For those of you that understand what’s happening…Russian warships enter Venezuela

Russian warships have sailed into a Venezuelan port in the first deployment of its kind in the Caribbean since the end of the Cold War.

The vessels were greeted by a 21-gun military salute on Tuesday at the start of a week of joint maneuvers as Moscow and Caracas seek to strengthen their political and trade ties.

The ships, including the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great and the destroyer Admiral Chabankenko, arrived at La Guairá, a port near to the capital Caracas, to coincide with a two day visit by Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president.

Vice-admiral Luis Morales Marquez, a Venezuelan operations commander, said the aim of the joint exercise was to “strengthen links of friendship and solidarity with the Russian fleet and the Bolivarian national armed forces”.

Kremlin anger

However, the move has been widely interpreted as a demonstration of the Kremlin’s anger at the US over both its plans to install a missile-defense shield in Eastern Europe and its decision to send aid-laden warships to Georgia this summer.

Russia and Georgia were briefly at war during August over the disputed independence of Border States South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Michael Shifter, of the Inter-American Dialogue, told Al Jazeera: “There is a sense of provoking and needling the US … and there is some risk to it and that is what concerns the US.”

However, Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, has denied that the exercises – which are due to take place in dock and at sea on December 1 – amount to a deliberate act of US-baiting.

He argued they were merely an exchange between “two free, sovereign countries that are getting closer” and noted similar maneuvers had been carried out with Brazil, France and the Netherlands.

The US administration played down any concerns over the joint show of force by two of its sharpest critics.

US ‘watching closely’

Sean McCormack, the US state department spokesman, said: “I don’t think there’s any question about … who the region looks to in terms of political, economic, diplomatic and as well as military power.

“If the Venezuelans and the Russians want to have a military exercise, that’s fine. But we’ll obviously be watching it very closely,” he said.

Anna Gilmour, an analyst at Jane’s Intelligence Review, said the maneuvers should be largely viewed as a “propaganda exercise”.

“Pragmatic Russian policy suggests that it will content itself with a brief high-profile visit, rather than a longer-term deployment that could cause severe tensions with the US, at a time when Russia may be looking to re-engage with the new administration,” she said.

Dimitri Trenin, the deputy-director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre, told Al Jazeera that Russia is looking to increase arms sales and trade with Latin America, rather than expand militarily.

Oil and gas

“Venezuela has been one of the new customers that Russia has won. It is also about oil and gas in Venezuela, Bolivia and a couple of other places in the region,” he said.

Both leaders have said they will seek to build better relations with Barak Obama, the US president-elect.

Venezuela – Latin America’s most outspoken critic of the US – has been keen to forge closer links with Russia, a traditional rival to American political and military dominance.

Chavez is looking for Russian help to build a nuclear reactor, invest in oil and natural gas projects and to acquire weapons, while Moscow is seeking to expand its influence across the region.

A Vote of “No Confidence” for the Minneapolis Urban League and the Minneapolis Public Schools

This is part 2 in a 4 part series titled, “103,770.00 – Without a Trace”

The Minneapolis Public Schools and the Minneapolis Urban League has done a great injustice to Black students in Minneapolis.

Just to clarify what’s going on here. The following information would never be reported in the local newspapers. Things are not well in the Black community. While deals are being cut in back rooms, our leaders have dropped off the face of the earth. Furthermore, the inability to be creative in business finances has left the people that truly need services out in the cold. People will de-frame this story (Meaning: Changing the real perception of an event, circumstance or situation and re-placing it with one that is less controversial, false and misleading to shun all investigations or allegations about the organizations progress.)

This story and many more is an effort put forward to alert the hard working citizens in the Twin Cities that in some cases the underserved community will always be at the short end of the stick because of few people that don’t know what sound business practices are.

This injustice is reflected with the information provided by the Minneapolis Public Schools in a document titled, “Minneapolis Public Schools: Student Placement Services” which showed that from 2006 to present over 14,069 “actions” were taken against Black students in comparison to 1190 “actions” for White students with days missed in school for Black students 32,264 compared to 2976 for White students in the Minneapolis Public Schools from 2006 to 2008 (Y-T-D).

