Learning Curve

Integration task force forwarding results to Cassellius

susan — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:42:36 +0000

Recommendations carry the endorsement of Myron Orfield, a relentless integration advocate, and Bob Erickson, a fiscal conservative.

Charter-school group seeks legislative changes to ease replication, ensure accountability

tnehil — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:44:00 +0000

Because the legislation would force the closure of failing charters and make it easier to hire teachers with nontraditional credentials, it's guaranteed to be controversial.

Minnesota to be granted waiver from NCLB law

tnehil — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:20:00 +0000

In its proposal, Minnesota said that the state will institute a more effective system for measuring student performance.

MPS contract negotiations leaving reformers frustrated

tnehil — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:06:00 +0000

About half an hour into the most recent round of contract negotiations between Minneapolis Public Schools and its teachers, Bill English picked up his hat and coat and walked out, disgusted.

MPS marshals help for families filling out FAFSAs

tnehil — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:22:00 +0000

In an effort to increase the number of high-school grads who complete the form, Minneapolis Public Schools has declared this month FAFSA February.

What are MN attendees of ALEC confab likely bringing back? Think tenure reform

tnehil — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:19:00 +0000

In the group's latest report card, Minnesota got a D- overall for teacher policies, including an F in the category of “exiting” ineffective teachers.

New MPS chef aims to transform students' food, one step at a time

tnehil — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:38:57 +0000

Bertrand Weber has earned a reputation as a pioneer in the practice of putting fresh food on school lunch trays.

Provost's first day at the U, Minnesota's science standards dinged -- and more

tnehil — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Three slim items of note that add up to a news morse.

Obama's school dropout proposal would be a change for Minnesota

kaeti — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:22:38 +0000

During Wednesday night's State of the Union speech, President Obama proposed requiring every U.S. student stay in school until graduation or the age of 18.

Anoka-Hennepin: From 'neutrality' to proposed language underscoring respect for all

tnehil — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:20:00 +0000

Groups on both side of the issue were dissatisfied with a recent change in the district's neutrality policy.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan wowed by South High student enthusiasm

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:45:00 +0000

"I think the future is here," Duncan told the Minneapolis town hall meeting. "Unfortunately, this kind of diversity is rare in this country."

Irondale's new college-in-high-school program to be on display at town hall with Arne Duncan

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Starting next fall, students at Irondale High School will have on-site access to enough college-level classes to graduate with both a high-school diploma and an associate's degree.

Students in Blake's Justice League to be honored at Hamline anti-bullying conference

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:21:00 +0000

Finally, there's good news to share on the topic of combating bullying in Minnesota schools.

Words of inspiration, reflection on King's birthday

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Did you know that only 2 percent of U.S. high school students can identify the source of the phrase, "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal"?

Teach for America teachers moving into policy positions

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:59:00 +0000

Corps members, as TFA calls them, are weaving their way into the very fabric of the nation’s education establishment. You might even call it a conspiracy.

Feds' feedback has Minnesota scurrying to tweak NCLB waiver application

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:15:00 +0000

Last fall, when the U.S.

Though Bachmann is out, her education views are shared by others in GOP presidential field

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:49:00 +0000

Rep. Michele Bachmann may have stepped aside last week in Iowa, but at least in terms of education her beliefs continue to be well represented among the remaining GOP candidates.

Can a good teacher change a student for life?

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:09:00 +0000

An important new study links teacher impact not just to students' academic performance but to life-long benefits, but Minnesota educators are cautious about what it all means.

Former STEP-UP intern and Rybak at White House youth-jobs event

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:22:00 +0000

“Where I am right now is the last place you would think for someone who comes from wondering where food will come from and how you are going to survive,” said Hashim Yonis.

Strib's Steve Brandt is back on the MPS beat

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:43:00 +0000

The slimmest of posts today as Your Humble Blogger struggles to awaken from her holiday food coma and remember where she left off sundry reporting projects in the halcyon days of 2011. Attend, Minneapolis Public Schools leaders, staff, board member

Cassellius hears from two sides at BlueSky Online hearing

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:10:00 +0000

Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius has 90 days to decide whether to accept a judge’s recommendation that her department stop trying to close the school.

The top 7 Minnesota education stories of 2011

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Word at MinnPost HQ is that in coming days you’ll be treated to a number of number-packed, year-end wrap-ups. Given Learning Curve’s irritating need to be teacher’s pet, we’re getting started a little early.

