♪♪ >> Eric: ELEMENTARY STUDENTS HEADED BACK TO SCHOOL ALL OVER THE METRO AREA EARLIER THIS WEEK, AND IN ST. PAUL THERE WAS A SPECIAL FIRST DAY FOR A BRAND NEW SCHOOL AND ITS STUDENTS.

THE FIRST-EVER EAST AFRICAN MAGNET SCHOOL OPENED UP IN THE FORMER JACKSON ELEMENTARY BUILDING IN FROGTOWN.

FIRST-YEAR PRINCIPAL ABDISALAM ADAM SPENT HIS SUMMER ESTABLISHING THE SCHOOL AND WAS THERE TO WELCOME STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.

SHARING IN THE CELEBRATION WAS ST. PAUL SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT JOE GOTHARD.

WE WELCOME BOTH OF YOU FELLAS TO THE SHOW.

HOW DID YOU TURN THIS AROUND IN WHAT, FOUR, FIVE MONTHS?

HOW DID YOU SPEND YOUR SUMMER?

MY GOODNESS.

>> ELL, I WAS NOT ALONE, IT WAS A COMMUNITY EFFORT.

AND WHEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME THERE WAS A LOT OF GOOD WILL FROM THE ENTIRE ST. PAUL DISTRICT AS WELL AS THE LARGER COMMUNITY.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY SURPRISED ME WAS THE AMOUNT OF GOOD WILL THAT PEOPLE NEED THIS KIND OF SCHOOL, WE WANT TO SEE FAMILIES AND STUDENTS AND WANT ST. PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO EXPAND THE SERVICES AND THE QUALITY EDUCATION THAT WE HAVE PROMISED TO OFFER OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES.

SO THAT ENERGY REALLY, YOU KNOW, WAS THE DRIVING FORCE THAT GAVE US THE IMPETUS AND THE ENERGY TO OVE IT THROUGH.

I WAS NOT ALONE, ALL THE DISTRICT DEPARTMENTS.

>> Eric: YOU HAD HELP.

>> YEAH, A OT OF DISTRICT DEPARTMENTS AND THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD AND EVERYBODY WAS CHECKING ON ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ALSO PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS.

>> Cathy: WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT, TO HAVE A MAGNET SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT?

>> SO A FEW THINGS, WE ARE A STATE AND DISTRICT OF CHOICE.

THERE ARE MANY EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS AND WHEN I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME 3,000 STUDENTS WHO IDENTIFY AS EAST AFRICAN WHO CHOOSE SCHOOLS OTHER THAN ST. PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, I HAVE TO ASK WHY.

I WANT OUR SCHOOLS AND UR COMMUNITIES TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE CAN DO THIS AS WELL.

WE CAN LISTEN TO OUR PARENTS, LISTEN TO OUR FAMILIES, AND SAY LET'S OFFER THIS IN ST. PAUL.

>> Eric: WHEN WE WERE KIDS, SEGREGATION IN SCHOOLS WAS NOT ONLY BAD IT WAS OUTLAWED.

ARE WE SEEING A TREND TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, SEGREGATED CLASSES BASED ON DIVERSITY AND DEMOGRAPHICS AND SO FORTH?

>> AND I THINK A LOT OF EARLY SCHOOL PATTERNS, SCHOOL CHOICES WERE BASED ON EIGHBORHOODS, AND NEIGHBORHOODS ARE BASED ON WHO CAN AFFORD TO LIVE THERE.

>> Eric: SURE.

>> SO BY NATURE IT WAS DESIGNED IN THAT WAY IN SO MANY CASES.

BUT IN THIS ERA OF SCHOOL CHOICE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO OFFER BUSES THAT CAN GO ACROSS OUR TOWN ND ENSURE HAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A RACIAL MIXTURE THAT REPRESENTS OUR DEMOGRAPHICS.

THIS IS WHAT OUR FAMILIES WANT AND WE'RE GOING TO SERVE THEM.

>> Cathy: HOW EXCITED IS THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY ABOUT THE MAGNET SCHOOL?

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

>> YEAH, THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY AS YOU KNOW HAS REALLY GROWN IN THE TWIN CITIES, AND PARTICULARLY THE SOMALI COMMUNITY GETTING VERY VISIBLE AND GETTING IN DIFFERENT ARENAS OF MINNESOTA'S LIFE.