With over 178 non-profits doing business in north Minneapolis (including parks and churches), you would think that the achievement gap in the Minneapolis Public Schools would be addressed before it got to this point. I don’t work for a north Minneapolis social service agency but my first question would be: “With the above facts – why haven’t the Black social service agencies in north Minneapolis demanded a permanent change in administration, teachers and policy to address this heinous disparity and educational impotence toward our children?” Secondly, the north Minneapolis social service agency at the heart of this issue, the Minneapolis Urban League has not addressed this issue in the last 5 years, nor have they met with Minneapolis Public School officials to actively create an after school study program funded by the Minneapolis Public Schools that would address the achievement gap.

Still some creditable underlying facts remain that might show why the MUL has not been able to make the grade:

1. After the Minneapolis Urban League lost over $700,000.00 for their Truancy Program in 2007 (no application submitted-deadline missed) they have done nothing to regain or build capacity to address the very important issues of CHILDREN, STUDENTS and the MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

2. In the last 10 years the Minneapolis Urban League has lost over $3 million dollars in funding – reasons: from lack of capacity and guidance to complete paperwork to social service cuts are just a few reasons why.

3. When large dollar amounts are given as a grant to the MUL, the organization goes outside of the community to sub-contract with people who don’t live in the community to provide services which creates an economic “stop-gap” which prevents the further education, wealth and independence of people in the community. (i.e.; Health Program, ACORN/S.H.A.R.K.-Housing foreclosure counseling)

(Side bar: The Minneapolis City Council and Mayor R.T. Rybak approved a spending plan Friday, Nov. 21 to use $5.6 million in federal Neighborhood Stabilization funds to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties in neighborhoods hardest hit by foreclosures (North Minneapolis). Most of the back room deals have already be cut and of course the Minneapolis Urban League is nowhere in sight. The foreclosure crisis could have been solved in North Minneapolis with some smart thinking and the $100 million dollars already wasted on “programs” for families in foreclosure.)

With over an estimated $25 Million dollars in Title I money which detoured the Black community, the Minneapolis Urban League and its Board of Directors approved to be Fiduciary Agents for a marketing company inside the Minneapolis Urban League that would bring no dollars, hope or “change” to the Black students in the Minneapolis Public Schools.

The amount of money that the Minneapolis Urban League received – get this…for another company inside the Minneapolis Urban League for “outreach” was $103,770.00 (on record so far). $103,770.00 is only 0.4 percent of an estimated $25 million dollars in Title I monies meant to assist all children in school – the Minneapolis Urban League has sold out the community.

This is an embarrassment to the Black community, families and children in Minneapolis.

From the perspective of a conspiracy theorist and understanding the dysfunctional state of organizations, people and procedures – the Minneapolis Urban League had the opportunity to make an impact and FORCE the Minneapolis Public Schools to address the achievement gap by going after the Title I money with the facts already known by the Minneapolis Public Schools and Minnesota Department of Education. Accepting 0.4% (it’s actually less) of possible dollars from the Minneapolis Public Schools/Title I dollars showed “weakness” by the MUL and let the powers that oversee our children in the Minneapolis Schools know that we, (Blacks) can be “brought-off” for little or nothing. This is not the first time this has happened with the Minneapolis Public Schools and a north Minneapolis “educational-social service agency” – but an ongoing trend happening in our community and across the United States that is simply kept quite but says, “If we give them a little money – they’ll go away.” This attitude will only last as long as the residents of north Minneapolis let these “bad cooks” stay in charge of our destiny.

Families, Parents, Students and the North Minneapolis Community must stand up now and stop apologizing for living in North Minneapolis and being Black, Hispanic-Latino, Asian, and Somali. We must ask for a permanent change in the way the Minneapolis Urban League and Minneapolis Public Schools with the Minnesota Department of Education tags and bags our children. Let’s start on today by calling the Minneapolis Urban League at (612) 302-3100 and ask to speak to the President. Ask the person you get on the phone, “What are you doing to address the achievement gap in the Minneapolis Public Schools?” Please let IBNN know what answers you get by leaving a comment at www.ibnn.org.

At the end of the day, it’s not about the Minneapolis Urban League; Minneapolis Public Schools or even this media company. At the end of the day it has always been about the children of Minneapolis.

Without the correct “process, people and problem solving” at local social service agencies in north Minneapolis including the Minneapolis Urban League our children will continued to be doomed by a few point people that will take the money with no deliverables!

(Part 3 – “A Dying Mothers Plea to the Minneapolis Urban League Goes Unanswered” – A young mother of six, dying of Cancer gets a check that bounces and receives no assistance in her time of need – an IBNN exclusive interview.)

