Breaking down student silos — one themed variety show at a time
The class roster generally includes 20 to 24 students. Half of them are enrolled in special-education services. The other half are general-education students.
Education
For college students, mental health support — in any form — is key
Learn to Live, an online cognitive behavioral therapy program, is offered free to University of Minnesota students. “It’s streamlined, it’s effective, it’s quick,” says student Sawyer Boyles.
The U of M just got around to hiring its first female president; Minnesota State has been cultivating diverse leadership for years
Among the 30 college and university presidents in the Minnesota State system, half are women and a third are people of color.
Minnesota’s persistent literacy gap has lawmakers looking for ways to push evidence-based reading instruction
Minnesota has the widest gap in reading scores between white and nonwhite students in the nation.
As jobs grow hard to fill, businesses join the drive to push rural residents toward college
Companies need more people with degrees but struggle to find them.
Special-ed reform: Paperwork exacerbates funding challenges, proponents say
“The current system our special-education teachers follow is not an easy one. It is repetitive. It is costly. It is burdensome. It is complex. And it is exhausting,” said Denise Dittrich, a spokesperson for the Minnesota School Boards Association.
Minnesota State students spotlight a basic hurdle to academic success: food and housing insecurity
During his first couple of years at Riverland Community College, something as basic as not being able to afford food threatened to derail Oballa Oballa. Now he’s helping meet other students’ needs.
Minnesota’s persistent higher-ed gap: Are new efforts making a difference?
The state’s public colleges are taking a closer look at their longstanding achievement gaps and experimenting with new ways of closing them.
Day 3 in office, Gov. Walz sits down with youth to discuss climate-change action
In some ways, the scene felt reminiscent of the youth-led gun reform movement that defined much of last session — albeit on a much smaller scale.
From early ed to school safety: A look at the education issues Minnesota lawmakers are set to tackle in 2019
Democratic and Republican legislative leaders express similar appetites for working in a bipartisan fashion to set the education budget this year.
5 education stories in 2018 that signal a growing appetite for change
Systemic education issues in the spotlight this year signaled a growing appetite for change — in how students’ health needs are met in school, in how students are disciplined, in how school safety is addressed, and more.
A seasonal reminder: Winter break doesn’t equate to celebration and relaxation for all students
Often it means entering a two-week period of instability in housing, in meals, in daily routine — the very things that youth need to feel secure.
U of M president finalist Joan Gabel on higher ed’s role, tuition, diversity, vision for the U
Asked about her leadership style, Gabel talked about surrounding herself with “really smart people who balance each other well, balance you well, care about the institution,” and then letting them do their job.
What education insiders are hoping for in Minnesota’s next ed commissioner
The commissioner needs to bring a renewed sense of urgency, experts agree. “We’ve got huge educational gaps, opportunity gaps,” said St. Paul Public Schools Supt. Joe Gothard. “We need some drastic catalyst for change right now.”
Thinking about switching career paths to become a teacher? It’s daunting, but might be getting easier
State lawmakers recently paved the way for five initial alternative teacher preparation programs to take root in Minnesota.
How one school district is looking to reconfigure mental health services for Minnesota’s most at-risk youth
The Therapeutic Teaching Model that Intermediate District 287 has piloted in three elementary classrooms at its North Education Center is supported by nearly $2 million in one-time grant funding that the district and its partner, the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, received from the state.
Farm-to-school programs have been good for Minnesota farmers and students alike. Is it time for the Minnesota Legislature to cough up some lunch money?
Advocates want a state-level position supporting districts’ efforts to use local food in the cafeteria, as well as more funding for equipment.
The U wants to bring the kiwi berry (whatever that is) to a grocery store near you (though not for a long time)
After decades of working with backyard growers and amassing a collection of plant material, the University of Minnesota is investigating the possibility of producing kiwi berries at a commercial level in Minnesota.
School bond referendum requests fare better in 2018, but rural-urban divide persists
Low-property-wealth rural districts — knowing that their taxpayers have to shoulder a higher proportion of any referendum ask — are being forced to triage their bonding asks.
Two newcomers win at-large Minneapolis school board seats; Twin Cities referendums pass
Kimberly Caprini and Josh Pauly win the two at-large school board seats in Minneapolis.