My view: The future demands change

"Change is inevitable… change is constant." So wrote a conservative British statesman, Benjamin Disraeli, over a hundred years ago. His words still ring true for many educators today. Whether you're someone who welcomes change or becomes anxious in its wake, we are all affected by it.

Here in Eden Prairie Schools, as in many school districts around this state and country, a plethora of social, cultural, financial and political changes have become inevitable constants leaving us with two starkly different alternatives: to resolutely face them and persevere in navigating our way or to become overwhelmed, complain and stubbornly resist their implications.

The choice we make will define both how successful we become and the legacy we will leave to those who follow us. The time has come for those of us in educational institutions to lead the way in proclaiming that "business as usual" is no longer an option.

Like many other districts, we are taking a close look at the students coming through our doors and their changing needs. At our schools, for example, just in the last five years alone, the number of students who come from low-income households has increased more than 40 percent and the number of students of color has increased by more than 70 percent. In addition, we currently serve over 400 students for whom English is not their first language.

On the northern wall of our school board meeting room hangs a large banner proclaiming our district's mission: "Educating for Success in Our Diverse and Changing World." The message conveys our district's moral imperative to ensure that all of our students— regardless of their race, their home language or family income level —are provided excellent instructional guidance and learning opportunities. Therefore, we aggressively embrace the notion that every child deserves to reach his/her full potential.

Eden Prairie Schools could choose to rest on its accomplishments: our numerous National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalists and Commended students, our AP and National AP Scholars, our traditionally high ACT scores and our successful co-curricular programs. But we know that these achievements reflect only one aspect of our district. We know that a more honest appraisal is needed — one that recognizes and admits that, as with most other school districts in this country, we in Eden Prairie are able to predict varied academic achievement of our students based on zip code, linguistic, economic and racial differences and disparities. Our achievement data clearly reflects this troubling truth.

Committing to the "status quo" in light of these achievement disparities is no longer tenable, nor is it desirable. If we intend to genuinely provide a quality education for all, we will need to continue taking new and bold strategic actions to ensure the success of all of our students — no exceptions, no excuses. These actions will involve many changes. Some of these will be welcomed, and other changes will be difficult for some to accept, particularly those for whom our existing practices and policies have served so well. But the truth is that not all students are benefiting from our systemic models, and this is no longer acceptable.

Eden Prairie Schools can expect many changes over the next few years — from the adoption of new educational models to the expansion of successful programs and the elimination of ineffective ones, from possible changes in our busing schedules to the potential changes in our school boundaries to promote balance and equity. As educational leaders, we must place a host of research-based ideas "on the table" in order to raise the achievement of all students while eliminating the known and increasing disparities evident in a variety of demographic groups. Similar discussions are happening all around the state.

We, as educators, are not so naive to suppose that no one will be uncomfortable with these actions. In fact, we're well aware of some who are. I believe it falls on us to welcome those voices to the table and invite them to join us in respectful dialogue. We endeavor to listen to the comments and concerns in our communities in a way that honors our mutual integrity. At the same time, we must hold fast to our convictions, our mandate and our imperative that schools must be positioned and ready to lead the way in "Educating for Success in Our Diverse and Changing World."

We invite all families in our community to join us on our mission as we develop an even stronger educational system. Our collective future depends on it.

Melissa Krull is superintendent of Eden Prairie Schools.