Sabathani Community Center in the business of serving People!

As part of their ongoing community engagement, Minneapolis premiere restaurant SEVEN located in downtown Minneapolis has teamed up with local Social Networking giants IAMMOODY.COM and MINNAGE.COM to host the only event you want to attend a day before Thanksgiving.

The most important part of this unique event is “giving.” SEVEN, IAMMOODY and MINNAGE ask that all attendees bring either hats, gloves, socks, winter ware or items to make sure that no one in our community has to suffer this winter season. The “Dream Team” SEVEN, IAMMOODY and MINNAGE has teamed up with Minneapolis flagship social service agency Sabathani Community Center located in South Minneapolis as part of Sabathani’s ongoing commitment to the community to partner with private sector entities to promote and engage the needs of the community.

Sabathani Community Center’s motto – “Sabathani – getting people up and rising to reclaim their power for self-determination.” Sabathani goes on to say, “In order to achieve self-sufficiency, families need a firm foundation – a nurturing, safe and supportive environment. Sabathani helps community members reach their fullest potential by focusing on life skills, self-reliance, job readiness, basic needs, education and school success. Our mission is to strengthen youth, children and families and to build the capacity of the community that Sabathani serves.”

In an interview earlier this year with Sabathani Community Center’s Executive Director Mr. Ernest Johnson, Johnson said, “It is important to assist people with whatever needs they have no matter what situation they are in. The recent cuts in social service budget don’t mean you lay off staff or cut services – it’s just an opportunity to do more with less by being creative.”

Sabathani Community Center is home for over 40 different organizations that help people achieve their maximum potential. From HIV/AIDS awareness and counseling to Clothing and Food Shelf, HIRED, or the offices for the NAACP-Minnesota, Sabathani has maintained a consistent flow of information to the community while providing the “top-of-mind” services needed in these hard economic times. To make a financial donation to Sabathani Community Center, please call (612) 821-2323 for more information or visit their website at www.sabathani.org.

We invite everyone down to SEVEN next week for the Red Carpet Event in celebration of the new 007- James Bond movie “QUANTUM OF SOLACE” – dress to impress!

More information:

This event will take place on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 at Seven located at 700 Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis on the corners of Hennepin and 7th starting at 7:00 p.m., for more information call (612) 238-7770. There will be $7.00 Cocktails and Martini’s themed after James Bond films and its characters.

1st floor is Sean Connery; 2nd Floor is Roger Moore, 3rd floor is Daniel Craig.

First 200 people that drop off gloves, hats, or socks for Sabathani Community Center & Domestic Abuse Project will receive a gift bag complements of Seven; Galleria Gift Card; Metro Magazine; Bella Salon; Ice Scrapers and many more. Minneapolis/St. Paul’s #1 Event Coordinating Firm, IamMoody.com will provide the Bond Girls showcasing fashions from Bumbershute -with Hair and Make-up by Bella Salon with Jewelry by Rox.

Come early for great drink specials and complimentary hors D’oeuvres catered by Seven Sushi/Steakhouse.

Think you’ll win big like Bond? Every winner gets a raffle ticket with a chance to win something from our sponsors. Photos will be taken by Minneapolis/St. Paul’s #1 Entertainment Marketing and Networking Firm – Minnage.com! Minnage.com will be there snapping photos of all the well dressed people. Get ready for your 15 minutes of fame at SEVEN!

***Don’t forget the drive for Domestic Abuse Project and Sabathani Community Center. Bring in NEW scarves, hats, gloves, mittens, and socks to help keep our community warm year round! (All sizes for all ages) First 200 get a gift bag.

$103,770.00 – Without a “Trace?”

…A funny thing happened on the way to the Minneapolis Urban League.

This is an open article to Students, Families, Parents, Tax Payers and the Community about what is happening with money given to help your children achieve their goals in the Minneapolis Public Schools – that somehow has not gotten “to the Children.”

For the last two years there have been rouge groups in the community that were very upset because the Minneapolis Public Schools-District 1 had basically overlooked the underserved community as it pertained to Title I dollars to assist failing Black youth to achieve success in the MPS system. Our Black Children are failing and currently the achieve gap between Black students and White students in Minneapolis Public Schools is among the very worst in the entire United States – worse than schools in Alabama or Mississippi. The achievement gap has not really changed since it was first identified.

