How a Supreme Court rejection of affirmative action would affect Minnesota college admissions
Macalester, Carleton, St. Olaf, the University of St. Thomas and St. Catherine University all signed on to amicus briefs in support of affirmative action.
Education
Teen mental health concerns build audience for NAMI’s Ending the Silence class
NAMI Minnesota began offering Ending the Silence pre-COVID, but demand for the class is up as rates of mental illness among young people continue to rise.
Fidgety Fairy Tales, children’s mental health programs eye expansion thanks to $1M gift
The anonymous donor requested that the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health spend the money within a year and that about a quarter go to Fidgety Fairy Tales, a musical theater group that performs at schools to help children understand mental illness.
Minnesota among states with highest rates of underqualified teachers in classrooms
States with the highest ratios of these hires relative to the student population include Washington, Utah, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Maryland.
3 takeaways on race and mental health equity from Gustavus Nobel Conference
A considerable portion of last week’s Nobel Conference was dedicated to exploring the impact of technology and social media on youth mental health.
University of Minnesota ramps up police partnerships amid crime wave
While some applauded the efforts, others, including students, say the university should be more transparent and include student voices in its decision-making.
Parents in Minnesota desegregation suit dissatisfied with appeals court’s finding that imbalance not ‘intentional’
Within hours, attorneys representing the plaintiffs, a group of Twin Cities parents, said they would appeal the seven-year-old school desegregation suit to the state Supreme Court.
Nobel Conference at Gustavus focuses on mental health inequity for young people
The conference takes place Wednesday and Thursday at the campus in St. Peter and online via Zoom. Organizers say this year’s speakers include a range of scientists and academics who look at their work — and the world that influences it — through a lens that challenges mainstream ways of thinking.
Yes, there’s a shortage of special education teachers. And that’s nothing new
Schools scramble to fill special ed slots with bonuses & incentives. But, says one advocate, “that’s kind of a Band-Aid on a bullet hole.”
Colleges and universities largely escape scrutiny in student loan bailout
Taxpayers assume an estimated $300 billion worth of loan debt for students whose educations often took longer and cost more than expected, led to jobs that didn’t pay enough to cover their loans or never led to a degree.
A look at Holocaust education in Minnesota following Jensen comments on Nazi Germany
In an interview with MinnPost, the interim director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Minnesota talked about efforts to train teachers on how best to teach students about the Holocaust that killed 6 million Jews.
New regent Tadd Johnson makes Minnesota, university history
The University of Minnesota, founded on tribal land with a history of injustices against Native Americans, is now finding ways to reckon with that past.
If more students become pregnant post-Roe, are we prepared to support them?
Schools often discriminate against parenting students, and services for them have dwindled. New abortion restrictions could force more young people to drop out.
Surprise gift sets Minneapolis North High seniors on the path to success
The Pillsbury United Communities money is the lifeline for a senior class that persevered through a string of tragedies, including COVID-19 and the George Floyd murder and aftermath.
Counseling positions to be cut at Minneapolis’ Southwest High; student ratio could jump by 100 students
While other schools are experiencing cuts as well, Kurth thinks Southwest was hit harder because of the decreasing enrollment numbers following redistricting in 2020.
Minneapolis Public Schools adds violence interrupters to provide after-school safety
In the first in-person, semi-normal school year since Minneapolis Public Schools stopped using armed police as school resource officers, the district is testing a program where community members act as violence interrupters.
How do strikers envision improving the mental health of Minneapolis students?
Educators emphasized that they want to have a complete mental health team at each school, not a rotation between a counselor, psychologist and nurse throughout the week.
Scenes from the frontlines of the Minneapolis teachers strike: From parents who picket to teachers who won’t
Emergency daycare, complex talks about labor, and concern for how long the strike will last were just about universal for MPS families. Some parents brought children to picket with teachers, while others questioned the strike.
Why a new push for the ‘Page Amendment’ could end up being one of the 2022 Legislature’s biggest fights
The amendment — which would make it the “paramount duty” of the state to provide all children in Minnesota with a quality public education — will require a majority vote of the state House and Senate to get on the ballot this fall.
Year in Review: Five 2021 education stories that will continue to matter in 2022
From social studies standards to the spread of COVID-19, expect these stories from the last year to continue to play a big role in education discussions in the year ahead.
