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An African-American Lifestyle and Community Empowerment Magazine Education Edition educational gaps real solutions to close A Call to Action: Addressing the crisis in our community an agenda FOR AFRICAN- AMERICANS A PATHWAY TO TRANSFORMATION

Revive! Twin Cities… Education Edition

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Revive! Twin Cities is a local, regional, and national platform, with compelling content, wrapped in a full color, glossy, and visually appealing design. From the beginning, we have strived to tell the stories of African-Americans who are making a positive difference on the block, inside neighborhoods, at school, in the boardroom, and at every level in every industry. The magazine is part lifestyle and part community empowerment, celebrating and encouraging African-Americans to continue pressing toward prosperity and success. Our approach is telling this local story with the look and feel of a national magazine. There is quite a story to tell in the Twin Cities.

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Page 1: Revive! Twin Cities… Education Edition

An African-American Lifestyle and Community Empowerment Magazine

Education Edition

educational gapsreal solutions to close

A Call to Action: Addressing the crisis

in our community

an agenda for AfriCAn-

AmeriCAns

A PAthwAy to trAnsformAtion

Page 2: Revive! Twin Cities… Education Edition

Smart People. Smart Solutions. Smart Business.

1 7 1 0 D O U G L A S D R I V E S U I T E 2 1 2 • G O L D E N V A L L E Y , M N 5 5 4 2 2 • 7 6 3 -2 6 9 -8 4 0 6 • A J A S A . C O M

A U T U M N @ A J A S A . C O M

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Page 3: Revive! Twin Cities… Education Edition

An African-American Lifestyle and Community Empowerment Magazine

Education Edition

educational gapsreal solutions to close

A Call to Action: Addressing the crisis

in our community

an agenda for AfriCAn-

AmeriCAns

A PAthwAy to trAnsformAtion

in this issue…

SOLUTIONS TO CLOSE EDUCATIONAL GAPS: sondra samuels, eric mahmoud and Louis King • PAGE 18 (photos by Tim Davis)

Letter from the Publisher 2

revive! your spirit 4

renew! your mind 6

restore! your Body 8

reclaim! your family 10

rediscover! your Purpose 12

reprioritize! your finances 14

rebuild! your Community 16

FeatureD: Closing educational Gaps forever 18

Eric Mahmoud 20Sondra Samuels 24Louis King 28

African American Leadership forum: A Crisis in our Community 31

Casting the Vision and Leading with a sense of urgency: featuring Dr. Bernadeia Johnson 34

Developing future Leaders 36

REVIVE!VoL. 1 | issue 2

PrESIDENT & PUbLIShErwillie D. Barney

VICE-PrESIDENT/ExECUTIVE EDITOryolanda m. Barney

ChIEf fINANCIAL OffICErGreg A. Johnson

DESkTOP PUbLIShING & DESIGNKate m. rice

LOCAL EDITOr tawanna Black

rESEArCh & COPy EDITOryvette Coppage tawanna Black

bILLING MANAGErAnita Johnson

CONTrIbUTING WrITErS:femi Awodele

rev. selwyn Q. Bachustawanna Black

rev. Darryl Brownyvette Coppage

Gary CunninghamJohn ewing, Jr. Dr. Viv ewing

rev. Dwight fordsheva D. ford

Janice GilmoreGreg A. Johnson

Lesley Leachrev. Bruce norris

Amanda ParisKellie Paris Asaka

Patricia tinder

CONTrIbUTING PhOTOGrAPhErS:tim Davis

Donnie Branson

revive! twin Cities magazine is a publication of smB enterprises, LLC and is distributed via mail and selected locations throughout the Greater

minneapolis and st. Paul area and beyond.

©2011 smB enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. reproduction in any form, in whole or in part, without express written permission from the

Publisher, is prohibited, excepting individually copyrighted articles or photographs. the views

expressed herein, whether expressed as fact, fiction, opinion, advice or otherwise, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership

or management of smB enterprises or revive! twin Cities magazine. manuscripts and

photographs submitted for publication are welcome and should be accompanied by a stamped,

self-addressed envelope if their return is desired. we reserve the right to edit, use, or not use materials submitted. the publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited materials. the publication of

any advertisement in this issue does not constitute an endorsement of the advertiser’s products or services.

reViVe! twin Cities(612) 870-1300

email: [email protected] Join us @ Facebook.com/ReviveTwinCities

REVIVE!

Page 4: Revive! Twin Cities… Education Edition

2 | reViVe! twin Cities ©2011 revive! twin Cities magazine

Please fasten your seatbelt.i’ve been blessed to be in the media field for over 20 years and have invested the past seven years of my life working collaboratively with residents and leaders to transform urban communities. i can tell you that within these pages of revive! magazine are some of the most exciting, inspiring, and encouraging content i’ve ever experienced. everywhere you look these days, parents, educators, policy-makers, community leaders, and others in the community are grappling with how to solve the seemingly intractable issues facing education. how do we close the achievement gap? how do we solve the low graduation rates and turn the tide on unbelievable dropout rates? how do we deal with these incredible rates of unemployment and poverty?

the revive team had the opportunity to interview key twin Cities’ leaders regarding innovative educational and employment models. Absolutely fantastic things are beginning to happen in the twin Cities and in other parts of the country. if we can get beyond the divisive headlines and negative attacks, we’re in for some catalytic breakthroughs, not just in a few schools, but we just might be on the verge of system-wide improvements. we invite you to sit back, read through, analyze, think critically, and prepare yourself to be challenged by the insights, direct and open dialogue, and solution-based approaches highlighted in this edition.

you may not have noticed it, but over the past ten years, transformational education and employment initiatives have been launched in the twin Cities. Quietly, they have been percolating in the background. As one of the interviewees said, there have been quite a bit of sweat, tears, and sleepless nights. they’ve had starts and stops. they’ve had challenges and successes. they’ve been questioned, doubted, and even attacked. yet, they kept on piloting, testing, and in some cases working 24/7 to identify the right approaches and models.

in this issue, we try to provide a more comprehensive and transparent picture of the strategies being implemented to finally address long-standing disparities in education and employment. we were blessed to have the opportunity to spend time with four strategic and practical leaders:

eric Mahmoud, President of Seed academy, Harvest Prep academy, and BeSt academies

Sondra Samuels, President of the Northside achievement Zone

Louis King, President of the Summit academy-OIC

Dr. Bernadeia Johnson, Superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools

we’ve also included the collective perspectives of leaders in minneapolis, st. Paul, and best practices from around the country. the education and Lifelong Learning work Group of the African-American Leadership forum has developed and presented a compelling document that highlights the 5 Key Gaps and recommended solutions to close those gaps. we provide a brief overview of their findings and strategies based on best practices from the most successful schools in the country. in future issues, we look forward to spending time with the st. Paul Promise neighborhoods and other high performing schools, whether they are public, private, charter, or parochial. we’re learning that successful schools can be found in each arena.

from the publisher… REVIVE!

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continued

often, we find ourselves on the extremes. After so many years of lackluster performance in most of our nation’s public schools, it has become easier to blame than to roll up our sleeves in a collaborative way, and engage in intentional, strategic, and practical implementation.

the twin Cities and even our nation stand at a crossroads. what will they say of our generation? Did we succumb to negative attacks and divisiveness or did we rise to the occasion and move beyond our differences to do the best thing for our children? i’ve had the opportunity over the past six years to thoroughly examine some of the top performing models in the country, review extensive reports and studies, and engage in innovative new approaches to solving achievement gaps. it’s all about equity and excellence. Based on what we see in the twin Cities, if the community can focus on what they have in common and what have been identified as working solutions, there are no limits to what can be achieved. Please use the content within as another tool to continue the progress.

And, the revive! twin Cities team would like to thank you for your incredible welcome. we launched the introductory edition in June 2011. your positive comments and feedback are greatly appreciated. we ask for your continued support through readership and advertising. we are committed to providing the best magazine possible, via print, internet, and social media. stay connected with us. we’re just getting started.

it’s time for a revival.

sincerely,

willie D. BarneyPresident/Publisher

p.s. Join the online community at www.revivetwinCities.com or on facebook at www.facebook.com/revivetwinCities!

Visit ReviveTwinCities.com to read current and pastissues online!

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4 | reViVe! twin Cities ©2011 revive! twin Cities magazine

rEVIVE yOUr SPIrIT by Rev. Bruce Norris

ThE waiting GAMEthe young man stood, tears running down his cheeks, staring intently at the marker that signified the final resting place of his father. A woman passing by noticed the young man and approached him, her heart telling her that he needed consolation and a shoulder to lean on. nearing the young man she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and attempted to let him know that death was a part of life and that the pain would pass with time. the young man looked at her, eyes wet and breath shallow and in a breaking voice, said to the woman, “i thought i had all the time in the world. i spent the last six months working and partying and pretty much doing what i wanted to do. i didn’t call, didn’t stop by the house – i was much too busy. my father is dead and i didn’t even get the chance to tell him how much i loved him.”

it is a sad yet actual fact that it often takes tragedy for us to realize the unspoken sentiment we harbor for those that we love. our fondest and most cherished moments lie with those with whom we have shared time

and experiences with. our immediate families are those people who know us intimately and have endured our every mood and emotional rollercoaster we have ever had. they are the ones who, despite knowing who and what we are accept us readily and with sincerity when it is needed.

there are times when relationships are strained; some argument or disagreement may have occurred. heated battles leave emotional scars and drain the pools of family cohesiveness at times, but if the truth were to be told we still love our family members. they may exasperate us, turn our hairs gray, get on our last good nerve and even make us think they have to be from another planet. nonetheless, they are mired in the fabric of our genetic makeup and the blood that runs through their veins runs also through ours.

Before it takes a visit from calamity or worse, why not take the time to approach family members and clear the air?

why not tell your family how important they are despite the fact that you may not always see eye to eye? only a fool thinks that they will live forever. the quest for fame and fortune should never outweigh the bonds of a family. Christmas should not be the only time when forgiveness abounds and grudges are forgotten.

the spirit man in all of us needs the association of family to link us to the importance of the purpose for our existence. that link takes us beyond the selfishness of ‘me’ and solidifies us into the complexities of ‘we.’ “we” connects us to the universality of all men and women as brothers and sisters, and incorporates us all into the family of man.

release your emotions and allow your spirit man to strengthen the connection you have to your family. Don’t let death steal “i love you” from your lips and the joy it brings to your family. tomorrow is not promised and time is not a guarantee. have you told those that you love how you feel? what Are you waiting for?

