Five non-pandemic education stories to watch in 2021
These stories from 2020 — including the St. Paul teacher strike and anti-racist reform efforts — are worth keeping an eye on into the new year.
Education
What does a COVID-19 vaccine mean for schools in Minnesota? Here’s what we know so far.
In Minnesota, a vaccine allocation workgroup will begin to iron out the details for the next phase the week after Christmas.
Why Minnesota high school students fought so hard to win pandemic unemployment benefits
The onset of COVID-19 and corresponding job loss has disrupted plans for high school workers just as it has for adults.
How Minnesota colleges are keeping study abroad programs afloat amid the pandemic
Some schools have cancelled their programs, while others are considering virtual options. At least one school has continued sending students abroad.
Why one Minnesota district decided to keep elementary students in school, even as COVID-19 cases climb across the state
Many school district leaders across Minnesota have decided to shift all students to distance learning. But St. Michael-Albertville has not for its elementary students. Here’s why.
How a ‘mindful’ approach helped a youth mental health program gain acceptance in St. Paul’s Hmong community
2020 marked the 10th anniversary of Hlub Zoo, a school-based mental health program serving Hmong and other Southeast Asian students and their families.
Amid the pandemic — and precarious funding — Minneapolis’ school-based clinics try to hang on
Earlier this year, the nonprofit Youthprise offered a financial lifeline to keep clinics at the city’s three biggest high schools open — albeit one that funds the program only through the end of the year.
What the widespread shift to distance learning means for Minnesota schools’ support staff
The Minnesota Department of Education has said the expectation is that districts find a way to keep staff on payroll, which in many cases means reassigning people.
Minnesota voters largely say ‘no’ to school referendums this fall
Across the state, only 17 of 33 operating levies and only one of the five bond requests passed this fall.
Pandemic-era life at Gustavus Adolphus: ‘The safest place for college students may be on a college campus’
A Q&A with Barb Larson Taylor, coordinator of the college’s COVID-19 Response Team, about how the fall semester is going.
Twin Cities results: Minneapolis passes ballot questions; new members elected to Hennepin County Board
Plus: Kim Ellison retains seat and newcomer Sharon El-Amin wins one on Minneapolis Public Schools board.
‘Don’t get Gaggled’: Minneapolis School District spends big on student surveillance tool
Gaggle is used in hundreds of districts across the U.S., relying on artificial intelligence and a team of moderators to scan billions of student emails, chat messages and files each year in search of references to sex, drugs and violence.
It’s a big election year for Minnesota schools. Here’s why you should be paying close attention.
The impact of school boards has never felt more immediate as 301 school districts hold school board elections.
Doing school from home, without a home: An aspiring graduate shares her experience
For live class meetings, she has a Zoom app on her phone. But she’s hesitant to engage fully on that platform. “I prefer not putting the camera on,” she said, adding she doesn’t “want people seeing where I’m staying.”
Remote learning has been a disaster for many students, but some kids have thrived
Educators are now wondering how the experiences of kids who have done better during remote learning can be applied to improve in-person learning in the future.
Minnesota schools try to balance accountability, flexibility in tracking attendance amid pandemic
How school districts across the state are sorting out the ins and outs of tracking student attendance.
Denied unemployment benefits, Minnesota high schoolers push for reforms
Youthprise, a local nonprofit, has filed a lawsuit in federal court against DEED for barring high school students in Minnesota from receiving CARES Act funding designed for workers otherwise ineligible for unemployment benefits.
From iPads to floor tape: How Minnesota schools are putting federal CARES Act dollars to use
Minnesota schools have received access to three main buckets of federal funding to help get students back to school safely.
With move to Division I, St. Thomas coaches will have a very different job description
In Division III, coaches mainly choose lifestyle and security over notoriety. For coaches of St. Thomas’ 22 sports, that’s all changing.
Distance learning while homeless in the Twin Cities: It’s complicated and challenging
How Minneapolis and St. Paul districts are supporting their homeless and highly mobile populations during the outset of this school year.
