First-of-its-kind tool provides parents with guidance on choosing the best-fit school, featuring 139 school profiles and 29 changing-the-odds schools
Comeback and Great MN Schools – sister organizations building a community of great schools – March 15 launched ‘Minneapolis School Finder.’ This resource guide for parents provides objective, relevant information on schools across Minneapolis so parents can find schools that are the best fit for their kids.
“The status quo has shielded our most vulnerable families from information on schools for years, especially when it comes to academics. There are many people, even some in our own community, who protest that these parents – of color, most in-need – don’t care about their child’s education or don’t engage in it,” said Rashad Turner, director of community engagement for MN Comeback.
“We’ve heard the call from parents, and we’re here to disrupt false narratives and support parent agency and leadership in education,” continued Turner. “I’ve yet to meet a parent who doesn’t want their child to access a great school and thrive in life.”
MN Comeback, which organizes strategies and resources with the broader K-12 ecosystem, is addressing one of the highest-impact levers to transform K-12: Parent demand for more great schools. The nonprofit organization has convened and listened to several hundred parents in various formats over two years. Minneapolis School Finder responds to an explicit need that parents cite: Comprehensive information on schools, from programs and academics to hours and demographics.
“I was nervous about enrolling my child in a school in Minneapolis,” said parent Ericka Trevino. “For my family, choosing a school surfaces feelings of anxiety and uncertainty because we’ve never had easy access to reliable information on schools. Then, when I looked at this guide, I discovered great options in our city and I’m now confident that we can find a school that works well for us.”
Minneapolis School Finder features: Tips for choosing a school questions to ask when touring schools, application and enrollment guidance, a list of schools closing the opportunity gap, and 139 school profiles (district, charter and independent)
School profiles include features unique to each school, student and teacher demographics, and Minnesota Department of Education data on academic performance. To address parents’ need for context on academic data, profiles include an academic rating – determined by three years of proficiency and growth results – so parents can see which schools are consistently delivering academic results for the kids they serve. The front-end guidance for parents is also available in Hmong, Spanish and Somali.
“MN Comeback and Great MN Schools started with the idea that we – schools, advocates, parents, funders – can accomplish more together than we can independently,” said parent Iris Altamirano. “That’s exactly what we see today with Minneapolis School Finder. An ‘information gap’ stifles too many of our families’ voices and decisions. This parent tool honors all parents as advocates. The next step: Give us more platforms to amplify our voices. We’re part of the solution.”
The Community Engagement Team at MN Comeback – comprised of representatives from all types of schools and nonprofit groups – identified Minneapolis School Finder as a critical tool to build parent agency and leadership. It also builds off of initiatives to understand how schools and advocates can better meet parent needs, from Design Thinking conversations to AmeriCorps-organized meet-ups.
The following organizations lent their insights and time, making Minneapolis School Finder possible:
- African American Leadership Forum
- African Immigrant Services
- Children’s Defense Fund – MN
- Ed Allies
- Way to Grow
- The MN Harvest Initiative
- NewPublica
- MN Independent School Forum
- Northside Funders Group
- Pillsbury United Communities
- Northside Achievement Zone
- Coalition of Somali American Leaders
- Students for Education Reform – MN
“While Minneapolis still ranks at the very bottom nationwide for academic success for students of color, great schools right here in our community are helping all students, from every neighborhood and every background, realize their extraordinary potential,” added Jennifer Stern, CEO of Great MN Schools. “Working with parents, we need to build on what’s already working.”
Access Minneapolis School Finder
Parents can access the guide at www.MinneapolisSchoolFinder.org; hard copies are available by request: (612) 643-1305 / info@MinneapolisSchoolFinder.org.