rssMinnesota Senate Republican: integration ‘destroyed’ Minneapolis
- 23 Comments
A move by Minnesota Republicans to repeal school integration laws resulted in heated debate about the decades-long program that aims to diversify schools in the Twin Cities metro area and Duluth. During a floor debate on elimination of desegregation programs Thursday, Sen. Dan Hall, R-Burnsville, said, “I watched Minneapolis get destroyed, so I not only didn’t want my kids in the school system. I took them out of Minneapolis because they ruined our neighborhoods with integration and [de]segregation.”
The K-12 education omnibus bill in the House and Senate would take funding from integration and desegregation programs in the Twin Cities and Duluth and shift them to statewide programs for literacy. The bill also repeals the unfunded portions of Minnesota law dealing with desegregation.
Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) has significant problems with the bill. “Let’s talk about how segregated many of our communities still are,” he said. “Minneapolis over the last 40 years has been intensely engaged in desegregation and integration. With this bill, all that is now knocked away without any hearings.”
Dibble said the bill would harm college-readiness programs, college and career centers and magnet schools which have helped foster diverse learning environments, improved opportunities for minority students, higher adult incomes for low-income students and low-income students completing more years of higher education.
“I fear what we see here the is the politics of envy and division and protecting our own,” he said, “not the ‘one Minnesota’ we hearken back to.”
Freshman Sen. Hal’s statement on the Senate floor seemed to back up some of Dibble’s concerns. Hall backs taking the integration funds and using them for statewide literacy programs.
“Well, I don’t speak up too often, but this one has pushed my buttons. I am a product of the Minneapolis school system, completing all of my years, all the different schools,” said Hall. “I graduated with a 6th grade reading ability. I struggled my whole life. We need to teach kids how to read.”
“I watched Minneapolis get destroyed, so I not only didn’t want my kids in the school system… I took them out of Minneapolis because they ruined our neighborhoods with integration and segregation.”
He said he applauded the teachers and coaches he had growing up, but said, “The system is broke. My best friends are minority, they think integration in foolish. It’s a ploy to get more money.”
He added, “Treat everyone equally and with respect. Right down the line I teach my kids. I teach them every day we treat everyone with respect. It’s disrespectful to tell my friends, my minority friends that they can’t make it without extra special help.”
The K-12 education omnibus bill passed the Senate on Thursday by a party-line vote. A bill with a similar repeal of desegregation programs passed the House as well. Both are headed to conference committee to hash out any differences before heading to Gov. Mark Dayton.
23 Comments
Comment posted April 1, 2011 @ 7:35 pm
Seriously! They’re not even trying not to sound like the Klan at this point.
Comment posted April 1, 2011 @ 9:08 pm
Well April 12 in 1861 was the start of the Civil War, so I guess that’s where the Republicans want to take us back to, so they can rewrite history. According to them, it seems as though the Emancipation Proclamation was a mistake.
Comment posted April 1, 2011 @ 9:13 pm
I see that this is where the entitlement crowd hangs out
Comment posted April 1, 2011 @ 9:16 pm
I haven’t see Bachmann post anything yet, you know she has 23 foster kids which I’m sure she is enjoying her gov’t monthly entitlements.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Comment posted April 1, 2011 @ 9:39 pm
Yes, it really sucks when people feel entitled not to be subjected racism from their elected leaders.
Comment posted April 1, 2011 @ 10:02 pm
Sen. Hall: “I graduated with a 6th grade reading ability.” Why am I not surprised.
Comment posted April 1, 2011 @ 10:15 pm
Lack of success in learning reading has more to do with the schools changing to site reading and getting rid of phonics than to do with integration. One really cannot learn to read without phonics. But the fact that he is TEA party Republican really kind of explains his lack of ability to learn to read as well. Both of those things reflect on his lack of intellect. (Really parents should have taught their kids phonics BEFORE they enter Kindergarten, mine did)
Comment posted April 2, 2011 @ 12:27 am
No doubt the current Republicans would push for an “Emancipation Retraction”.
Comment posted April 2, 2011 @ 1:06 am
Oh, heavens, people feel entitled to be represented by politicians who aren’t racist, “I got mine, screw you, Jack” asshats.
Comment posted April 2, 2011 @ 2:03 am
Actually, they want to take us back even further, love… like maybe to the Dark Ages when the clerics rued their ignorant flock with an iron fist.
Comment posted April 2, 2011 @ 2:06 am
Thanks to the Teahadists, “I graduated with a 6th grade reading ability” is now a bragging point for the Republican primary.
Comment posted April 3, 2011 @ 8:04 pm
Undiagnosed learning disability – very hereditary – more likely in men/boys – and very likely due to lack of funding or awareness back whenever he went to Mpls schools.
Comment posted April 4, 2011 @ 3:25 pm
This man is an elected official… he has a difficult time reading by his own admission but hey, let’s have him make decisions that affect everyone in the state of MN. I thought we wanted intelligent non-racist people passing laws that affect our lives???
Comment posted April 8, 2011 @ 1:02 pm
MAYBE he could have received a 7th grade reading ability had he attended a segregated school system. OR MAYBE, if he had cared about it, he could have taken the time to learn or tell someone. Nope, that would put the responsibilty back onto his shoulders.
Comment posted April 11, 2011 @ 3:13 am
Where are the comments about the teacher bias and teacher competency? Integration and desegregation are not the problems here; I blame the Teachers for failing to teach blind without racial bias?
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[...] in Minnesota, where state Senate Republicans are trying to repeal school integration laws, because as Sen. Dan Hall (R) put it: I watched Minneapolis get [...]
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