Task force on school integration policy hears sharp debate

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:33:00 +0000

After attorneys testify on constitutional issues, national scholars clash on student-achievement outcomes.

Promise grant will allow Neighborhood Achievement Zone to scale up north Minneapolis 'cradle to career' program

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:30:00 +0000

"This is a monumental responsibility — a monumental responsibility we don’t take lightly," said Sondra Samuels, NAZ’s chief executive officer.

Minnesota gets good news on federal funding to help state's 'littlest learners'

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:13:00 +0000

Local early-education insiders said they’ve heard the state will receive $45 million to $50 million to create high-quality pre-kindergarten systems for disadvantaged kids.

Success of Colorado suit over education funding has implications for Minnesota

admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

On Friday, a Denver District Court judge ruled that the Colorado Legislature's "irrational and inadequate" funding system violates that state’s constitution, which promises a "thorough and uniform" education system. "There is not one school distric

Both sides turn out to criticize Anoka-Hennepin's proposed 'controversial topics' policy

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:40:00 +0000

Some asked the board to simply eliminate its "neutrality" policy; others accused the board of breaking campaign promises.Related: Bullying gay and lesbian kids: How a school district became a suicide contagion area

Incubator strategy aims for across-the-board charter excellence

admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:45:00 +0000

In the two decades since Minnesota passed the nation's first charter-school law, thousands of the privately operated, publicly funded schools have sprouted up all over the country.

Progress in St. Paul schools, Anoka-Hennepin reconsiders 'neutrality' policy

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:10:00 +0000

Two quick hits today: One, a note about the proposal to be taken up Monday night by the Anoka-Hennepin School Board to alter its controversial “neutrality” policy regarding LGBT issues, the other a few quick takeaways from yesterday’s annual “state

Your indispensable FAQ on day care, Dayton, unions and a judge

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:05:00 +0000

Confused about how a judge and a governor got involved in a day-care union vote? Beth lays it all out.

'Madness of Michele' includes much about Bachmann on education

admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:46:00 +0000

Do the political junkies on your Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa list have you stumped? Vowed to buy local this year? Do you fantasize about universes in which bloggers with a history of out reporting so-called Legacy Media are periodically rewarded wi

In BlueSky Online case, much more is at stake than the future of one school

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:55:00 +0000

It's a "case of first impressions" on a number of levels — and unresolved procedural and factual questions are likely to surface again.

STEM Expo to share opportunities and career options with Minneapolis youth

admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:20:00 +0000

Late last month, I had the pleasure of touring North Minneapolis’ Patrick Henry High School with Sen.

To close achievement gap, better start early

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:28:00 +0000

Two items of note appeared in Learning Curve’s inbox over the long weekend, both concerning early childhood education.

Blue Sky Online gets day in court -- and vindication

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:11:00 +0000

Last spring, officials at the Minnesota Department of Education announced they were closing the state’s first virtual high school, Blue Sky Online.

With new U president installed, time for Eastcliff FAQ

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:18:00 +0000

When the phone rang Friday morning, I was momentarily discombobulated. Could I attend to Eastcliff, the woman on the other end asked, for a special audience? Eastcliff?

Apples and food service -- big stories in Little Falls

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:07:00 +0000

Little Falls, big headlines. Ba-dum-cha — I know. But seriously, for your weekend perusal, I offer links to a couple of items of note. First, a story in the Nov.

Michelle Rhee keeps the beehive buzzing in Minneapolis speech

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:45:00 +0000

No actual bees were harmed yesterday when Michelle Rhee appeared at the Minneapolis Convention Center yesterday, but a number of hornets’ nests got thwacked wide open.

Carol Johnson's three big lessons on school reform

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:18:00 +0000

The former superintendent of schools in St. Louis Park and Minneapolis returned to the Twin Cities and had some tough words for her audience.

Careful attention to school-district communications, including rumor control, preceded levy wins

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:20:00 +0000

This week’s record numbers of winning referenda notwithstanding, long-term trends suggest that in the future, school levies will face increasingly steep uphill battles.

Levy voters send message to the Legislature

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:45:00 +0000

Parents United's Mary Cecconi thinks the Legislature's funding shift to balance the budget motivated voters to support schools' requests this year.

Red flags for school levy proponents show up in polling

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Bill Morris of Decision Resources is seeing concern over economic uncertainty, and slippage in support even among public-school parents.