In a contract sent to us (by request) from the Minneapolis Public Schools detailing the guidelines of what the $103,770.00 was to be used for delivered to the Minneapolis Urban League, states the following line items with our questions in red.

CONTRACT FOR SERVICES – This is a contract between Minneapolis Urban League and the Minneapolis Public Schools, Special School District No. 1, “District,” to provide Community Outreach Services to provide: community outreach, recruiting, retention and support services to high school students and their families eligible for Title 1 SES services both on a city-wide basis; collaborative services to SES providers and more in-depth support services to high school students at identified pilots site(s) for the period of September 24, 2008 through May 31, 2009 for $103,770.00 funded from Title 1 funds.

Description of Services and Method of Service Delivery:

1. Develop new and creative methods that effectively inform high school students, parents and guardians about Title I SES tutoring services opportunities.

(Can we see the developed plan or creative methods?)

2. Share information with high school students and family members about the value of and methods to access Title I SES tutoring services offer.

(What community outreach has been done and what media did you use?)

3. Work with MPS and existing SES providers to align state standards for grade-levels and the school district’s curricula to the regular activity that occurs at each SES provider site.

(What existing SES providers have been contacted to collaborate?)

4. Provide follow-up with high school students who are enrolled in SES tutoring to provide motivation and accountability for on-going attendance.

(What high school students have been followed up with?)

5. Follow-up with high school students who are eligible but have not enrolled in SES tutoring services to determine the reason(s) and continue to try and motivate engagement.

(Have you seen the numbers yet?)

6. Identify an SES provider pilot site or sites at which project staff will connect with high school students and family members on a personal basis to enhance attendance at regular school, engagement in tutoring services, and consistent completion of homework.

(What have you done to address this line item?)

Year-to-date there has been no active engagement to distribute information about the SES program with less than 6 months left in the 2008-2009 school year. After contacting several minority-ethnic and mainstream media outlets and asking the question, “Have you been contacted for possible ads, articles, inserts, commercials, interviews and distribution of a message from the Minneapolis Urban League or the agency handling the SES Outreach? The answer has been NO!

Some background: The amount of $103,770.00 was given to the Minneapolis Urban League for the above community educational engagement – but the money was never meant for the Minneapolis Urban League or its communications and marketing department that single-handedly rose over $26,000.00 for this summer’s Family Day Celebration at North Commons. The Minneapolis Urban League was used like a “hooker in a male prison” as the fiscal agent for Front Street Marketing operated by Todd Barnes and Al Flowers from Proactive Urban Initiatives – who says, “It’s all about the children.” In a phone call to Mr. Flowers by the agency that actually wrote the SES Application for Mr. Flowers and his group of Faith-Based Tutoring Hubs, when asked about payment Mr. Flowers replied, “F*** you! You’re not getting paid.” (How did the untalented 90% move up so quick with $100,000? Furthermore we have to look at the roll of the Minneapolis Public Schools and the players who decided that “accountability” was not needed – that story is Part 2).

One thing we have to ask in our community is, “Who really represents the Children?”

On November 11, 2008 a Request for Information letter was sent to the Minneapolis Urban League requesting information on payouts, consultants and any other “fees” delivered out of the $103, 770.00 based on the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) and the request re-sent again on November 13, 2008. As of today (Monday, November 17, 2008) there has been no answer to this request.

In the beginning of this case we suspect things went afoul when no press releases went out to the local media in celebration of the $103,770.00 being granted to the Minneapolis Urban League from the Minneapolis Public Schools. Unlike earlier this summer when the City of Minneapolis revoked over $700,000.00 from the Minneapolis Urban League for the MUL’s version of a “truancy program.”

In the business world – or in this case, the non-profit sector, when a educational institution grants a social service agency the opportunity to enhance the education and outcomes of our youth – it is mandated that the social service agency ask for suggestions on the best possible route to take for 100% engagement with and by the community per the contractual agreement – hence, Request for Proposal to the community.

The $103,770.00 that was granted to the Minneapolis Urban League was “pre-earmarked” for a business within the MUL that as of today – with no call backs or information supplied to us that there has been an alleged excessive spending of the dollars with no measurable outcomes.

With questions still unanswered: “Why would the MUL not use the grant themselves and deliver the line items” to “How can the Minneapolis Public Schools be so inept by tagging that much money to a firm that has no World Wide Web presence including no accountability and supplying dollars to someone that was very vocal AGAINST them in an effort to “silence” the drama?”