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Book Tawanna for your next event by calling (612) 816-8576 or by emailing [email protected] A. Black

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Page 8: Revive! Twin Cities… Education Edition

6 | reViVe! twin Cities ©2011 revive! twin Cities magazine

rENEW yOUr MIND by Rev. Dwight L. Ford

PrESSUrIZE!these arresting words are from the mind and pen of the literary genius, shakespeare.

it is in his work, As you Like it, which the poet suggests that one can find communication in creation. however, i want to extend the metaphor and submit that one can also find social indicators on the aisles of neighborhood pharmacies. the visible evidence is found in the rise of medications designed to treat stress-induced systems. there is a proliferation of tamper and childproof containers bearing descriptive nomenclatures that range from, extra strength to maximum strength, all in an effort to sedate the mega problems of this day. it is the culmination of regular people suffering with massive challenges. in short, people are under immense mental pressure.

however, one does not have to possess a clinical license to understand that

people are under pressure. more often than not, our mind becomes a proverbial punching bag and recipient of the constant bombardment of negative blows. we are staggered by the machine-gun like repetitious assault from media sources, highlighting the constant depletion of jobs, warnings of the disastrous affects of global warming, and the continual crumbling of the economic foundation of our nation. we are jolted by the jaw-dropping jabs of a strained marriage on the verge of breaking up, or winded by the gut-wrenching reality of a hostile work environment that leaves us gasping with just the thought of returning to work. not to mention, the throbbing headaches that come from fighting round-after-round, as we desperately try to hold the ends together as we work overtime, beside the time, and in-between the time.

then it happens, we hear the sound

that temporary ceases the exchange. the bell rings, signifying the end of the day and the wounded warrior retreats with a fallen head to the corner of this life. we sit exhausted, knowing the brevity of the break, panting heavily as the vigor of our life is exhaled with every breath. we lay in beds that provide rest to the body but little for the mind. we tightly close our eyes, attempting not to see the haunting ghosts of our past, which reside at ringside with no other purpose than to harass our souls. finally, we fall asleep and our mind and body are one, then the alarm sounds and we start all over again. it is at these times, when we look to the celestial referee and ask God to stop the fight. it is too much. the grim reality when you sum it all up, we are a people who are essentially living in a state of public and personal emergency. it is enough to drive a stable and sound mind into

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Pressurize!And this is our lifeExempt from public hauntWe find tongues in treesBooks in running brooksSermons in stonesAnd good in everything

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depression, worry, and anxiety.

After a prolonged exposure to high levels of stress and strain, the mind can become depleted of its vibrancy, detached from reality and ultimately become detained in a penitentiary of pure pain. in light of this, what can be done to protect our minds from the prolonged pressure of this life? i would like to recommend three points to commit to practice and memory.

ACkNOWLEDGE LIMITS AND rECEIVE ASSISTANCE in the office of famed author Alex haley, hung a picture of a turtle sitting on a fence pole with a caption under it stating, “you know i didn’t get here by myself.” we should be mindful, the journey of our lives required the help and assistance of others in the past, and so it is that our future will require the same. Perhaps our greatest challenge is to admit our weaknesses and to overcome our overconfidence. we cannot afford to become intoxicated with the enticement to believe the deceptive idea that we can do it all with no assistance from others.

the truth remains that many of us find it hard to ask for help. for some, the reluctance stems from a need to prove our ability to others. while for others, it is an outright denial of the reality of their current state. whatever the cause, we should strive to understand that we all have personal limits and God has placed people in our lives to help us along the way. Let us consider Jesus Christ, bearing the weight of the cross along the dusty corridor of the Villa Dolorosa. eventually, Jesus would stumble under the weight of the cross and fall to the ground. he stared into the crowd of the jeering personalities and located a north African, simon of Cyrene by name. simon, after being compelled by the roman soldier, assisted Jesus by bearing the cross. i mention this to remind us that God has strategically positioned people to assist us when the weight of our cross becomes too much to bear. i like to say, God so often loves us through people.

we must understand, it is not the weak person that asks for help but rather it is the strong person who wants to remain strong. therefore, let us

remember we all live with limits and receive the assistance we need to continue the journey.

rELEASE ThE PrESSUrE AND rEMOVE ThE ObSTACLESour minds are open venues for the constant flow of ideas. needless to say, the mind can be our worst enemy or our greatest weapon.

in the new testament book of Philippians (4:4–7), the Apostle Paul writes to the Christian community at Philippi and admonishes a persecuted church how to survive the pressure of life. first, he informs the church to ward off worry through prayer and thanksgiving. unfortunately, many people view prayer as a mental crutch or a throwback thought of marxism, the “opiate of the people.”

Prayer is neither a drug nor crutch, but rather it is life’s pressure release valve. it is our umbilical cord which feeds our faith.

the truth about prayer rests in the understanding that God may not change our situation, but through prayer he will change us. next, the apostle suggests that the peace of God will keep our hearts and minds. Paul uses the word keep in a purposeful manner. in the original Greek, it suggests the imagery of an armed sentry at the post of our minds. the idea is that the peace of God is not the absence of trouble, but rather the presence of peace in troubling times. in this day of disturbing realities and constant challenges, our faith in God provides mental security. it is through prayer that we can release pressure and remove mental obstacles to psychological peace.

EqUALIZE ThE PrESSUrE AND INTErNALIZE ThE POWErwe find this point best illustrated through the sophistication of the submarine. each vessel has an outer hull that provides its efficient hydrodynamic shape. however, the submarine has another space called the inner hull which the internal pressurization takes place. in this process, the pressure on the outside is equalized by the pressure on the inside. the result allows the submarine

to plunge to significant depths without the external pressure crushing the craft. the key to the submarine’s success is found in its ability to pressurize. our minds operate in a similar manner. when external pressure threatens to compress our thinking into twisted wreckage, our minds can equalize and withstand extraordinary pressure through faith, hope, and love. All three can keep the mind pressurized. history reveals it was faith that kept our forebearers functioning on those soul stealing death-ships. it was hope that clothed them with dignity, when the few tattered rags neither covered their nakedness nor protected them from the cold. in their mind they held the power of love to withstand the external pressures of oppression, allowing them to dive deep into the recesses of spiritual strength. we have the same ability. Let us be mindful to batten down the hatches of our mind to equalize the pressure and internalize the power of faith, hope, and love.

Pressure is both the blessing and the bane of our lives. it can be a great motivator or an enormous detractor. the goal is not to live a stress free life, but to ensure stress does not drive us into unhealthy responses and mental deterioration. whenever you find yourself overwhelmed, step back, take a deep breath, and pressurize.

Prayer is neither a drug nor crutch but rather it is life’s pressure release valve. it is our umbilical cord which feeds our faith.

Page 10: Revive! Twin Cities… Education Edition

Spring into abdominal trainingfor A stronG Core!

when we think of working our core we usually only think of working our midsection to get a great set of abs. But, we don’t realize that having a

strong core means more than a washboard stomach. Activities of daily living like walking, picking up kids, lifting boxes, and exercises like

playing tennis or jogging require a strong core. the core consists of your gluteus, back, rectus abdominals, internal and external oblique,

shoulders, and chest. the ability to transfer power from your legs to your upper body depends on the strength of the

midsection. this is what functional training is all about. so i’m going to show you some of my favorite exercises

that will not only trim your waistline, but also give you more power to throw a ball, swing a golf club, or

even walk faster. the exercises i’ve put together not only work your upper and lower abs, but your oblique (the muscles on your sides we call the “love handles”),

your buttocks, shoulders, and lower back. start out with the lower options until you can safely advance to the higher options.

rESTOrE yOUr bODy by Lesley Leach

LOWER LEG LIFT Lay on back with knees above hips.

Keep knees bent and lower back pressed to the floor. hands by

your side, palms facing up.

Lower one or both feet to floor. return to starting

position and repeat.

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NOTE: As always consult with your physician before starting any exercise program.

C-CRUNCH WITH ARMSLay on back with knees bent

and feet on floor. Keep lower back pressed to the floor. Place hands

at head with fingers touching ears. Keeping knees bent, curl/crunch up

by lifting upper back and legs at same time. Breath out as you crunch up and

slide ribcage towards hips.

extend arms toward ankles then bring fingers back to ears.

BRIDGE with EXTENDED LEGS

Lay on back with knees bent and feet on floor. Keep lower back pressed to

the floor. Place hands at side with palms facing up. squeezing the buttocks, lift

hips off floor. Press chin to chest. Knees level. hold this position .

extend leg to straighten knee. return to starting

position and repeat with opposite leg.

8 | reViVe! twin Cities ©2011 revive! twin Cities magazine

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Lesley Leach is an Ace-Certified Personal trainer, national Lesmills Body Pump trainer and registered nurse. Lesley is also the author of the book, Just Move.

SIDE HOVER WITH CRUNCHstart on your right side with your elbow under your shoulder, both legs extended and hips lifted. extend and reach your left arm overhead and lift your leg as shown. hold the position for 30 to 45 seconds. for more of a challenge, take your left elbow toward your left knee (not shown). this is a more difficult exercise as you try to keep your hips lifted while bringing your knee to your elbow.

BACK EXTENSION WITH ARMS EXTENDED

start by lying face down with your chest on the ground (not shown). extend arms out front as your lift your chest off the floor, while squeezing your glutes and lower back. hold this as you open your arms out the side. hold for two seconds.

return to starting position. this is great for lower back strength.

REAR LEG LIFT AND SIDE LEG LIFT

start by standing with right foot placed through handle of tubing and left foot on halfway point of tubing(as shown). Keeping your abs tight and chest lifted, lift your right leg toward the back while keeping your foot flexed. Do 8 repetitions. then switch legs taking the left leg to the back for 8 repetitions. next, take the left leg out to the side (as shown) to really work the hip muscles. Do 8 repetitions, then switch to the other side. you may feel the burn in glutes and hips. option: Don’t use tubing and simply use your body weight. make sure your standing leg is soft at the knee and do not lean to the side as you lift.

DOUBLE LEG LIFTstart by lying face down on the ground with your toes touching the floor (not shown). Arms are folded with hands overlapping and head on hands. Lift both legs while squeezing your buttocks, keeping your head resting on your hands. hold for five seconds. return to starting position. this is great for glute strength.

CheCK out reViVe! twin Cities

onLine AtreviveTwinCities.com

Page 12: Revive! Twin Cities… Education Edition

new yeAr’s resoLution deal with stress!this time of year many of us look back on our lives and vow to have a better year. one area in our life that we often tell ourselves we will work on is not being stressed. this can be difficult as stress is a normal part of life. however, we can take a look at what’s causing the stress in our lives and how we can best cope with it.

there are many factors that can contribute to stress. some of these factors are within our control and some are not. situations that appear to be beyond our control can add to the stress that we are already experiencing. this may include financial problems, challenges with work, relationships, and life changes.

rECLAIM yOUr fAMILy by Yvette Coppage

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IMPACT Of STrESS research has shown that stress can affect our physical well being. According to webmD, stress impacts:

the immune system you are likely to get sick more often. symptoms of illnesses can worsen.

the heArt stress is known to contribute to high blood pressure, heart attacks and other heart conditions and diseases.

the stomACh symptoms of stomach problems, such as ulcers, acid reflux, and irritable bowel syndrome, can worsen as a result of stress.

the sKin skin becomes more sensitive under stress. therefore, it is more prone to problems and diseases.

Because our body responds to stress as if it is in danger, we are affected mentally and emotionally as well.

irritABiLity we may be more frustrated and impatient. we may be snappy and short in our conversations with others. we may also be physically violent.

mooDy we may feel as if we are on an emotional roller coaster, having multiple emotions. At moments we are feeling fine and at other moments we find ourselves breaking down. we may worry, get angry, lose our temper, cry, etc.

DiffiCuLty ConCentrAtinG sometimes when we are overwhelmed with stress, it is difficult for us to focus and make decisions.

fAtiGue we may feel tired, as if we have no energy. we may also sleep more than usual.

stress can affect every part of our lives. the stress that we are feeling and experiencing can overflow to everyone in the family. this also includes the impact it has on our children. Children don’t always know or understand the stress they are experiencing. they may recognize certain feelings they are having; however, they may not realize it is due to stress.

therefore, the stress is manifested in their behavior. they may begin to act out. their behavior can also resemble those of the adults.

our children are a carbon copy of us. they learn and copy how we handle ourselves. therefore it is important that we learn to manage our stress in healthy ways.

TIPS TO DEAL WITh STrESS here are a few tips that may help you when you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed:

PhysiCAL ACtiVity Physical exercise is proven to be beneficial in reducing stress. stress causes tension in our bodies. Being physically active helps relieve tension.

writinG/JournALinG writing can be a useful way to express our feelings. writing and journaling can help us to let go of some of the stress and negative feelings. it can also help to determine what’s causing the stress.

musiC music can help relax our minds and bodies. it can be very calming and soothing.

hoBBies Doing something healthy that we enjoy is an excellent way to help us relax. this may include arts and crafts, reading, gardening and spending time with our families. we must find time to nurture ourselves even if we need to take a few minutes out of the day.

suPPort finding support from others can help encourage us. reaching out to talk to others and asking for help can be freeing, whether it’s with a counselor, family or friends.

when we find healthy ways to cope, we are able to solve our problems more efficiently and effectively. in doing so, we are more likely to feel less stressed and more in control of our lives.

wishes you a safe and happy New Year!

REVIVE!

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Get off the starting block

rEDISCOVEr yOUr PUrPOSE by Viv Ewing, Ph.D.

the need for change often slaps us in the face, but we still do nothing about it. for example, we know we need to eat healthier, but we don’t. we know we need to exercise, but we don’t. we know we need to drink more water, but we don’t. why is it that the things that are good for us are the very things that we do not do? scripture says a war rages inside and that the things i know i should not do, i do, and the things that i should do, i do not do.

Like many of you reading this, there were things in my life that i knew i needed to change but i did not do because i was still on the starting block of just thinking about it and not taking action. A few years ago i had not taken action on having a healthy lifestyle. it included things like not eating healthy, not exercising, and not drinking enough water daily. i had not changed previously because of what

i call the Dissatisfaction Principle. the Dissatisfaction Principle says that i will not change until the dissatisfaction of where i am outweighs my reasons for staying in my situation.

Like many of you, i would start being faithful for a few weeks, and then life would happen and i would stop. i had a membership to the local gym, but never used it. i had an exercise bike in my bedroom that i used as a clothes rack. some of you probably have done the same thing. here’s my advice. take the clothes off of the exercise bike and start riding it for 10 minutes each day. Do it today, tomorrow, and the next day so that it becomes a habit. increase your time as you get into a regular routine.

to get off the starting block, i faced the reality of what happens when you ignore a healthy lifestyle and made up my mind to change. i told myself that i wanted to have a healthy life.

the health benefits are great. i made a commitment to myself that i would make a healthy lifestyle change and stick to it. that is exactly what i did, and did not let anything or anyone stop me. i did it the old fashioned way– hard work, determination, focus, and discipline.

in my quest for a lifestyle change, i made up my mind to keep going no matter what. i told myself that it would take time to get into a healthy lifestyle routine. Just like my unhealthy lifestyle was developed over a period of time, developing a healthy lifestyle takes time to develop. it is like retraining yourself, your life, and your habits. i told myself that it would be hard work, but i am worth it! it would cost more to eat healthy, but my family and i are worth it! it will cost more to have a family membership to the gym, but the end result is worth it. i taught my children

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Excerpt from Yes! You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

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Dr. Viv ewing is the author of Yes! You Can Have Your Cake

and Eat It Too

that an individual healthy lifestyle is great and a family healthy lifestyle is even better.

the Dissatisfaction Principle was in full effect. my dissatisfaction of where i was outweighed my reasons for not changing. when your dissatisfaction level outweighs your reasons for staying where you are, you will be more willing to make a change. Just do it. you already know that you need to change. when we do not make positive changes it prevents us from realizing our purpose. think about it for a moment. what are the areas that you have desired to change but have not done it? when the dissatisfaction with the present situation outweighs your satisfaction, it will prompt you to do something about it.

Change can be difficult. to get started, first make a commitment to yourself to change. i told myself that i needed and wanted to have a healthy lifestyle. i made up my mind to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle. second, make a list of the things that you want to change. your change may be to stop being inactive and to start exercising. A needed change may be stopping a bad habit like smoking. you may want to reduce the amount of fattening foods that you consume and increase the number of low fat foods. it could be anger management or controlling mood swings. i had been thinking for months about the things that i wanted to change. here are a few: eat healthy, change flabby arms to firm, tone my

thighs, and look great in a swim suit!

third, make a list of all the things that you want to change regarding your health, life, a situation you are facing, your career, family, or finances. Chances are that you have already been thinking about it. in less than 10 minutes you can probably write down several things that need to be changed. take a few minutes to jot it down.

fourth, create opportunities for yourself to be successful. i made a list of the actions that i needed to take to have a healthy lifestyle and carried out the actions consistently. the actions included buying more fish and chicken, buying low fat foods or no fat foods and wheat bread, making sure that there were fresh vegetables in the refrigerator. i also put all of my workout clothes in one place in the closet so that i could easily find them. i set a time that i would begin and end my exercises for each day. A specific goal helps you to stay on track. Also, i gave myself permission to mess up occasionally and forgave myself if i did, and then continued on the healthy lifestyle path.

fifth, work your plan. i wanted to exercise every day. so that is exactly what i did. i started with exercising in the evenings after dinner by myself or with my daughters. i worked my way up to two workouts a day-one in the morning and one later in the day when i had extra time. i made time in the morning to do stretches, 100 crunches, and ride the exercise bike for 30 minutes. i also carved out time over lunch or immediately after work. yes, it is a time sacrifice, but i tell myself that i am worth it.

start today. Don’t wait any longer because tomorrow is not promised to you. Another way to look at it is to stop thinking and start doing. that is what i did. you will have long-lasting health results, feel better, look great, and have more energy. Pick your own exercise routine or life improvements that you want to have and stick with it. sometimes the hardest part is just getting off the starting block. so get off of the starting block today. you’re worth it.

“I made a commitment to myself that I would make a healthy lifestyle change and stick to it. That is exactly what I did and did not let anything or anyone stop me.”

An African-American Lifestyle and Community Empowerment Magazine

Introductory Edition

REVIVE!Spirit, Mind & Body

Coming together and moving forward

Minnesota’s

Working towards a blueprintfor aCtion

afriCan ameriCan State legiSlatorS

afriCan ameriCan leaderShip forum

An African-American Lifestyle and Community Empowerment Magazine

Education Edition

educational gapsreal solutions to close

A Call to Action: Addressing the crisis in our community

an agenda for AfriCAn-AmeriCAns

A PAthwAy to trAnsformAtion

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in today’s market, we are all looking for ways to save money. many times one of the most overlooked categories is our grocery budget. when i was looking for ways to cut my household budget, i never paid much attention to my grocery category. it wasn’t until i was challenged to add up my receipts for one month that i realized i had to make a change, and fast.

Like most people, i assumed that in order for me to get my grocery budget down any lower, i would be forced to spend hours clipping coupons and end up eating brands i didn’t like. i soon found out i was wrong. After applying a few new methods to my weekly grocery shopping and meal planning for the month, i have cut my grocery budget in half! you don’t have to follow all the tips listed; however, i have found that applying all these principles have made a huge difference in my budget. i believe that anyone can do this and still eat the brands you and your family love.

eAsytips: HOW tO Cut YOur GroCery BuDGet

rEPrIOrITIZE yOUr fINANCES by Yolanda Barney

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Create a grocery budget.one of the first tips to cutting your grocery bill is to make sure you have a budget set in place. once you have determined how much you spend on groceries each month, challenge yourself to gradually cut back on the amount. i started reducing the budget by $20 per week. once you start applying some of the tactics listed in this article, you will be amazed at how quickly you can reduce the amount you spend each week.

Use cash only. No credit or debit cards. every month, i withdraw cash for my allotted monthly grocery budget. some people may prefer to take out a weekly amount. Cash allows you to see how much money you are actually spending. By using cash, you can physically see how much money you have left for the month. it keeps us accountable to our budget.

Shop with a grocery list.

i’m sure you have heard that you should never go to the grocery store hungry. you also should never shop without your grocery list. the list provides several

benefits to cutting your grocery budget. having a list ensures you purchase all the necessary items you need for that trip. this prevents extra shopping trips, which saves you time, money and gas. second, the list will allow you to stick with your budget. Don’t stray from the list.

Plan your meals. this principle has proven to be very valuable for my budget, time and peace of mind. Before the end of every month, i sit down and plan out the meals for the next month. once i have listed my meals for the month, i write out my grocery list based on the meals. this ensures that i will not over buy items or leave the store without an item. for many of us, this means fewer trips to the grocery store.

Use coupons. not extreme couponing! Coupons can be attained from many sources. newspaper inserts are the most common. Keep your eyes out for coupons found in stores on products and display stands promoting items. you can also go online to websites such as www.coupons.com, www.smartsource.com, and www.redplum.com. if there

is a favorite product your family loves, email or call the company. many have coupons online or you can register with them to receive coupons or specials.

many stores now stack coupons. this means you can use a store coupon specified for that particular store with a manufacturer’s coupon for that product. A store coupon will always specify the store on the coupon. store coupon policies can change, so always check with your store to ensure their policy allows stacking.

Compare prices. many stores will match their competitors’ prices. Bring in the ad and they will give you the price of the item listed, even if their price is higher. this can save you time and money. not all stores price match, make sure to check with the store on their policy.

Cutting your budget takes time and discipline, but is well worth the effort. remember to take small baby steps and you will see a difference in your budget. share your comments and tips on how you make the most of your grocery budget at www.revivetwinCities.com.

REVIVE!

Restore. Rebuild. Revive! Let’s take this journey together.ReviveTwinCities.com | (612) 870 -1300

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the AfriCAn-AmeriCAn LeADershiP forum a path to transformative change

rEbUILD yOUr COMMUNITy by Willie Barney

the disparities are well documented. high unemployment. Low graduation rates. shocking levels of poverty. African-Americans in the twin Cities and across the nation face significant gaps regarding these and other measures of economic progress and quality of life. even as an African-American leads the most powerful nation in the world, African-Americans are struggling with unemployment rates threatening to reach Great Depression levels.

what hasn’t been reported or highlighted as frequently and completely as these negative statistics, are the community and leadership driven initiatives that are underway to address these disparities. in the twin Cities and in other cities across the country, African-Americans are lifting up their heads and finally saying, we can do better than this. City by city and town by town, there are signs

that this long-awaited reawakening has finally come.

there are new, refreshing and inspiring efforts afoot led by African-Americans, to finally address long-standing issues that have plagued our communities. there is an equally impressive realization that long-term success requires and demands collaboration. every day citizens and leaders from all sectors are leaving their titles and positions at the door and dedicating their time and talents to developing a new, common agenda. one of the most promising new movements in the country is the African-American Leadership forum (AALf), which was founded in the twin Cities three years ago.

Participants in the forum include leaders across many sectors – nonprofit, grassroots, faith, political, government, business, philanthropy, education, health, arts – who have

been engaged throughout the work. the African-American Leadership forum is thriving, having expanded from an initial group of 9 individuals to well over 500 participants. AALf is a movement of African-American leaders who understand, value, and leverage the “power of the collective.” the vision of the group is to bring about positive social change in our community by working together.

the African-American Leadership forum is now functioning at various levels in minneapolis, seattle, Portland, and Des moines. Another promising effort, the African-American empowerment network, based in omaha, nebraska, is evolving and expanding in similar ways. the network and Leadership forum are currently examining ways to work together regionally and nationally. in addition, in other cities across the nation, African-Americans are rising

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up, forging partnerships and building bridges with other communities.

in June 2011, the African-American Leadership forum presented the first draft of its Blueprint for Action: the twin Cities African-American Agenda. the summary document was the compilation of over three years of work by local work groups, consultants, and national thought leaders. the AALf was joined by national leaders and keynote speakers, Angela Glover Blackwell, President and Ceo of PolicyLink, and john powell, executive Director of the Kirwin institute at the June meeting.

since the introduction of the Blueprint, the work groups and consultants have been hard at work refining the call to action and sharpening the focus. in addition to a working document, the team has been actively championing policy change and building important relationships with the larger community. even as the urban agenda has been in development, the forum has already influenced important legislation and created a new, dynamic way for African-Americans to work together to accomplish visionary objectives.

in order to make real change, the forum believes: 1. it must intervene powerfully in public policy decisions that impact our communities and families the most. 2. it must engage all levels of the larger community in our vision. 3. it must be goal-oriented.

AALf seeks to create transformative change through three primary

means: Convening, Collaborating, and Championing. Convene means creating engagement opportunities to drive focus, change, and accountability. it is put into motion by convening the social capital of its members with motivation and intent to be catalysts for change.

Collaboration is accomplished by intentionally building the infrastructure of the communities and institutions. the forum seeks to purposefully build multicultural coalitions to strengthen the collective voice and relational social capital.

Champion is the third leg of the transformational change. the forum will advocate for policy initiatives that challenge injustice and advance the mission and goals. real change will be made as the group influences the influencers and also becomes the influencers.

the forum is united in the belief that they can do more together than apart. they are focused on creating change in four key areas: economic Development, education and Lifelong Learning, health and wellness, family, Culture, and spirituality. realizing that African-Americans in the twin Cities are only 16% of the population, the larger, universal goal is more inclusive and encompasses building a just and healthy society that works equally well for everyone. in addition, the forum also has set a targeted goal that focuses on becoming a vital African American community that uplifts the broader community.

in order to achieve the universal and targeted goals, the forum has established a common set of strategies:

1. maximize the potential of African-American children and adults

2. reclaim and amplify the vital role of family, culture, and spirituality in the African-American community.

3. Alter the socioeconomic trajectory of the African-American community.

4. strengthen African American-centered institutions.

5. Challenge and change systems that disproportionately harm African-Americans.

the forum is committed to a theory of change that is targeted, visionary, high-level, collaborative, and holistic. the group strongly believes, “we must make our voices heard to create the future we want for African-Americans.”

this new movement has been decades in the making. in barbershops and beauty shops, college dorm rooms, boardrooms, on the street, behind prison walls, at church, and any other place where African-Americans have gathered, there have been countless discussions about coming together to improve our communities. while the civil rights movement primarily focused on voting rights and the end of legal segregation, this new holistic agenda is focused on economics, education, housing, the justice system, and rebuilding strong and healthy families. even with the current winds of federal spending cutbacks and partisan commentary, there is a growing and deepening belief that now is the time.

to learn more about the African-American Leadership forum, please go to www.aalf-tc.org.

African-Americans are lifting up their heads and finally saying, “we can do better than this.

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eDuCAtionALgaps

Across the country, parents, teachers, policy-makers, community leaders, and administrators are searching for solutions to the nation’s education issues. unfortunately, debates typically evolve into pointing fingers and the blame game. often, various parties end up on the extremes. unions blame the government for “no Child Left Behind” and parents for lack of engagement. Governments blame school administrators, teachers’ unions and parents. Parents blame teachers and schools. Communities blame leaders for not doing enough. students in the meantime are the casualty. someone once said, “if the adults would figure out how to play better together in the sandbox, the children would actually be better off.”

the reality is that our country no longer has time for this blame game. while the overall educational system is truly in need of reform, nowhere do we see the need for a greater sense of urgency

and focus than when it comes to African-American students, especially African-American boys. the Children’s Defense fund presented a shocking report a few years ago titled, the Cradle to Prison Pipeline. the report presented a compelling case showing that African-Americans and other students of color were trapped in a system that was not working for them whatsoever. Last year, the schott foundation produced an even more devastating study, revealing states where African-American boys have graduation rates as low as 28%. our cities and our nation cannot be strong if this trend is allowed to continue. how did we get here and how do we turn things around?

national test scores show that between the late 60’s and early 80’s, the achievement gap between African-American students and their white peers was reduced by nearly 50%. After significant victories to end segregation and better equalize funding, African-

American students were making tremendous gains in the classroom. then, something happened. Looking at national tests such as the national Assessment of educational Progress (nAeP), you can see that the gap begins to flatten and then widens again.

there are a number of anecdotal reasons given for this shift. once school desegregation started, many white families began to put their children in private schools or left the urban school districts for suburban districts. these new districts essentially put up walls that allowed for property taxes in economically growing and rich areas to be diverted to their schools and literally starved urban districts of resources. Left behind were primarily poor families and children of color with inferior materials, equipment, and in many cases less experienced teachers. the urban districts ended up with a greater percentage of students in poverty, english as second language learners,

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by Willie Barney

closing

forever

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and neighborhoods that were in serious decline with high unemployment, poor housing conditions, and a growing level of drugs, violence, and despair.

others point to change in federal policies for the growing gap. After two decades of a war on Poverty, the federal government began reducing funds that had been dedicated to bringing people out of poverty and directed more efforts to the military and war on Crime. Dollars traditionally dedicated to job training and assistance programs began to dry up, as the nation focused more on building up the military internationally and building up the prison industry nationally. others blame the growing bureaucracy within urban school districts. they say that the dollars spent per student have doubled over the years, but the results and outcomes have been on the decline. rather than reform, districts are accused of resisting systemic change and focusing too much time on new programs, seen as silver bullets. Business leaders consistently report that students are graduating without necessary knowledge and skills and that school leaders are not effectively leading and managing what’s under their control.

A growing voice points fingers at parents and teachers. Parental involvement and teacher effectiveness consistently rank as the highest priorities for helping students achieve academically. research shows the significant and positive impact for students when parents are actively involved, reading to children at young ages, reducing television and video game time, reinforcing the importance of education, requiring children to spend a minimum of one hour per night on homework, encouraging students as they achieve academic goals, providing opportunities outside the classroom for experiential learning, and engaging with teachers and school leaders to support learning targets. A national study also emphasizes the impact of early childhood development, birth weight, single parent households, lead and other environmental issues.

when it comes to teachers, school districts are blamed for not having the

best teachers in the schools with the greatest needs. national studies show that many teachers in urban school districts with a high percentage of minority students have less education, are more likely to teach out of their subject, miss school more often, and don’t have high expectations for children of color and especially those from low-income families. teachers respond by saying they are not given a fair chance to succeed and are unfairly taking the brunt of the blame. the ever pressing focus on testing and assessment reduces the amount of time to help students learn what they really need to learn. they are constantly given new projects, programs, and curriculum to implement, but not provided the tools, time, or compensation to do them successfully. they feel like they’re being asked to be educators, miracle workers, social workers, parents, and 24/7 mentors to kids while neglecting their own families.

All of these issues probably come into play in some way. however, we can no longer stay in the mode of trying to figure out who’s taking the brunt of the blame. All of these players must come together to solve these long-standing issue facing our country. there is good news on the horizon. in the face of all of these political battles, name calling, finger pointing, high profile documentaries, and endless debates, there are schools and models around the country that are finally being lifted up as real examples of what’s possible. whether they are private, public, charter, or parochial schools, they are routinely showing that yes, children of color from low socio-economic families can achieve at great levels. the key ingredients that these schools have in common: high expectations for all children (a fundamental belief that all children, regardless of their background can succeed); highly effective teachers; strong building leadership; challenging curriculum; extended time on task including longer days and school years; active parental engagement; timely and strategic use of data; and, comprehensive community involvement including support from early childhood, housing, violence

prevention, mentoring, out of school time, post secondary institutions, faith, and business communities.

up to this point, the only success stories have primarily been limited to a maverick teacher or principal that somehow against the odds helped their children overcome and succeed academically. these stories became anecdotes and scripts for movies while the masses of children continued on the path outlined by the Children’s Defense fund. now, there is growing evidence that success is possible. if we were to spend as much time trying to figure out how to replicate these models as we do debating who’s at fault, we could finally close these gaps and more importantly take all students to a new level of excellence. within this issue, we highlight just a few of the innovative programs being implemented in the twin Cities. in future editions, we will continue to highlight other models that are making a tangible, measurable difference. with focus, investments, and collaboration, we just might be on to the verge of permanently closing the achievement gap by addressing the opportunities for each student and family. the future of our nation rests on the success of these innovative initiatives. there is no choice. they must succeed, replicate what works, and go to scale with a sense of urgency.

…we can no longer stay in the mode of trying to figure out who’s most to blame. All of these players must come together…

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they started with 10 students in their home in 1985, and have grown to over 1,000 students in their innovative educational system. it hasn’t been an easy journey, but the fruits of their labor are becoming more and more evident. for example, last year 100% of their 3rd grade African-American boys were proficient in math. the African-American students in their academies are as proficient as white students across the state. they have essentially

closed the achievement gap, or opportunity gap as it is now referred to in certain circles.

As a teenager, eric lived in what he describes as “a rough neighborhood in Philadelphia.” “i come from a background similar to most of the kids that we work with in our schools, maybe even worse,” said mahmoud. one of the things that he noticed as early as 14 and 15 years old, was in his totally black neighborhood in

Philly, none of the stores in the area were owned by African-Americans. when his father asked him what he wanted to do with his life, eric responded by saying he wanted to own a large manufacturing facility that would provide jobs for other African-Americans. even at a young age, he realized that in order for African-Americans to move forward, they must become owners and produce jobs in their own community. it was with that

eriC mAhmouD“No excuses. Our kids can achieve!”eric mahmoud and his wife ella are proving that it can be done. By the time they met as freshmen at the university of wisconsin, eric mahmoud and his wife ella both had already decided to dedicate their lives to solving employment and education issues in the African-American community. now, nearly 30 years later, they are leading one of the most innovative educational models and strategies in the country. they have a foundational belief that all children can and must succeed academically, socially, behaviorally and move into successful careers. no excuses. Just make it happen.

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passion and focus that he decided to go to college and become an engineer.

ella mahmoud was born in Aberdeen, mississippi, and her family relocated to minneapolis when she was 9 years old. through her journey, she determined that the best way forward was to create new models to improve educational outcomes. she had a vision to start and run schools that would show that African-American students could achieve at the same level or higher than any other children. eric and ella met as 18 year olds on the campus of the university of wisconsin, ready to change the world through employment and education. eric graduated with a degree in engineering, and ella with a degree in journalism. A strong proponent of education, ella has since earned her Ph.D. in organizational management. they could have started their work anywhere in the country, but chose to return to her hometown to pursue their dreams.

eric immediately started putting his engineering degree to work as an employee of honeywell. ella started

her work at an early childhood development center. two years later, they stepped out on faith to launch the first part of their now joint vision, an early childhood development center in a home that they had purchased. the seed Academy was focused on providing high quality education to children ages 3 to 5. they started with 10 children. thirty years later, the seed Academy has produced a harvest, and they now lead one of the most effective educational systems in the country serving over 1,000 children annually. ella continues to focus on the early Childhood Development side and the overall human resource Development and organizational design. eric takes the lead on the other ventures, including the harvest Prep Academy and Best Academies. their work is being recognized locally, and even nationally. together with great partners and supporters, they are accomplishing the mission of proving that African-American children can achieve at great levels, no matter what background they come from. their work and the best practices from

other high achieving schools with similar demographics across the country, provide hope that what they are doing can be replicated and taken to scale. they are providing a compelling story with tangible, measurable results of what can be done with high expectations, highly effective teachers, strong leadership, extended time on task, timely use of data, and support systems that are focused on 100% success.

Q&A : eriC mAhmouDWhat’s the secret to your success?the white paper developed in partnership with the African-American Leadership forum is partly based on our experience here with the seed Academy, harvest Prep and Best Academies. we talk about the five gaps and the solutions, but the most significant is the Belief Gap.

it’s the biggest and most fundamental gap. if we don’t believe that our kids can be successful, then certainly they won’t be successful. no matter how much time we have. it starts with a fundamental belief—i believe in these children.

fundamentally, i believe in these children. i believe in myself. these children are no different than me. i come from even rougher situations. i was able to claw and scratch, with the help of God and the resources around me. All we need to do is instill that belief in them and give them the resources to be successful. we hire teachers who believe.

not every child is going to learn at the same rate. Learning is always variable. we have an extended day and extended school year. if Abdul needs one repetition and Johnnie needs 100, i give them what they need. Abdul gets one and moves on. if Johnnie needs 100 he gets 100. it’s customized to each student. if time is constant, learning is always variable.

schools might have the medicine, but not the right dosage. some don’t have the right dosage of the right medicine. worse yet, some schools have the wrong medicine and wrong doctors. we have 200 days. A traditional school has 172 days. we have 8 hours per day. A typical school will only offer 6.5 hours. we’re in school 40% longer than most public schools.

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You’re adding more time, but what else do you need to make it happen?we spend a great deal of time finding the best teachers.

1. Do they have the will and ability to get children where they need to be academically? i interviewed one teacher, he felt so strongly about helping young people learn that he believed that he could impose the will to learn on young men. he was committed to doing everything that he could.

2. Do they have the belief in themselves that these children are capable? Can they get the children to do it?

3. we ask them have you ever taught black children? have you been successful? tell me about a time when things were hard for you. if you’re not resilient, you can’t teach it.

4. Do they have teaching experience? Again, even if they don’t have the skill, there’s a lot of teachers who have the will. it has some challenges. if they have a will to make a difference with the children, we can give them the skills.

5. if you have a good system, even if you don’t have the best teachers, the system can sometimes compensate for the teachers.

6. we also make effective use of data. it’s a school-wide responsibility. we have a system that compensates for teachers who are not knocking it out of the park.

There are so many who say it can’t be done. How did you do it?we set out to build a system that truly works. the way we designed the system was to ask ourselves these questions:

1. what do our children need to know and be able to do? Grade level standards? high school standards? what is the goal? why does a student show up? what is the end goal? what do they need to know? what do they need to be able to do?

2. what are the most effective ways to teach them? Lecturing? hands on? what are the most effective ways?

3. how do i know they have it? what is the best way to success? this deals with assessment.

4. what if they don’t get it? what are our interventions? where do we go from here?

5. what if a child shows up in 3rd grade and reading at a 4th and 5th grade level? how do we take them further?

we built a system around those questions. then, we actively use data, constantly assessing where our children are. on a weekly basis, we’re checking in. we don’t just do an assessment – we change our teaching – we close the gap because we know exactly where they are and what’s needed.

How are you doing on closing the achievement gap?our children have literally closed the achievement gap. it takes continuous work. this level of success didn’t happen overnight. it has taken lots of blood, sweat and tears, mostly tears. this last year, we had some tremendous successes:

harvest Prep, our K to 6 grade program, does assessments for 3rd to 6th grade. the state average for reading is 75% and harvest had 77% score proficient. in math, the state average was 58% and harvest had 82% score proficient. we were 24% above the state average in math.

with the Best Academy, the state average in reading was 75% proficiency and we scored 73. in math, the state average was 58% proficient and 61% of Best Academy students were proficient. Again, our African-American boys scored very well with 80% of them scoring proficient in math. 85% of our African-American boys were proficient in reading.

our 8th grade boys and girls were ranked 3rd in the state of minnesota in reading proficiency. our 8th grade boys are tied for 1st in the minnesota. our 8th grade boys ranked number 6 in the state. And, in our 3rd grade class, 100% of our students were proficient in math.

we’re constantly working to improve what we’re doing. the closer you are to the top, the more difficult it is to stay at the top. how do we improve the culture? how do we continue to improve our teaching?

How does your work integrate with what’s happening with the African-American Leadership Forum?it’s really about execution. that’s what i love about the education group. that’s about 20 to 30 consistent leaders – once a month, every sat., no paid positions. i’m encouraged that they are serious about making a difference. i think we are actually going to be a significant lever, changing education in particular, but the policies in the twin Cities in general. i’m very hopeful. it’s up to us. we take all the blame and all the credit. there’s no question about what we can do.

i just came back from a visit to my hometown. my son willie wanted to go see the Liberty Bell and Constitution hall. when i took him last week to the Constitution Center and recalled the history of the united states, i was reminded that fifty-five men sat down and wrote the Constitution. it wasn’t hundreds. it wasn’t thousands. fifty-five men changed the world for folks. that’s one example of what a few people can do. we have more than fifty-five in the Leadership forum. we have brilliant and committed heads of business, education, government, and people from all

Q&A : eriC mAhmouD …continued

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walks of life, all in strategic positions. we’re in a key position to make a significant difference in economics, education, health, and other areas. i’m very hopeful of what the African-American Leadership forum can do. we started with eight or nine around the table kicking around ideas. now, over 500 in the twin Cities are participating and we’re expanding around the country. i am a believer that when a few people make a commitment, big things can happen.

Who are your strategic partners?the northside Achievement Zone. sondra, she has done a tremendous job. thirty-five of our families are involved with the nAZ. she’s going to ramp that up to close to 100 with complete wraparound services. she developed a principal academy which includes parochial, private, public, and charter. the focus is on quality instruction. what does it taste like and sound like? we’re implementing instructional rounds where we visit each other’s schools. we’re a part of the Charter school Partners. the effort is based on quality and quality school review. the reviews are free for us, but they are typically valued at $10,000. we’re actively engaged in the Cambridge review, implementing quality school reviews. Cargill has been a key partner. they have supported Lead for Charters. we also have a wonderful partnership with minneapolis Public schools. we have numerous partners who have worked with us over the years.

How can you share your experience with others to accelerate successful replication?i’ve learned from people around the u.s. there are bright lights all around the country that are getting it done. it’s possible. with the African-American Leadership forum, we’re taking a couple of different approaches. one is indirect. we’re working to influence the influencers. school board level. Legislative level. we’ve come together around alternative licensure. now, we don’t have to go through the normal process to get a good teacher. we’re now focusing on early Childhood education policies. we’re pushing legislation for a longer school day and longer school year.

the second is a more direct approach. we’re identifying the number of high performing schools and their leaders. we’re trying to educate other leaders in minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs. we’re now talking about consulting with so-called turnaround schools. And, we know that we have to start other schools.

the other thing i would share with leaders and the community is my support for superintendent Johnson. she is a visionary and is supportive of our school and our efforts. she’s constantly citing the work that we’re doing at our school. the minneapolis Public schools is blessed to have a reformer like Dr. Johnson. i have a lot of hope that we’re going to be able to make a difference with her leadership.

CLOSINg WOrDSwe have created an educational hospital. some need educational healthcare. some need nutrition. others need to come through triage. we have to perform emergency surgery. we can’t determine how long we’re in surgery. that’s how we see the system. we have different children with different needs. if you know they’re coming from that environment, build a system for those coming from that environment.

this is a mission that i’m on. it’s more than a job. when i walk into a school and i hear children and activity, i just light up. i think about the potential of what’s going on.

i actually have alumni who have graduated from our program and are now working for me. i have former 6th graders, who went to college, graduated from college and came back and work for us. we have office managers, teachers, administrators, that have come back. now, that’s building community. i’ve had the opportunity to see them come full circle.

Q&A : eriC mAhmouD …continued

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As she reflects today, samuels admits it was the deaths of these young men that would, over many years, keep her up at night. According to national research, gun violence takes the lives of nearly 7,000 African-American young men each year in America. it’s shocking. “it seems to go unabated,” said samuels. “i was trying to figure out why.”

After graduating high school, samuels attended two historically black colleges and universities. she chose morgan state university in Baltimore for her undergraduate degree,

and she received her mBA from Atlanta university, now Clark Atlanta university. the education prepared her well for the business world, and a marketing position at ford motor Company served as the magnet to bring her to the twin Cities.

she was off to a successful career at ford, but began to sense a deeper calling and mission in her life. feeling the need to do something to become more grounded, led her to start doing some work in the inner city, which got her better connected with the north minneapolis community. samuels

soon left her corporate position and made a life changing move by joining the Peace Corp. samuels went from creating marketing strategies to sell cars to developing small business efforts in Botswana.

through soul searching and taking the time to seek greater understanding of her own calling, she realized that the passion of seeking solutions to stop gun violence had never left her. upon completion of her work overseas, samuels returned to the u.s. and started doing violence prevention work in Philadelphia. “eventually, i

sonDrA sAmueLs“Not on our watch”Born in New Jersey, Sondra Samuels, President and CEO of the Northside Achievement Zone, has a wide ranging and extensive background. Her journey has taken her across the country and even around the world in various capacities to serve others. She didn’t realize it at the time, but her life was permanently changed when as a teenager, a young man in her life was tragically murdered in street violence. The devastating scene continued as she repeatedly experienced the loss of other African-American young men, including cousins and friends, to senseless gun violence. The violence made a lasting mark in her spirit.

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moved back to minneapolis to get married,” said samuels. “i started doing consulting work and shortly after that, my husband, Don samuels, and nAZ C.o.o., michelle martin, started the PeACe foundation - Public engagement and Community empowerment.”

“the mission of the PeACe foundation (Pf) was to start a grassroots movement across racial and geographic boundaries to end violence in our community,” samuels remembers. “we knew that gun violence was a symptom of larger issues, but thought that if we got deep into the problem, God would reveal the causes and solutions.” the group had measurable successes and received a number of awards for their work. still, there were spikes of violence occurring. “education, education, education, that’s what started to come out more and more. we realized that most of the kids that we

were burying or visiting in the hospital had not graduated or had significant education issues.”

“A couple of years ago, around 50 organizations and schools got together to develop a new plan. we realized that even with all of the good work that we were doing, we were not making a big difference when it came to turning things around. that made it easier for us to come together. we looked at national models like the Children’s Zone and others who had closed the achievement gap. we asked the question whether it was possible here. the answer was, why not?” this was the start of the PeACe foundation (Pf) transitioning into the northside Achievement Zone (nAZ). the collaboration has been planning and implementing targeted strategies for 18 months. (read more about nAZ on the next page)

the northside Achievement Zone focuses on three key aspects: 1) education - Cradle to College Pipeline; 2) wraparound services including employment, housing, and health – Physical and Behavioral; and 3) family engagement and opportunity Alignment. still in the piloting phase, they are currently working with over 140 families and moving towards a goal of 200 families by the end of the year. one of the central keys to success for nAZ is the hiring of outreach workers called nAZ Connectors. samuels stresses, “they are partners. they are not saviors. they work with families and we make a commitment that if you stay connected, we guarantee that your child will graduate from college.”

samuels has come full circle, and she’s pursuing her long-time passion. she’s leading a large scale collaboration with hundreds of partners to change her community through education. there’s no question that she is now walking in her purpose and on a mission to change the cradle to prison pipeline. she and others have made a vow to reverse this long time cradle to prison pipeline, which has devastated the African American community for generations. “not on our watch,” samuels said.

Q&A : sonDrA sAmueLsWhy did you develop the Northside Achievement Zone?when it comes to education, we are facing a belief gap. most have come to believe that the only way to change education is to first change poverty but the opposite is true. Because of this, too many of our children have been on a predictable trajectory to the infamous “Cradle to Pipeline,” which is really about young black and brown men, and/or, the “Cradle to Caseload,” pipeline which is about our girls. this is unacceptable to us.

while still the Pf, we began to bring school leaders to minneapolis that had the same demographics that we had, but they were routinely graduating our children. no achievement gap. they had figured it out.

the nAZ Collaborative formed because i think we all knew our individual programs were failing in terms of the big picture. we came together and decided not on our watch. we had nothing to lose by working together, but everything to gain.

individuals representing housing, healthcare, schools, career planning, out-of-school programs, mentoring and early childhood services, all came together. with a brand new board and the experience needed, the PeACe foundation became nAZ, the sole backbone organization to lead the collaborative which is committed to having a collective impact.

through soul searching and taking the time to seek greater understanding of her own calling, she realized that the passion of seeking solutions to stop violence had never left her.

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How does it work?the purpose of nAZ is to end generational poverty in the Zone by significantly improving achievement outcomes for all children and youth. to achieve this we are executing a comprehensive, multi-level change strategy while implementing a “high touch” process across schools and organizational partners with families and individuals that are in the nAZ pipeline to college. the zone encompasses over 2,000 families and 5,500 children.

to start, we are currently working with an initial 140 families in the pipeline. nAZ supports these families through partner organizations that provide wrap-around services, such as, housing, career pathways, and healthcare, so that their children can show up to school ready to learn. nAZ also supports parents and their children through an education Pipeline leading to college that starts before birth. Proven and promising practices to support learning in early childhood, after school and during the summer for all ages are coordinated with families in the pipeline.

As we connect families to opportunities, and expect better outcomes from organizations, schools, parents and children, nAZ students will succeed.

How do you measure success?nAZ has designed a comprehensive evaluation strategy to measure our impact over time in a variety of areas, all leading to measurement of our impact on educational achievement. we are truly a “learning collaborative” with all partners and stakeholders driven by data and realistic progress toward our end outcomes.

the nAZ evaluation team is made up of the university of mn- they are our internal evaluators assessing the outcomes for the families and children in our pipeline, and wilder research - they are providing our external assessment of outcomes zone-wide.

we will evaluate our work and outcomes against three banner end outcomes:

• Kids in the Zone enter kindergarten ready to learn.• Kids in the Zone are at grade-level in reading and math.• Kids in the Zone graduate from high school college-ready.

How do you engage parents?we believe the distinctive impact of nAZ is the “high touch” support and neighbor-to-neighbor leadership of the engagement team in the lives of nAZ families. the nAZ engagement team builds relationships, uncovers challenges, and coordinates promising and proven strategies to support

success. in order to create a “change from within” peer-support framework, the engagement team is intentionally comprised of individuals from the community. the nAZ strategy of employing neighbor-leaders to engage families at regular intervals has proven successful with initial culture-shift results in families. increased involvement in critical early childhood programs, enrollment in parent engagement curriculum offerings, and achievement-focused goal setting by families are early examples of success with families in nAZ.

What do we need to do to improve educational outcomes?we can do wraparound services all day, but if children don’t show up to school ready to learn, and our schools don’t do what they need to do, we are not going to make progress. this is why the nAZ education Pipeline includes a strong early learning network ensuring nAZ kids are ready for kindergarten, partner schools with high expectations and rigorous improvement plans, and effective after school programming to extend the learning day for students. for each nAZ student, we will be tracking academic progress with our education partners through Academic Case management and identifying key barriers to learning and then getting them the support they need.

we can do this. we don’t need any more examples to prove that our kids can learn. no more excuses. we know what exceptional schools like harvest Prep in minneapolis are doing, we just need to replicate it. it is all about great teaching and more of it. in most of our schools our children are two to three years behind. they will always be behind unless we make the necessary changes. this starts with having the most effective teachers in our classrooms based on how they perform, not on how long they have been teaching. it is also about having extended learning time for students who need it most. these are major political issues. when we talk about education, policies are getting in the way. if nAZ is going to be a high impact organization, we have to address structures and policies.

on the ground within nAZ, our eight partner schools are working with a consultant on effective teaching and learning. they visit each other’s schools, share their problems of practice, analyze the challenges to learning in their classrooms, and support each other in leading teaching effectiveness in their buildings. we are moving into the second year with these very intentional school leaders. next year, we will double the involvement.

Q&A : sonDrA sAmueLs …continued

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Q&A : sonDrA sAmueLs …continued

Where do we go from here?it takes a belief that every child can absolutely succeed. if we didn’t have a belief gap and all of the excuses for why our children can’t learn, we wouldn’t have an achievement gap.

everyone kind of points fingers. Parents point at the system. teachers point at parents and poverty. most people point at the parents. nobody owns it. most people don’t ask, what’s my role in this? i say the future of our kids sits on a four legged table: Parents. schools. Policy. Community. the kids that do really well, and their trajectory is really strong, are those kids that have all legs in good shape and they do tremendously well. if one leg is broken, they can still do okay. they may struggle, but they still can make it. But when two legs are broken, they really struggle. when we have kids that have all four legs broken, that’s when we have real problems. many of our kids in our communities are dealing with that type of situation where all four legs are broken.

we will be successful when we have a community that will not take excuses and says this is not happening on our watch. Parents, schools, policy makers, community, let’s stay focused on what we are responsible for doing and not make excuses.

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he’s served in a number of capacities, including key community boards, and knows how to collaborate to get things done. he’s not afraid to use protest when needed, though he would prefer to sit down and develop results-oriented partnerships. “sometimes, sitting down at the table, people will make promises and not fulfill them. it’s almost like being patted on the head.

it’s not beyond us to take to the streets and show up at a meeting with a 100 or more to voice our frustration if that’s what is needed,” said King.

King was born and raised in florida. After graduating from high school in 1977, he attended morehouse College, graduating with a Political science degree. upon graduation in 1982, he became a commissioned officer,

becoming a 2nd Lieutenant in the artillery. he received additional training in the Airborne division and air assault. he was stationed in europe during most of the 80’s and then received a rotC assignment in 1989, which sent him to minneapolis. King mentioned, “the Berlin wall came down, i resigned my commission and made the position rank of major.”

Louis KinG“Putting people to work”

Louis King is no nonsense. his military background provides the model for how he operates. identify the mission. Build a team. organize. Determine direction. hit the streets and get things done. Gather data. measure results. evaluate. Adjust. it’s with this approach that King has been working in the north minneapolis community for over 22 years.

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his initial work in the community was with the Phyllis wheatley organization, where he made a shocking discovery and had a reality check as he transitioned to non-profit life. “After being in the military most of my life, i didn’t even know what a non-profit was,” said King. “Being in the military, we had 100% housing. 100% employment. 100% healthcare and discipline. it was alien to me to see what was happening in north minneapolis, little boys standing around with their pants hanging down, terrorizing the women and children.” that disconnect is what has fueled his passion and fortified him on his journey, even when he has been challenged by those in and outside of the community. “i believe that the best social service program in the world is a job,” Kind said, quoting the mission of the summit Academy oiC.

After Phyllis wheatley, King was hired to run a small youth serving agency, called two or more. the organization focused on painting homes for seniors, and putting young people to work through summer employment programs. under his leadership, the program grew from a $200,000 annual budget to a $1,000,000 dollar operation. in 1995, his

organization was encouraged to merge with the twin Cities-oiC. the result was the summit Academy-oiC.

while he has served in the community in a number of capacities, including one term on the minneapolis Public schools Board and former President of the seed Academy, his primary mission is to “put people to work.” the summit Academy-oiC has a dual focus, construction and healthcare. the crown jewel is their construction program which has consistently shown results putting people to work in the industry – 99 in 2009, 168 in 2010, and they are on pace to put nearly 200 to work this year even in the midst of a weak economy. “the graduates of our construction program are moving into jobs making $17 dollars an hour on average.”

King is known for rising to the occasion when needed and helping wherever he can. this has never been more evident than with his work earlier this year after a tornado hit north minneapolis. King and others joined forces to develop a short term and long-term plan. “we shut down the school temporarily, met every day to coordinate activities, and administered emergency assistance to

700 families. we focused on housing, basic needs, jobs, health and wellness, and communications,” said King. many organizations and thousands of individuals came together to try to assist families that had been impacted. King and his group served as a coordinating council, and worked tirelessly to help with relief and rebuilding efforts. there’s still a lot of work to do. As winter has set in, many families displaced and homes damaged by the tornado are still in need of permanent solutions and complete repair.

the efforts have now moved into more of a long-term direction. many leaders and residents agree that the tornado was symbolic of what has happened in north minneapolis over many years. the city has been hit by a tornado of poverty, unemployment, violence, and many other social ills. Like the tornado response, solutions will not happen overnight, but only through real collaboration and long-term persistence. for example, King stated, “we’re working with the county to reduce our community’s dependency by 25% over the next five years. we have to put people to work.”

Q&A : Louis KinGTell us about Summit Academy-OIC.At the summit Academy-oiC, our fundamental belief is that “the best social program in the world is a job.” everyone knows the major disparities that we’re facing in our city with regards to employment and education. with that in mind, we focus on two major industries, construction and health care. ten years ago during the last recession, we had a strategic planning process that identified those two categories. we are one of the leading organizations putting people to work. if you look at the major construction projects in the city, our people are there. whether it’s the new stadium, target Center, or light rail, we have people on the site.

in 2009, we placed 99, in 2010 – 168, and this year we will put close to 200 to work. they are graduating from the program and going into positions making $17 per hour. our primary vocational program is a fully accredited 20 week session, that is 10 weeks of classroom and 10 weeks of on the job training. we have partnerships with the unions, including heavy equipment operators, electricians, and great partnerships with construction firms. it requires a GeD or high school Diploma to get in and with financial aid no one has to pay out of their pocket.

we have also developed an initiative called hire minnesota, which stands for health, infrastructure, and renewable energy. hire is a coalition of over 60 organizations focused on bringing Labor, minnesota hr, Light rail, and minnesota Department of transportation, and others to the table to address employment and contracting. we’re an advocacy group and we’ve addressed the Legislature and others to make sure that we are generating job opportunities for our people.

there have been times when we’ve had to protest at the Legislature and on job sites when we were not getting our fair share of jobs. since we started working together the percentage of minority workforce participation on the minnesota Department of

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transportation has climbed from 6% to 7.4%, to now 8.5%. we’re not at our target of 11%, but we’re making progress. sometimes tension and making people feel uncomfortable is a requirement to get things done for our community. we must hold each other accountable and make sure that everything is transparent.

in my time at summit, we’ve grown to a $4.5 million operation. we’ve also launched a program called women wear hard hats, too. it’s a deliberate and intentional approach to bring women into construction opportunities. we have a 100% placement for the women who complete this program. we have one of the top green jobs training programs in the country. in addition, we’re now working with the county to decrease our community’s dependence on their services. we have set a goal to decrease the number of individuals dependent on the county by 25%.

we will build on our approach of closing skills gaps, giving participants hands on experience, and putting them to work.

Where do you go from here? What are your top three priorities?Grow healthcare. our number one goal is to do in healthcare what we’ve been able to do in construction. we want to begin placing 200 people per year in the health care industry.

expand construction. secondly, we want to increase construction placements from 200 to 400.

reduce poverty. By working with the county, we want to decrease the percentage of families dependent on the county by 25% over the next 5 years. this will have a tremendous impact on poverty in our community. of the 60,000 residents in our community, 48,000 are depending on the county. we’ve got to change that!

What do we need to know going forward?As African-Americans, we have to recognize that things are changing in a major way. the welfare state is broken. People are making money on the backs of poor people. we have a large group of baby boomers who will be retiring over the next years and there will be a significant reduction in payroll taxes being paid. Because of this, we will see a drastic reduction in the amount of dollars that will be available to pay for programs for people in need. we need to see this as an opportunity to do things differently.

Boomers are incredibly savvy at demanding services for themselves. Poor people are going to be left out of the

equation. for those who are prepared, this is the moment to advance the goals of the civil rights movement. we need to be fully aware of this and start moving now. we have to focus our energies on helping our people earn a check. we have to put policies in place to make sure there is self accountability. we have to help our people move to economic independence.

here at the summit Academy, we are focused on data, return on investment, and making a measurable impact on the street by preparing the workforce and putting people to work. we are the front lines. the African-American Leadership forum is strategic and must press to make changes at the policy and larger level. it’s like they are the strategic airstrike and we are on the front lines. you need both to be effective. As a community, we’re moving toward being more results-oriented.

Q&A : Louis KinG …continued

we will build on our approach of closing skills gaps, giving participants hands on experience, and putting them to work.

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“the 5 Gaps” is a framework for analysis developed by eric mahmoud, Ceo of harvest Preparatory Academy and Best Academy charter schools, minneapolis, minnesota, based upon his education, experience and training in educating African-American children.

the African American Leadership forum/education and Life Long Learning Committee (AALf/eLL) is a volunteer organization of individuals committed to improving educational outcomes for African American children. the goal of the AALf/eLL is to Close the Achievement Gap for African-American students from

pre-K through 12 in the twin Cities metropolitan Area. the purpose of this Position Paper is to magnify the sense of urgency in engaging in this effort and to identify “Best Practices” in closing the gap and to recommend strategies.

INTrODUCTIONthe state of minnesota is facing a crisis requiring the declaration of a “state of emergency.” Paraphrasing the 1968 Kerner Commission report, the united states is “moving toward two societies, one black, and one white – separate and unequal.” unfortunately, in minnesota, we have achieved that ignominious distinction in education.

in minnesota, we have created two minnesotas. in one, children get a great education at their local public schools, and in the other, children enter our schools behind, fall further behind as they advance and drop out of school with regularity.

in minnesota, white students have consistently been in the top 10-15% of the country on the national Assessment of education Progress (nAeP). 82% of white students graduate from high school statewide, compared to only 44% of African-American students.

for the seven year period from 2002-2009, the average 4th grade reading

©2011 Photos.com

a Crisis in ourcommunity:

Why we must close theachievement gap now!

An excerpt taken from A White Paper produced by the Education and Life-long Learning Work Group of the African-American Leadership Forum

Co-Authors of the rePort: Jeffrey A. Hassan, Esq. and Eric Mahmoud

education and Life-Long Learning workgroup Co-Chairs (current and former):

Kim Nelson - General Mills, Jeffrey A. Hassan, Esq. – Jeffrey A. Hassan, PLC

Dr. Robert Jones, University of MinnesotaSylvia Bartley - Medtronic

Chris Stewart - Yielding Assets

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score for minnesota white students increased 1 point while Black students decreased 7 points. the most recent rest results show an alarming increase in the gap in minnesota’s 4th grade reading gap- the 2nd largest in the country, only behind washington, D.C. Although the trend is looking better on minnesota students 8th grade reading scores, where every group is going up and students who have the farthest to go are making the most progress, at this rate, it would take 40-50 years to close the gap.

the gap for African children starts even before children get to kindergarten, and persists throughout their educational experience. According to the 2007 minneapolis Kindergarten readiness Assessment, African-American children entered kindergarten 40 percentage points behind white students. most recent 2010 minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (mCA) testing data shows that every critical benchmark, from 3rd grade through 11th, African-American students are consistently between 20-30 percentage points behind the overall statewide standard in reading, math, and science.

the implications are far reaching. African-American students, most

of who are low-income, are part of a growing majority of students of color attending minneapolis and st. Paul public schools African-American children, ages 5-24, are expected to grow 24% between 2006 and 2020. the future success of these children depends on them being successful in school. By 2018, 70% of jobs in minnesota will require postsecondary education. the community must be able to offer a new generation of well-educated employees to attract knowledge-based companies. the school-age population isn’t expected to grow much in the next 20 years. the new generation of employees will be increasingly made up of racial/ethnic minorities. thus, reducing the achievement gap is critical to the vitality of the minneapolis-st. Paul metropolitan area. An economy short on labor cannot afford to leave anyone behind. the youth that disappear from our schools will show up in the criminal justice and social service systems.

ThE 5 GAPSthe African-American Leadership forum/education Life-Long Learning work Group believes there are five major gaps that contribute to the achievement gap for African-American

children: they are Preparation, Belief, time, teaching, and Leadership.

PrEPArATION GAP: the achievement gap begins early, before children are old enough to enter school.

A 2003 study conducted by wilder research of minnesota children entering kindergarten showed differences in personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematical thinking, the arts, and physical development.

research is making it more and more clear that a child’s home environment, economic status, emotional and social development, health and cultural identify are all related to achievement in school.

research indicates that parenting, child’s health, maternal breast feeding, maternal depression, improving the quality of head start programs, and low birth weight all play a role in a child’s preparedness for school.

however, numerous examples, from the harlem Children’s Zone, to urban Prep high school in Chicago, to the 90/90/90 schools throughout the country have demonstrated that the achievement gap can be closed, despite the presence of these factors.

bELIEf GAP:research shows that students, parents, teachers and community beliefs and expectations contribute to the achievement gap.

research shows that teachers’ expectations strongly influence students’ effort and performance.

high expectations ranks second for school level factors impacting student achievement.

stacks of research reports indicate that attitudes towards and expectations for African-American students are lower than for white students.

African-American students are not given the same opportunities to participate in enriched educational offerings, and are more frequently removed from general education

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classrooms due to misclassifications by special education policies and practices.

we must reduce the pervasive distrust between school boards and administrators, administrators and teachers, teachers and parents, and teachers and students. we must change the media bias about what can be achieved.

TIME GAP: the gap cannot be reduced if there is not adequate time for teaching and learning.

further compounding the problem is that the u.s. spends far less time teaching far more topics than countries that outperform us.

in addition, recent research shows that, compared with middle- and upper-income children, low-income children lose ground during the summer and the “Gap” increases.

in order to close the achievement gap, more effective use of time-on-task is needed with African-American children by extending the school day and the school year, and making available multiple other opportunities to make up the time gap.

TEAChEr GAP:it is agreed that the single most important factor contributing to student success is good teachers.

students who get several effective teachers in a row will soar, no matter what their family backgrounds, while students who have two ineffective teachers in a row rarely recover.

research affirms that teacher effectiveness is a major factor in students’ academic growth from year to year.

to elevate minnesota’s education system, the state will need to attract, develop and retain teachers that consistently match the quality seen in the world’s leading systems.

Concomitantly, most teachers in minnesota colleges are not being adequately trained to teach racially and ethnically diverse students.

LEADEr GAP:the impact of principals and school leaders on student outcomes is second only to that of teachers - some would argue that it is first.

school districts that have been most effective in closing the achievement gap are headed by strong and effective district leaders, including district superintendents and school principals.

in the 90/90/90 study, the distinguishing feature of the successful schools was not that they had standards, but rather, how the standards were implemented, monitored, and assessed.

school leaders must understand that they are the instructional and academic leaders of the school, and must be results oriented.