Minnesota students get high marks, but there's trouble ahead

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:31:00 +0000

A new national testing report shows our kids are only performing better than a handful of states. And Minnesota's children of color are falling behind their peers on other states.

Minnesota's new teacher-evaluation law among 17 given high marks

admin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:19:00 +0000

New teacher-evaluation laws in Minnesota and 16 other states have earned high marks from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.

Schools generally fail at outreach to parents

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:10:00 +0000

The other day I asked a friend how the first few weeks of first grade were going for her son. She paused, frowned and allowed as how she really had no idea. Her boy has declared school “fine” and sees no reason to elaborate.

School reform: Sens. Franken, Alexander bridge turnaround gulf

admin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

On Wednesday I wrote about a visit Sen. Al Franken paid to Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis’ Victory neighborhood on Tuesday.

Franken mixes math, mirth and education-bill backing in visit to Patrick Henry High

admin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:36:00 +0000

As he lent support to a replacement for No Child Left Behind, the senator had a go at the Pythagorean Theorem in Ryan Voeks’ math class.

How tiny, working-class Landfall nurtures its kids

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:08:00 +0000

You can almost see Landfall, Minn., as you whiz past its lone businesses, dealerships trading in Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycles.

'Beat the odds' schools: exploring their lessons

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Last month, when the results of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments were released, for the second year running more than half of those schools that “beat the odds” — that is, have both high test scores and high poverty rates — catered to a singl

Inequities in Minnesota school levies: another view

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:16:00 +0000

Your Humble Blogger is on the road this week, but I want to make sure that those of you who are big enough education policy geeks to have read and digested Tuesday’s story on inequities in school levies are aware of an alternative, considered viewpo

Minnesota's school-finance inequities have multiple causes

admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:43:00 +0000

Eighteen years have elapsed since the state revisited the formula it uses to smooth out inequalities in school revenues.

Bullying Q & A: How to break the cycle

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:11:00 +0000

Adults have to recognize their part in breaking the cycle of aggression in our schools, says expert Walter Roberts Jr.

Provost's hiring sends strong signal that U of M will protect liberal arts

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Karen Hanson is a philosopher with a long record of distinguished teaching.

The rite of fall: While teachers confer, MN colleges host prospective students

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:08:00 +0000

Is there a high-school student living at your house? If so, you probably still refer to the school-free interlude that takes place every year in mid-October as MEA weekend. And I’m with you in solidarity on that.

Top-quality early ed, not just affordable day care, is best framing of families' needs

admin — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:37:00 +0000

Have you seen the flurry of news stories sparked by the most recent survey of child-care costs by the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies?

Black students' suspension rate at MPS is far higher than others'

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:35:00 +0000

Minority students are suspended from Minneapolis Public Schools at drastically higher rates than their white peers, according to a new report commissioned by The Minneapolis Foundation. About three-fourths of the 4,151 students who were suspended f

Want ed-tech boom? Go for 'disruptive innovation,' Thomas Jandris says

admin — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:19:00 +0000

"For years, ed tech has catered to the payer, has sold them tools," he said. "Now, you must pay more attention to the end user — the student."

Ed Week gives national context to Eden Prairie schools controversy

admin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:45:00 +0000

Last December, when the Eden Prairie School Board voted to go ahead with a controversial plan to integrate schools, I reported that other school districts would be watching.

Teachers from all walks of life are miserable or happy on the job for remarkably similar reasons, study finds

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:50:00 +0000

One of the things that has long rankled critics of Teach for America, the headline-garnering young corps of non-traditional teachers who serve in poor schools, is the fact that once their initial commitment is up, TFA recruits leave the profession i

Minnesota social-studies standards take a knock

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:22:00 +0000

Last week, the Southern Poverty Law Center released the results of a study finding that U.S. students’ ignorance of the basic history of the civil-rights movement has worsened.

New NCLB instructions vague -- and hard to decode -- so we'll see if Minnesota gets its waiver

admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:49:00 +0000

Is the state a shoo-in for a waiver? That’s a good question. Officials at the Department of Education say Minnesota's standards are at or exceed Common Core and will be certified shortly.

Quick turn for Kansas City's school-turnaround chief (sound familiar?)

admin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:21:00 +0000

You know what they say, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you. Do you remember Thandiwe Peebles?