This story is the first of a 4 Part Series titled $103,770.00! (Oh yes – there’s a lot more.)

Minneapolis Urban League facing budget cuts, staff layoffs is in need of Reorganization

1. “Rotten wood cannot be carved.”
   - Proverb
2. “Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.”
   -James Cash Penney

Staff at the Minneapolis Urban League has been a buzz about recent budget cuts. One MUL staffer who wishes to remain unidentified says, “I hope the $14,000 that my program is not getting doesn’t affect my job.

It has been alleged that the Minneapolis Urban League will not be getting 4^th quarter dollars from the McKnight Foundation. In a ”leaked” letter to the MUL, the McKnight Foundation will not move forward on a grant request for the Minneapolis Urban League favoring an “operational review.”

Is it time for the Minneapolis Urban League to have a Sigma Six review?” (A Six Sigma is a philosophy that mandates operational excellence. This operational excellence is achieved through tools designed to reduce variations in processes. Six Sigma is also considered as a disciplinary methodology by many companies to meet client expectations. As per the philosophy, Six Sigma is not something else that is required to be done but it is what is required to be done.”)

A call made to the McKnight Foundation about the alleged letter regarding stopped funding for the Minneapolis Urban League, and the Foundation being in favor of an operational review, Tim Hanrahan, Communication Director for the McKnight Foundation says, “We don’t have a set amount we give to any programs but we did give the MUL a $50,000 dollar grant for operating support In 2007, (a one year grant).

In an email sent to the Independent Business News Network (IBNN) from the McKnight Foundation’s communications director, Tim Hanrahan – it reads, “After McKnight’s board of directors approves each new grant; we generally follow with a public announcement of the approval. I can tell you that McKnight’s most recent approved grant to the Minneapolis Urban League was for $50,000 in 2007, to support operating expenses. Beyond disclosing approved grants, however, McKnight simply doesn’t comment about confidential discussions with prospective grantees or community partners. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.”

What does this mean for the Minneapolis Urban League? The Minneapolis Urban League established the relationship with the McKnight Foundation in 1972’s when Russ Ewald was the Executive Director of the Foundation and Ms. Virginia McKnight, the matriarch of the McKnight Family made sure that the community in North Minneapolis and all underserved areas in the Twin Cities were being served by the Foundation. As they continue to do today.

There has been a good relationship throughout the years between the Minneapolis Urban League and the McKnight Foundation. Long time community leaders and activists don’t understand why–with the exit of Mr. Clarence Hightower and the upcoming layoffs in January the Minneapolis Urban League has not committed to a Capital Fundraising Campaign or a Membership Drive to assist in building capacity for the organization. The MUL may be facing difficult funding times ahead.

It has been observed that the Minneapolis Urban League, its programs and employees have worked in silo’s “within the building”, opting for the most part not to include other interoffice groups and programs in an effort to create an inept since of competition that cannibalizes the organizations programs, events and employees. For the most part the institution has become an institution unto it’s self – with consequences that don’t favor a productive community social-service organization delivering education, wealth and independence to their target demographic.

A fine example of this is Mr. Hightower’s going away celebration. While the event was going on downstairs, there was another meeting going on upstairs. In our views we think that Mr. Hightower’s celebration trumped anything else going on.

The second example was when the University of Minnesota–School of Medicine had their liaison for the Quit Smoking program interviewing people at the Minneapolis Urban League. The first group to participate was employees from the Social Wellness Cluster at the Minneapolis Urban League – the reward for taking part in the research was a $50 dollar Target Gift Card. We are not against Capitalism – but at the expense of the community turns into an issue. If it was about making a buck – in some cases the community wasn’t alerted including RFP’s (Request for Proposals) and other “soft-services” that could be completed by the community/business talent pool.

The Minneapolis Urban League, outside of its annual dinner is without a fundraiser this year. If questioned different people in the organization as to why the organization failed to mirror other successful social-service agencies in the Twin Cities and around the country by using marketing and communications to assist in creating an in-house source of new funding streams and build capacity through membership drives, the question went unanswered.

What the Community doesn’t know works well for the Minneapolis School Board

(On Monday, October 10, 2008 – IBNN was requested to change the title of this Opinion)

On November 4, 2008 voters in Minneapolis approved the School Boards Referendum. On Thursday, November 6, 2008 at the Minneapolis Urban League there was a meeting that included Natalie Johnson Lee from the Council on Black Minnesotans and Ryan Fair from the Minneapolis Public Schools with Zach Montoyer leading the meeting and other concerned community members called the “Covenant Monitoring Committee”.