AND WITH MINNESOTA BEING HOME AND MANY FAMILIES FEELING THEY NEED THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN HERE AND THE HOMELAND IN EAST AFRICA, THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITEMENT.

AND THE SCHOOL IS NOT JUST SOMALI, IT'S EAST AFRICA, EAST AFRICA IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE AFRICAN CONTINENT.

IT HAS VERY IMPORTANT GEOPOLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE UNITED STATES.

SO THE VISION WE HAVE IS BRIDGING THAT HIGHWAY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERTISE AND THESE YOUNG SCHOLARS WHO WILL BE THE BRIDGE-BUILDERS AND BEING HYPHENATED SOMALI OR EUROPEAN OR AMERICANS WHO WILL REALLY HELP OUR STATE.

SO AT ALL LEVELS I'M SEEING A LOT OF CONGRATULATIONS, MANY MESSAGES.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK FOR.

AND EVEN THE DIVERSITY, THE SCHOOL IS A ST. PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOL, IT'S OPEN FOR ALL ETHNIC GROUPS TO COME.

AND THERE IS DIVERSITY WITHIN OUR STUDENT POPULATION, AND MORE SO WITHIN OUR STAFF.

SO I CAN SAY IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE STAFF IN ANY SCHOOL IN ST. PAUL.

I DON'T HAVE THE RAW DATA BUT THAT IS MY FEELING AS IN MY EXPERIENCE IN 27 YEARS.

>> Eric: WHAT IS -- THE ENROLLMENT DECLINE?

>> WELL, IT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE, 276 COME FROM UTSIDE OF ST. PAUL SCHOOLS.

THIS IS PRE-K-5.

SO ALREADY WE ARE SEEING THIS IS HIGHLY DESIRABLE AND IS ABSOLUTELY IS GOING TO MEET SOME OF OUR ENROLLMENT GOALS.

IT'S NOT GOING TO SOLVE ALL OF OUR CHALLENGES BUT IT IS GOING TO FOR US BECOME A MODEL FOR HOW DO WE REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH ALL THE CHOICES THAT FAMILIES HAVE.

>> Cathy: ARE THE TEACHERS ALL -- YOU MENTIONED IT'S A DIVERSE STAFF.

DOES IT HELP, THOUGH, AND DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH TEACHERS OF EAST AFRICAN ANCESTRY?

BECAUSE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, STUDENTS NEED TO SEE THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR TEACHERS.

SO HOW IS HE STAFFING?

>> IT'S A VERY BALANCED STAFFING, SO ALL THE MINNESOTA ETHNICITIES ARE REPRESENTED.

THERE'S A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF EAST AFRICANS, I WOULD SAY UP TO 1/3 OF THE STAFF THE ATHIS MOMENT.

AND SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE INTENDED BUT BECAUSE OF HIRING AND THAT PROCESS AND THAT STUFF AND MAYBE LATE IN THE GAME, THAT WE HAVE A VERY INTERESTING MIX OF STAFF THAT ARE REALLY VERY OPTIMISTIC, VERY POSITIVE.

THE ENERGY HAS BEEN SO ADMIRABLY IN THE TIME THAT THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN OPEN, AND TODAY WAS THE FIRST WEEK AND FRIDAY WHEN EVERYBODY WAS GOING HOME, HIGH FIVES AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT WEEK.

>> Eric: SO YOU'LL BE JUDGING SUCCESS OF THIS IN WHAT MEASUREMENTS?

>> WELL, WE'LL BE JUDGING SUCCESS IN MANY WAYS.

ONE I HAVE TO SAY FOR 27 YEARS DR. ADAM HAS BEEN A COMMITTED EDUCATOR NOT JUST IN ST. PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUT IN THE TWIN CITIES.

AND IT'S REALLY, I'M HONORED TO BE HERE WITH HIM TONIGHT CELEBRATING HIS FIRST WEEK.

I THINK SUCCESS COMES IN MAKING SURE THAT FAMILIES FEEL PART OF THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND OF COURSE WE WANT THEM TO HAVE HIGH ACADEMIC GROWTH AND HIGH ACHIEVEMENT AS WELL AND WE'LL BE WATCHING IT JUST LIKE WE DO ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.

WELL, CONGRATULATIONS.

>> Eric: SOU