If you're in the continuing-ed demographic, the coming week is for you

admin — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:05:00 +0000

If you are not among the demographic groups that spent the last few weeks going back to school, well, my inbox is positively groaning with continuing-ed opportunities being hosted by Twin Cities educators and civic leaders that you, Dear Reader, rea

In her last week at Eden Prairie, Melissa Krull reflects on her tenure

admin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:25:00 +0000

After 10 years in Eden Prairie Schools, Friday will be Superintendent Melissa Krull’s last day.

'Overachiever' Brenda Cassellius gets good news on Minnesota NCLB waivers

admin — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:45:00 +0000

The state's education commissioner was thrilled today when Education Secretary Arne Duncan told her that Minnesota's waiver proposal needed just a few "tweaks" to become a winner.

Brooklyn Center Schools weigh options after losing levy

admin — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:33:00 +0000

Last Friday, Keith Lester, who is the superintendent of Brooklyn Center Schools, finally got a letter from the state Department of Education he’d been waiting for for weeks.

What are successful 'outlier' schools doing to close achievement gap?

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:03:00 +0000

In the decade since its passage, a river of ink has been spilled decrying the failings of No Child Left Behind.

Big-bucks search is on for new Carlson School dean

admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:57:00 +0000

From the Department of Things I’d Love to be in a Position to Comment on First-Hand: If a person earns, say, $477,000, is $75,000 enough of a raise to persuade her to switch jobs? And: What does the answer say about the newly convened search to rep

Books for Africa celebrates 23 years, 25 million books

admin — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Tomorrow, in a warehouse in St. Paul, a modest party is being thrown in observance of a massive accomplishment, and you are cordially invited.

MPS celebrates making bigger-than-statewide gains

admin — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:36:00 +0000

It might have been a lack of coffee, or it might be the fatalism that can result from the daily grind in an urban school district, but Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson had to repeat herself several times before she got a rise out of the audience yes

How to make sense of the latest Minnesota student test results

admin — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:59:00 +0000

The bottom line: By and large, Minnesota students are pretty much where they were last year, and the year before, and the year before.

Minnesota's share of Obama's schools plan could create 10,000+ jobs

admin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:58:00 +0000

Minnesota’s $1 billion share of the $60 billion school jobs-creation plan that President Barack Obama proposed last week could create more than 10,000 jobs. The cavalry? Sure — assuming it has enough horsepower to make it past Rep.

Four-year graduation rule will doom some schools to unfair, inevitable failure

admin — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:37:00 +0000

Almost exactly a year ago, I got to watch Principal Mike Sodomka welcome a VIP and her retinue to Humboldt High School in St. Paul: American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten.

Accounting trick explains Minnesota schools' so-called 'windfall'

admin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:25:00 +0000

House Republicans' figures appear to be the underpinnings of a campaign to defeat the 120-plus operating levy requests appearing on ballots in November.

From Parmesan risotto to cider-brined pork, St. Olaf's food dubbed best in nation

admin — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:29:00 +0000

On Tuesday, students and faculty dining at St. Olaf College’s Stav Hall chose between red wine-braised beef with Parmesan risotto and truffle green beans, albondigas with chipotle-tomato sauce, chicken Pad Thai and garlic black bean tofu.

Americans adore teachers and think schools are doing quite well

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:56:00 +0000

To judge by the headlines, America is awash in dropout-factory schools and bad teachers. But a new Phi Delta Kappa and Gallup survey reveals a different view.

Peggy Ingison, now leaving for Historical Society, has made a big difference at MPS

admin — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:05:00 +0000

After four and a half years of coping with funding shifts, unallotments and revenue formulas, she's moving on.

As school begins, Bernadeia Johnson aims for culture of 'yes'

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:57:00 +0000

“Do you set the goal and aspire for it, prove to yourself you can do it?” MPS' superintendent asks. “What if we could? Imagine what it shows that we can do it?”

Latest research points to adverse impact of bullying on academic performance

admin — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:52:00 +0000

In recent weeks, several new pieces of research have been released suggesting that the adverse impact of bullying on academic performance is significant, and most harmful to high-performing African-American and Latino students. When it comes to pub

Involuntary transfer results in suit against MPS over discipline policy, due-process rights

admin — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:23:00 +0000

The decision to transfer, as opposed to expel, meant the student was granted neither a hearing where his side could be heard nor an opportunity to appeal.

Awaiting MPS placement feels a bit like 'Waiting for Superman'

admin — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:45:00 +0000

Parents hope, as in the film, to turn their visit into an advantage, however slim, for their kids.

