November 2, 2000 - Voters in Minneapolis will decide November 7th whether to continue paying extra taxes for the teaching staff needed to keep class sizes small in the city's public schools. Minneapolis school district officials say their excess levy, which has generated an extra 40-million dollars a year for the past ten years, has been a key factor in improving student achievement. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
October 23, 2000 - School children in sixteen Minnesota cities will go to the polls in November to cast their own nonbinding votes for president and other races on the general election ballot. "Kids Voting Minnesota" is part of a national project aimed at educating students about voting and boosting participation among parents. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
October 19, 2000 - Leaders of the state's teachers union say too many of their newest members are feeling frustrated, unsupported, and are leaving their jobs prematurely. Teachers from throughout the state gathered in St. Paul today for the annual Education Minnesota conference. Many of this year's professional development workshops were aimed at helping new teachers succeed in the classroom. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
October 16, 2000 - The Traffic Management Center reports some accidents slowing down traffic around the Twin Cities this evening. But on the first day of a temporary shutdown of highway ramp meters, the evening rush hour otherwise appears as uneventful as the morning rush was. State transportation officials turned off all 430 of the meters used to regulate entrance ramps, to evaluate the impact on driving time and freeway congestion. