Newsletters 2013-14 Focus newsletter, [3] spring

2012-2013 Award Winners page 7 A N O K A SPRING 2013 - H E N N E P I N S C H O O L D I S T R I C T Three district schools earn national Awards of Distinction T hree district specialty schools attracted top honors in 2013. Outstanding community support, flexible, committed faculty and staff and a fully integrated curriculum are the secrets to their success. Healthier schools Champlin–Brooklyn Park Academy for Math and Environmental Science, Anoka Middle School for the Arts, and Blaine High School Center for Engineering, Mathematics and Science (CEMS) were all named Magnet Schools of Distinction by Magnet Schools of America (MSA) in February. In total, nine Minnesota schools were award winners but Anoka-Hennepin secured three of the top spots, more than any other district in the state. page 2 CPHS lullaby concert Dr. Lori Dykstra, curriculum integration coordinator, is the driving force behind the Blaine High School CEMS program. page 4 Principal John Phelps explains, “From the beginning, Lori and the staff connect students with other classes such as world languages and the arts assuring a completely integrated curriculum and a unique experience. The capstone projects (a significant final project for seniors) are so good because they are hands-on and they force the students to communicate. The language of a scientist must translate to the language of the general public.” Obliviate the Hate Anti-bullying Week page 6 Disability Awareness Week page 6 Dykstra adds, “Students take math and science all four years. But what is unique is the opportunity to take engineering classes that allow them to explore even deeper.” She is quick to thank a solid advisory board made up of higher education professors, engineers in the community and An art class at Anoka Middle School for the Arts (AMSA) integrates geometry into the study of Islamic art, which incorporates complex, repeated geometric patterns. AMSA is one of three district schools recognized with a National Award of Distinction. A feature story and more photos are available on the district website. parents. These community members often serve as mentors to the incredibly creative students. At the Champlin–Brooklyn Park Academy for Math and Environmental Science, Principal Marilyn McKeehen and curriculum integrator Denise Schnabel offer a standing ovation to their community network. The city of Champlin’s Environmental Resources Commission, Three Rivers Park District, the Champlin Garden Club and parents like Andrea Kroenig make the academy’s award-winning curriculum possible. “We are so incredibly proud of the program we put together. Our newly formed school resulted in bright faculty and staff who are fully supported by outstanding parents and community members.” Schnabel adds, “We have 11 raised bed gardens, a green house and we partner with the PTO on their greeting garden. Everything ties to curriculum. It is so exciting to be able to offer these types of programs and experiences and to watch the students develop ownership and pride in what they create.” continued on page 2 What state spends in education is not what we get By Superintendent Dennis Carlson B y the time you read this column, it is quite likely the Minnesota Legislature will have concluded its session and the fate of Anoka-Hennepin School District’s financial health will have been determined. As this time – two weeks out from the end of the session – the outlook for Anoka-Hennepin is bleak. That is in sharp contrast to reports in the media. You have likely heard legislators quoted in the news speaking about the importance of investing in education, even to the point of raising additional money for schools with a tax increase. Legislators and the Governor are spending $2 billion - Anoka-Hennepin must be doing just fine for the next two years. education students in Minnesota receive should not depend on their zip code. Unfortunately, as has happened in the past, it doesn’t look as if that additional money will be spread evenly across the state. It is likely our district will once again receive less than the state average in funding per student and we will be close to the bottom. If that happens, it won’t be because we have not made our voices heard. We have tried to make our legislative delegation, House and Senate leadership, and the Governor’s office aware of our Anoka-Hennepin needs. None of these entities provides enough revenue to cover the cost of inflation our district faces annually. The cost of providing educational programs, operating buildings and running buses increases about 3 percent each year. At this point it looks like Anoka-Hennepin will receive an increase of about 0.9 percent the first year and 1.5 percent the second year to pay for existing programs and services. The district needs about $36 million over the next two years to simply maintain current class size and programs. Under the House bill, the district Your School Board members and administration have been working very closely with our legislators, as well as other key state legislators, to describe our needs for fair funding. We have testified a number of times before Senate and House committees on various bills, urging adequate and equitable funding and we have consistently made it clear that the kind of continued on page 2