Principal named Area C assistant superintendent
Marianne Norris, principal of Bethune Community School in North Minneapolis since 2002, was named assistant superintendent for Southwest-area public schools Oct. 3.
Norris will oversee the 24 schools in Area C, which includes all of Southwest and parts of South Minneapolis. During her first few days on the job, Norris was meeting with school principals and leadership teams across Area C.
"We want to bring all the resources that we can to each individual school … and support them to increase student achievement," she said.
Norris said she was examining the data from each site with school leaders so they could target district resources where they are most needed. That might mean providing extra support to a particular group of students or trying to raise all student scores in an area where a school is struggling, like math or reading, she said.
"We’re going to start with the highest-needs schools," she added.
Norris, who earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, was the third new associate superintendent hired by the district this year. New leaders were named in the district’s two other areas, A and B, over the summer.
The district also redefined the role of the assistant superintendents for each area just before the start of the school year.
Assistant superintendents now directly supervise the principals of their area schools. This year, they also will attend area council meetings with parents as a way to strengthen communication between district administration and families.
"It’s going to be really important to keep talking to parents, keep those lines of communication open," Norris said.
Norris noted that a recent survey indicated parents in Area C are more slightly more satisfied with the education their children receive in Minneapolis Public Schools than district parents as a whole. Seventy-five percent of Area C parents reported they were "very" or "extremely" satisfied, compared with 71 percent of parents overall.
Norris said she hoped to learn from those parents what the district was doing well and should continue doing. She also wanted to hear from the other 25 percent of parents on where the district could improve.
Craig Vana, the former associate superintendent for Area C, was named associate superintendent of emergency response and crisis management this summer. That position was created after the Interstate 35W bridge
collapse.
Fun walk and dinner at Armatage
ARMATAGE — Armatage Community and Montessori School will host its first-ever Armatage Family Fun Walk 9 a.m.–noon Saturday, Oct. 27.
Students will collect pledges to walk around Armatage Park. The event replaces the school’s former fundraiser, an annual gift catalogue sale.
A spaghetti kick-off dinner is 6 p.m.–9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, the night before the walk. Tickets $6 for adults and $5 for children in advance, or $7 for adults and $6 for children at the door.
Lake Harriet Pizza, Café Maude and Lunds will provide food for the dinner. To purchase tickets in advance, contact Toni Locke at 920-2156 or [email protected]
Book sales benefiting Southwest HS music department
LINDEN HILLS — A portion of book sales on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the Barnes & Noble location in the Galleria in Edina will go to the Southwest High School music department.
A percentage of the total sales of books, CDs, coffee, and other purchases between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. will go to the school. Purchases of gift cards and club memberships will not be
counted.
Customers must present a voucher, available in the store, for the purchase to benefit
Southwest High School.
Southwest musicians will perform in the store from 4:30–8 p.m.
Free tutoring available at some Minneapolis schools
Students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals may also be eligible for free tutoring under the federal No Child Left Behind act.
The free tutoring is only offered at certain Minneapolis schools. In Southwest, they include: Anwatin Middle School, Jefferson Community School, and Windom Spanish Dual Immersion and Open School.
Students from the Uptown Academy Alternative High School and Wellstone International High School may also qualify for free tutoring.
Eligible families will be notified by mail. Parents can also call 668-0483 for more information.
Deadline for enrollment is Nov. 20.
Reach Dylan Thomas at [email protected] or 436-4391.