Leadership must focus on instruction- al excellence rather than administrative issues.

Last, but by no means least, leaders in education, business, government, philanthropy and the community must come together to exercise a “Collective impact” across sectors to effect large scale educational change.

SOLUTIONS TO CLOSE ThE GAPSAALf/eLL agrees with the following quote from the itasca Project report, minnesota’s future: world Class schools, world Class Jobs, “A plethora of reports over the past decade has generated countless ideas on how to improve the education system… Limits on resources and mindshare demand that we focus our efforts in order to achieve impact of the desired magnitude. efforts should be prioritized based upon the following factors:

1. Anticipated impact on student achievement must be significant,

2. there should be clear examples drawn from world-class and quick improving systems of actions taken,

3. Actions should take advantage of opportunities to build on existing momentum established by other

organizations, either within or outside the system, and

4. success should not hinge on legislative policy changes.

the AALf/eLL believes that the following strategies are the most effective strategies for closing the gap.

1. PrePArAtiona. Access to high Quality Certified

early Childhood education must be made Available

b. family support systems must Be ensured

c. Community resources and social services must Be Brought into schools

d. Parent education and training must take Place

2. BeLiefa. there must Be a Laser Like focus on

student Achievementb. African-American students must Be

offered more rigorous Curriculum Choices

3. timea. After school and summer

Programming must Be offered

b. we join the minnesota DfL Committee on Closing the Achievement Gap in identifying the lengthening time in school, including summer school, as a recommended strategy for closing the gap.

4. teAChinGa. the Best teachers must Be Placed

where the Greatest need exists.b. educators must Be Culturally

Competentc. Alternative Pathways to teacher

Licensure must Be Createdd. traditional teaching Preparation must Be transformed

5. LeADershiPa. there must Be A “one table”

Approach to solve this Problemb. systematic efforts must Be

made to identify and Groom Potential Leaders

c. school Leaders must Be evaluated and must Be Able to Choose their teachers

Page 36: Revive! Twin Cities… Education Edition

34 | reViVe! twin Cities ©2011 revive! twin Cities magazine

by Willie Barney

Dr. Bernadeia Johnson is no stranger to people of color working to address major disparities in education, employment, and housing. Born in selma, Alabama, she grew up in the midst of the Civil rights movement. her career has led her from selma to the twin Cities, to memphis, tennessee and back to minneapolis. After a mid-career switch from the banking industry, she moved into the education arena and hasn’t looked back since.

After entering teaching through alternative licensure, she pushed herself to gain national certification, became a principal, administrator, and then rose to her current position, the top office in the minneapolis Public schools District. eighteen months into the work, she has experienced both setbacks and measurable steps forward. most importantly, achievement trends for the students in the district appear to

finally be headed in the right direction. Like most leaders, she would like to see the progress accelerated. she’s taking time to build strong partnerships in the community and she’s laser focused on making sure that every classroom has a highly effective teacher, every school has a great leader, and every neighborhood has a great school. she’s known for being innovative, pursuing excellence, and getting things done. with strong support from the community most impacted by public schools, and partnerships and collaboration with the board, teachers, business, faith leaders, and others, Johnson is on a promising path to making even greater progress in minneapolis Public schools.

Johnson was born and raised in selma. During the summer months, while her friends spent their time in the country, she traveled north to live

with her grandparents in minneapolis. upon graduating from selma high school, Johnson attended Alabama A&m university in huntsville, Alabama. During college, she majored in speech Pathology and started working for first Bank, now us Bank, during the summers. with degree in hand, she moved to minneapolis to work full-time at the bank.

she quickly worked her way up with a number of promotions at the bank, eventually becoming a financial analyst, but found herself without a job when her entire department was downsized. it was a blessing in disguise as Johnson used the opportunity to shift to a new career which had been capturing her attention. while she was still at the bank, Johnson had started doing some volunteer work with local schools. she became even more intrigued when her own children enrolled in public schools.

Casting the vision AnD LeADinG with A sense of UrGENCy

Dr. Bernadeia Johnson, Superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools

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in 1991, she entered the Collaborative urban educator program, which focused on recruiting underrepresented populations into teaching. After successfully completing the program and achieving her alternative license, she started teaching in st. Paul Public schools. “i felt like people looked at me like i had entered through the back door since i didn’t go the traditional route and hadn’t paid my dues,” said Johnson, “so in 1995 i applied for and received my national Certification, something that very few teachers take the time to pursue. that’s one of the reasons why i’m very supportive of alternative licensure and programs like teach for America.”

After eight years of teaching, she was recruited to her first administrative role, becoming principal at elisabeth hall Community school. four years later, she was asked by former mPs superintendent Carol Johnson to move to memphis, tennessee as her Deputy superintendent. Johnson returned to mPs in 2005 in the role of Deputy superintendent and Chief Academic officer. while in those positions, Johnson was intimately involved and considered one of the chief architects of the mPs strategic Plan. in 2010, the mPs board approached her to become the single candidate for the superintendent position which had become open. “we have gone through eight superintendents over the past decade, including those in interim positions. i think the board wanted some stability, not status quo stability, but wanted to make progress.”

As superintendent, Johnson has been moving strategically with purpose and intent. though the change and progress isn’t at the speed that she desires or expects, there are signs that the district is finally moving in the right direction as scores for students in reading and math are improving. the district has expanded early childhood programs and increased enrollment in all day kindergarten, especially in schools where there is high poverty. “too many of our children are not exposed to high quality early childhood development. research is showing that kids from poverty are coming to school with far

less vocabulary than their peers, so we are heavily focused on changing that. At the same time, we have realized that we can’t do this by ourselves. we have 500 children on a waiting list. we are partnering with other groups, like way to Grow led by Carolyn smallwood, who are doing tremendous work helping students of color prepare for kindergarten.”

Another area where the district is beginning to see positive movement is examining best practices to assure that the most highly effective teachers are in each classroom. “we’re examining how we teach. we’re using focused instruction. we’re beginning to make gains. we shouldn’t be able to predict student’s outcomes by what zip code they live in.” the district under Johnson’s leadership is working hard to improve access and equity, while raising the standards in each school. while some are asking Johnson to slow down on the number of initiatives and spend more time building strategic partnerships, she is incredibly focused on what needs to be done to improve educational outcomes. one of the main areas of concentration is continuing to change the mindset. “if you don’t believe it’s possible for our children to excel, then it won’t happen. we want to make sure that we have people who believe that it’s possible.”

one of the top priorities for Johnson is evaluating what is working and replicating it as quickly as possible throughout the district. she’s also open to what others might consider revolutionary approaches that were approved by the previous school board. “the board approved a policy which allows us to close consistently low performing schools and replace them with successful, high performing charter schools that have shown the ability to replicate successfully. we did it for the first time last year. now, we’re evaluating whether or not to introduce legislation to allow those schools to be a part of our district results.” mPs is working to implement teacher evaluations and make more effective use of data, so they can more quickly recognize successful teachers and share their expertise. “for example, i can show

you with the use of data, which teachers are beating the odds when it comes to educating our African-American boys. we need to identify them and allow them to train others,” said Johnson.

“we’re open to doing things differently. Another example is the work that we’re doing in partnership with eric’s (mahmoud) school. sondra samuels led an effort to create a cohort of eight principals from public, private, parochial, and charter schools. they share problems and best practices with each other, visit each other’s schools and make recommendations to each other. we also have a Charter Compact which shows our commitment to working with charter schools.” the district also has a taskforce looking at extended time on task which has been implemented at many of the top performing schools across the country.

Johnson is very clear when asked about her priorities: 1. Great teacher in every classroom. 2. Great leader in every school. 3. Great school in every neighborhood. she’s committed to developing and implementing strategies to make each a reality. there’s no question that Johnson understands the importance of what she and others are doing. she is passionate about working with others to make sure that each child has the best opportunities possible. incredibly committed to community involvement and parental engagement, she spends much of her time out in the community listening and attending events.

“Public education is so very important. it is the foundation for a strong democracy,” said Johnson.

Johnson is married to reginald, a 28 year employee within the district. they have two children, Brandon and Briana.

we shouldn’t be able to predict student’s outcomes by what zip code they live in.

Page 38: Revive! Twin Cities… Education Edition

36 | reViVe! twin Cities ©2011 revive! twin Cities magazine

DEVELOPING fUTUrE LEADErS

By John Ewing, Jr.

i believe that leadership is the foundation upon which successful organizations are built. Great leaders create an environment of empowerment and teamwork that allows an organization to be greater than the sum of its parts. these organizations are focused on serving its customers and the members of the organization.

A leader must clearly identify both the primary and secondary customers. once those customers are identified, the leader in conjunction with the customers determines how the organization will meet the needs of the customers in the most efficient manner while providing excellent customer service. A leader in identifying these needs must be a servant leader who recognizes it is not about them. A servant leader serves the customer and those who provide the service.

Just as we need to always look at ways to sharpen our

leadership skills and being servant leaders, we must also teach our youth the importance of being a leader and the concept of servant leadership. we must consistently lead by example in word and deed. Leaders are a key ingredient to a successful organization or project. they must cast a compelling vision that the customers agree with, sell the vision, and obtain buy in from those impacted by the vision, and finally, they must lead the implementation of the vision. scripture tells us that without a vision the people perish. Leaders provide the vision and ensure that it is carried out.

Adults have a responsibility to help young people understand their leadership potential. what i mean by this statement is that leaders must know who they are and how they work best. once you know that about yourself you can help others do the same. the Gallup organization has a widely used instrument and book called Gallup strengths

Each one, reach one!©

2011

Pho

tos.c

om

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finder to help people understand their strengths. this is critical in leadership. there are a number of other leadership assessments such as myers Briggs that can help young people and adults discover their special talents.

we must also take the time to teach young people leadership skills. young leaders should be taught skills such as active listening, communicating effectively, conducting meetings, effective teambuilding, empowerment, delegating, and problem solving. these are just a few of the skills that are essential for their growth as an effective leader.

we can prepare youth for leadership roles by giving then opportunities to practice the skills that were mentioned. once they have been prepared, start giving safe leadership opportunities to them gradually. it will help them gain confidence. these opportunities will help them learn the practical things (the science of leadership) and the feel for how to do things (the art of leadership) which are both critical to being a great leader. Challenge the youth to take on bigger leadership projects.

As you work with the youth and help them develop on their leadership journey, remember it is not a journey where they arrive at a single destination. Leaders are always on a path

of growing and developing. your job is to coach them by providing constructive feedback, correction, development, planning, and mentoring.

one reason leaders fail most often is because they fail to build a team. By providing leadership training for youth, you help prepare them for future leadership teams in organizations and help them prepare for key leadership opportunities that will make them, their family, the community, and you proud.

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Page 40: Revive! Twin Cities… Education Edition

Please support the important work of the African American Leadership forum with a charitable gift.Go to www.Givemn.org and search for “African American Leadership forum”

we each have a responsibility to engage and contribute in our community.