It has been reported by Al Flowers that outreach dollars for the Covenant was given to Front Street Marketing, based out of the Minneapolis Urban League and operated by Mr. Todd Barnes. My questions, why would the Minneapolis Public Schools give $100,000 to a marketing company for outreach that does not have a presence on the Internet? Secondly after repeated requests for information as in the original RFP (Request for Proposal) how could the Minneapolis Public Schools or the Minnesota Department of Education allow $100,000 to be tagged for aimless community outreach?

A funny statement was made in the meeting that I would like to share with you. “We are here today to hold the Minneapolis School Board accountable for the money they (the School Board) will get from the Referendum being passed.” The meeting facilitator went on to say, “We have to make sure they adhere to the Covenant.” Obviously no one in the room knew this Referendum will have no effect on school funding in Minneapolis, for this year (2008-2009 school year) or next year (2009-2010 school year). It only affects school funding starting in 2010-2011.

First of all the “Covenant” is a philosophy. It cannot be measured; you can’t control it and furthermore, the wrong people are at the table with its design inception. What would work is a CBA (Community Benefit Agreement). (At the meeting I was asked to sit in back because I could not be a part of the group because I was a Republican and Congressman Ellison’s wife Kim would be attending.) The Covenant Monitoring Committee information and guidelines was plagiarized without permission from the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC). The MPHEC mission as an Agency of the Council of Atlantic Premiers that provides advice to Ministers responsible for Post-Secondary Education in the Maritimes, the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission assists institutions and governments in enhancing a post-secondary learning environment. With the wrong people at the table and no professional direction for outreach – the Minneapolis School Board is bound to do whatever it wants – with or without the community.

At the meeting I referred to, three handouts were given to the participants at the meeting authored by the Minneapolis Public School System. The first document titled – “Minneapolis Public Schools: Expulsions Referral Request by Ethnicity”. This document showed information from 2005-2008 on students Expulsion Referral with a special note that says; “None of these expulsion referrals resulted in expulsion – students signed the waiver and were placed in an alternative setting, or did a voluntary withdraw, etc” (Like a plea bargain). The numbers show that over 486 Black students were “tagged” by this action compared to 94 White students from 2005 to present.

The second document titled, “Minneapolis Public Schools: Administrative Transfer Request by Ethnicity 2005-2008” showed an overwhelming rate of 648 Black students compared to 56 White students that were transferred to another school at the request of school administrators from 2005 to present. Current numbers are pacing the same.

The third document titled, “Minneapolis Public Schools: Student Placement Services” showed that from 2006 to Present 14,069 “actions” were taken against Black students in comparison to 1190 “actions” for White students with days missed in school for Black students 32,264 compared to 2976 for White students in the Minneapolis Public Schools from 2006 to 2008.

The achieve gap between black students and white students in Minneapolis public schools is among the very worst in the entire United States – worse than schools in Alabama or Mississippi. The achievement gap has not really changed since it was first identified.

The Minneapolis School Board, administration and teachers union say they want to close the achievement gap between black students and white students. Is the District committed to doing whatever takes to eliminate the black white achievement gap? Or is only planning to do what is easy and/or what is not controversial? If easy steps could reduce the gap, it would have been eliminated years ago. The only way to know the level of commitment is to know the specific action steps the School Board and Administration are committed to taking to close the black white student achievement gap. But the District has not shared with the Community what specific steps it will take to close the achievement gap. I want know and I believe that all members of the Community, parents and especially black parents deserve to know if the School Board and Administration are willing to “take the heat” for making the unpopular and/or controversial changes that will be necessary to close the black white student achievement gap, now that a $60 million referendum has been approved.

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  • North Minneapolis: NAACP President “Uncovers” two of the North side seven and an estimated $4 million dollars Donald Allen
  • Apology to the North Minneapolis Community. We don’t have leaders, we have self-appointed spokespersons Donald Allen
  • The Death of North Minneapolis… Donald Allen
  • IBNN Exclusive Report: Youth with weapon attempts to enter funeral of Alisha “Lele” Neely (Captured on Film) Donald Allen
  • WCCO 4 (CBS) Television fails in journalistic integrity with “edited and spliced” tape of the Minneapolis Police Beating of Ira Stafford…rating F- Donald Allen

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