A Monday mix: GOP's shifting view on education; virtual schools' performance; and a 'U' efficiency

admin — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:42:00 +0000

Today, for your surfing pleasure and to buy Your Humble Blogger a little time to get her own students ready for a new school year, we offer links to items of interest, with annotations. First, from ever-alert reader Ray Schoch, comes a terrific sto

Ted Kolderie, nationally honored education innovator, explains why school change is so hard

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:05:00 +0000

Patience and tolerance for early failure in “breakthrough innovations” are essential, he says. “The first airplanes, automobiles, computers certainly were not [high quality]. But rapidly the good innovations improve.”

Science & math = fun at State Fair's STEM on a Stick

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:40:00 +0000

Few associations are as ingrained in Minnesotans’ collective unconscious as the notion that the State Fair is a kid’s last hurrah.

Minnesota lays out plans in letter seeking NCLB waiver

admin — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:35:00 +0000

Brenda Cassellius takes responsibility for turning around worst-performing schools, but advocates for release from No Child Left Behind act.

Rosenstone on MnSCU's goals and challenges: a Q&A with new chancellor

admin — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:10:00 +0000

Steven Rosenstone has been literally traversing Minnesota, logging some 4,000 miles visiting MnSCU schools since his appointment Feb. 1.

Housekeeping items: Updates on the four-day school week

admin — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:32:00 +0000

We interrupt the flow of news and analysis to bring you a few quick education-world housekeeping items. First, from the Learning Curve mail bag, comes an item from the fine folks who operate North Branch Area Public Schools, who’ve requested a litt

Early-ed ratings system going statewide despite Legislature

admin — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:19:00 +0000

Simultaneously, the governor announced the formation of a three-member Children’s Cabinet, another proposal rebuffed by the Legislature.

Educators cheer Dayton's NCLB waiver move

admin — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:01:00 +0000

“We’ve been stuck in this box where we aren’t able to innovate,” said Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius.

Parents United collection catalogs influence of secretive ALEC

admin — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:39:00 +0000

The picture of the powerful organization painted by the leaked documents says as much about the state of democracy as it does about the politics of education.

Colorado trial on school adequacy, equity has implications for Minnesota

admin — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:25:00 +0000

At its heart, the suit is about whether a court system can order a legislature to create an adequate and equitable system for paying for public education.

Dear Commissioner Cassellius: How about Ricker to lead teacher-evaluation panel?

admin — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Brenda CasselliusMinnesota Commissioner of Education1500 Highway 36 WestRoseville, MN Dear Commissioner Cassellius: Congratulations on the end of the shutdown.

New early-ed proposal: Create quality-ratings system administratively

admin — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:28:00 +0000

Fourteen of the 21 states that have adopted quality-ratings systems did so in this way, MELF Executive Director Duane Benson points out.

Anoka-Hennepin's LGBT policy: Administrators' perspective

admin — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:56:00 +0000

Minnesota’s largest school district, Anoka-Hennepin has been the subject of a flood of headlines over the last couple of weeks concerning its policy of “curricular neutrality” regarding homosexuality.

Julie Blaha on LGBT issues in Anoka-Hennepin Public Schools

admin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:41:00 +0000

What, after the definition of neutrality has been parsed and re-parsed, do teachers in the state's largest school district believe "curricular neutrality" compliance looks like?

Task force to consider system of tiered teacher licensure

admin — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:41:00 +0000

I’ve been revisiting the fine print of the education bill that was approved during the recent 12-hour special session, and as I read I can’t help but imagine the scene during the last few hours our ranking electeds spent stuffing things into their b

Teachers head to D.C. to say, 'Enough trashing of public schools'

admin — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:27:00 +0000

St. Paul Central High School English language-arts teacher Kaye Thompson Peters talks about this week's Save Our Schools rally and march — and the movement she hopes it will inspire.

High-stakes testing producing widespread insidious effects

admin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:20:00 +0000

What with July’s bumper crop of headlines — homies Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Gov.

Beyond the shift: Plenty of policy in new education package

admin — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:48:00 +0000

For a measure that was supposed to have been stripped of all policy measures, the new K-12 law contains a lot of specific, prescriptive language for school districts.Related: 'Never again' legislation meant to prevent future government shutd

Some pluses, minuses -- but no big surprises -- in higher-ed outcome

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:12:00 +0000

When the final, thumbs-up, thumbs-down version of the state’s higher-education bill was posted on the Minnesota Legislature’s website yesterday, it contained virtually nothing in the way of big surprises. Thanks to the bonding bill’s job-creating p