69传媒

School & District Management

Independent Points to Stint as Minneapolis 69传媒 Chief

By Michele McNeil 鈥 October 27, 2006 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Peter Hutchinson said he found the best definition of what it is to be a leader in the most unlikely of places: a 4th grade classroom.

That lesson, which would help define his Independence Party run this year for Minnesota鈥檚 governorship, came more than a decade ago during his four-year tenure as superintendent of the Minneapolis public schools.

See Also

鈥淎 leader is someone who goes out and changes things, and makes them better,鈥 a 4th grade girl told Mr. Hutchinson, a story he repeated to about 50 medical students at the University of Minnesota during a campaign stop here this week.

Mr. Hutchinson, a Democrat-turned-Independent who is embroiled in one of the closest governor鈥檚 races in the country, is campaigning as an alternative to two major-party candidates he likens to Coke and Pepsi. In other words, he says, he鈥檚 the choice for voters sick of the standard politicians who are similar in their partisan bickering and devotion to special interests.

Click to view interactive feature: Proposals to the Voters
(Requires .)

His platform hinges on reforming health care and education, two issues he sees as inseparable. The cost of health care is draining money from the Minnesota state budget, he says, and from school districts that pay health-insurance premiums for their teachers. Making health care affordable will free up more money in the state and in districts鈥 budgets for K-12 education, he says.

In addition, he believes the state needs to contribute more funding to universities, to keep rising tuition costs in check.

鈥淓ducation has always been the economic engine for Minnesota, and we鈥檙e falling behind,鈥 said Mr. Hutchinson, 57, whose no-frills 鈥淭eam Minnesota鈥 headquarters are here in Minneapolis, above a bakery cafe and an antiques store.

Minnesota has elected an independent candidate before, former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura, who served from 1999 to 2003.

But several polls indicate Mr. Hutchinson is unlikely to win; he鈥檚 receiving about 5 percent of the vote in surveys, according to media reports.

That doesn鈥檛 mean his candidacy is without impact, though, because Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate Mike Hatch and Republican incumbent Gov. Tim Pawlenty, are in a tight race and can鈥檛 afford to lose any votes.

In fact, Mr. Hutchinson is enough of a factor that Gov. Pawlenty has launched an attack ad against him for favoring in-state college-tuition rates for the children of illegal immigrants.

鈥楬ad to Do Something鈥

Even with the odds against him, Mr. Hutchinson said he couldn鈥檛 sit back as the two major parties gridlocked over the issues he champions. He decided to make his run for the state鈥檚 highest office in 2005, when state government came to a halt after neither the governor nor the legislature could agree on a budget.

鈥淚 had to do something,鈥 he said.

The foundation for Mr. Hutchinson鈥檚 education campaign platform is his experiences as superintendent of the 37,900-student Minneapolis school district from 1993 to 1997, when the city became one of the first to experiment with hiring a private company to run a school district.

The district hired the Public Strategies Group, which Mr. Hutchinson co-founded, and he became the designated superintendent. The group specializes in innovating to change government services, especially in budgeting and spending.

While the group ran the district, Mr. Hutchinson and his company were paid based on results鈥攕uch as improved test scores, or the hiring of more minority teachers. The company received a base sum that could be increased depending on gains in student achievement. It had to report progress several times a year in public school board meetings.

By taking a business-style approach to education, Mr. Hutchinson touts that he helped raise test scores, from a 31 percent passing rate for 6th graders on the state standardized test when he started in 1993, to a 56 percent passing rate when he left in 1997. During his tenure, he also garnered a 70 percent yes vote on a referendum to raise property taxes by $160 million.

Mr. Hutchinson says that his four-year assignment as schools chief prompted him, years later as a gubernatorial candidate, to propose expanding early education for 3- and 4-year-olds, making free, all-day kindergarten available for all, and changing how the state pays for special education students.

鈥淲e were trying to focus on the early years,鈥 Mr. Hutchinson said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when you can really make a difference. 鈥

A version of this article appeared in the November 01, 2006 edition of Education Week as Independent Points to Stint as Minneapolis 69传媒 Chief

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69传媒
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

School & District Management 69传媒 Want Results When They Spend Big Money. Here's How They're Getting Them
Tying spending to outcomes is a goal many district leaders have. A new model for purchase contracts could make it easier.
7 min read
Illustration of scales balancing books on one end and coins on another.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Reports Strategic Resourcing for K-12 Education: A Work in Progress
This report highlights key findings from surveys of K-12 administrators and product/service providers to shed light on the alignment of purchasing with instructional goals.
School & District Management Download Shhhh!!! It's Underground Spirit Week, Don't Tell the 69传媒
Try this fun twist on the Spirit Week tradition.
Illustration of shushing emoji.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion How My Experience With Linda McMahon Can Help You Navigate the Trump Ed. Agenda
I have a lesson for district leaders from my (limited) interactions with Trump鈥檚 pick for ed. secretary, writes a former superintendent.
Joshua P. Starr
4 min read
Vector illustration of people walking on upward arrows, symbolizing growth, progress, and teamwork towards success.
iStock/Getty Images