoka-Hennepin public schools.

Both administrators in April received regional principal and administrator excellence awards.

'Chasing a dream'

Briscoe said he has been "chasing a dream" of someday becoming a superintendent and this position will help prepare him for that.

"The stars just kind of aligned," said Briscoe, who completed his student teaching years ago in the Anoka-Hennepin district.

ARTICLE: Links emerge between Houston school district administrators, private company and southwestern Minnesota school district

(Note: Here's today's story about Houston public schools, linked into one version rather than split into two like the print version. I also included a few of the board minutes below if people are interested at following some of the trail. I didn't include all e-mails, company records searches, etc, though. -EM)

HOUSTON, Minn. — The Houston school board has launched an investigation reportedly into the actions of two former employees and the company they created, Ambient Learning.

Representatives for Houston public schools cannot confirm the subject of the investigation, citing data privacy laws.  But the Post-Bulletin has found links between Houston public schools, Ambient Learning and another public school district located in Madelia, Minn., which is about 100 miles west of Rochester.

Two top-level administrators have left Houston public schools, amid allegations that the pair didn't inform the school board when they created an education consulting business based off of the school district's popular online education model.

Opinion: Editorial board weighs in on upcoming levy

The Post-Bulletin Editorial Board weighed in about the upcoming levy referendum, suggesting that the board will be moving uphill. They also said it makes sense to take a close look at any other consulting expenses incurred by moving forward with the levy campaign.

The consulting company typically conducts a survey to understand community sentiment toward a levy, what the community would support, etc.  The link is below, with the entire editorial pasted, too.

(Again, it should be noted: the P-B Editorial Board is completely separate from newsroom coverage. The editorial board takes an opinionated view, while reporters report the news. I have no bearing on what is written in editorials, just as the editorial writers have no bearing on what appears on the news side of things. I feel like I need to bring this up, simply because someone once anonymously complained that the editorials were too opinionated. If anything, I consider that a compliment. -EM)

LINK: Board will have to make strong case for levy

ARTICLE: Board green-lights levy referendum

The Rochester school board on Tuesday night green-lighted the creation of a levy referendum campaign this fall.

If approved by taxpayers, it would raise millions of dollars for the school district, but would also raise annual taxes for landowners. The exact figures have yet to be released, as the school district will now begin researching what could receive voter approval.

"We have an opportunity to bring a levy referendum to the community and ask our voters to continue to stand in support of education and to continue to support every child," Rochester public schools Superintendent Romain Dallemand said.

But approval may be difficult.

Even the school board decision to offer the referendum wasn't unanimous. The measure was eventually approved, 6-1, with board member Fred Daly dissenting.

That was quick - Anti-Rochester public school referendum clip hits YouTube

Well, that was fast.

If Rochester public schools officials were wondering if they would face any political battles in going after a operating levy referendum this fall, they have their answer: Yes.

As I reported earlier today, Rochester public schools are considering putting a levy referendum on this fall's ballot. Granted, the board is going to talk about the matter tonight and hasn't even officially announced that they will go after a levy. Even more, possible levy figures haven't been released yet, either.

This is only a 20 second video -- and it's not as if the production values totaled into the thousands of dollars and hours of time -- but at the very least, the quick timing of its creation shows that at least some people around town are ready to shout down a new levy.

The vid was posted by "RochesterGadfly," who posts as a P-B Commenter as "Rochester_Gadfly."

Here's a link to the video:

ARTICLE: Pawlenty proposes Race to the Top-focused bill for second heat of federal program

ST. PAUL — Gov. Tim Pawlenty again raised the banner of education reform Monday as he released a comprehensive bill that includes many of the initiatives he previously pressed the Legislature to support.

The bill is related to the second round of the federal Race to the Top application, an Obama administration program that seeks to award a total of $4.35 billion to a handful of states that are picked from a competitive application process.

The first round recently wrapped up, with Tennessee receiving $500 million and Delaware receiving $100 million. Minnesota was not named a finalist in that round and the state has until June 1 to apply for the second round of funding.

"The only question for Minnesota will be, 'Do you want to lead or do you want to be late to the game?'" Pawlenty said in a conference call.

ARTICLE: Rochester begins levy referendum push (also includes upcoming election dates, background info not in print version)

After two years of a combined $13.8 million in cutbacks, Rochester public schools are seeking a voter approved property tax increase.

Tonight, the school board will review information about an operating levy that could be on the November ballot, if approved by the school board.

It's unclear right now how much the district will ask for from voters this fall. The district expects to pay about $20,000 in consulting fees to analyze those figures. Until that amount is finalized, it's also unknown how a new levy would raise taxes.

Olmsted County judge denies JM student's request for restraining order, reinstatement to band class

(Ed. note: Both stories about this issue are included. Since both are long, I included the print-version links at the top of the page. -EM)

LINK: Judge denies restraining order
LINK: JM student alleges discrimination

Judge denies restraining order in band removal lawsuit

By Elliot Mann
The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

An Olmsted District judge has denied a legal request from a 14-year-old John Marshall High School student to return to his freshman band class pending a future decision on an injunction.

Judge Joseph Chase issued his ruling Monday afternoon, and the student will remain in the sophomore band class where the Rochester school district moved him for now.

A hearing on a temporary injunction to reverse the district's decision is scheduled for April 29.

The student and his mother filed a discrimination lawsuit in Olmsted District Court last week against the school district and an assistant principal at JM. The family requested a temporary restraining order so the student could return to his freshman band class while the case was pending, and Chase had a hearing on the request Friday.

The student was reassigned to a different band class while the district investigated a claim that he had inappropriately touched a female student. The student, represented by Rochester attorney James McGeeney, alleges he was discriminated against because of his race and sex.

The complaint seeks more than $50,000 in damages.

ARTICLE: Rochester school board announces primary, candidate filing dates

Rochester residents, get your pens ready for a primary school board election.

The school board Tuesday night announced dates of a possible upcoming primary, along with the dates that prospective candidates can file for election.

Four current board members will be up for re-election: Fred Daly, Diane Hermann Blakley, Mechelle Severson and Sandra Soltis. None of the incumbents have officially stated intentions to run.

Daly has said he will wait until the filing period to announce his intentions; Soltis said she doesn't plan to seek reelection. Hermann Blakley said she is leaning toward not running again and Severson said she would be willing to step aside too.

Interested candidates can file for office May 18 through June 1 at the Edison Administration Building, 615 Seventh St. S.W. (There is a $2 filing fee.) The general election will be held Nov. 2, and a primary election, if needed, will be held Aug. 10.

ARTICLE: 80 one-year teaching contracts expire in Rochester schools

The contracts of 80 temporary teachers and long-term substitute teachers in Rochester public schools will expire at the end of year, which was announced by the school board Tuesday night. 

(The names of the teachers are listed here. I don't include them to add insult to injury, but interested parents might want to know what happened to a particular teacher that they liked, didn't like, wanted to request for their child, etc.)

The contracts were written for one year, and the release of these positions is an annual move.

The 80 teachers represent 59.7 full-time teaching positions, in a variety of subjects and age groups. Of those positions, 29.5 belonged to temporary teachers, who are employees signed to one-year deals.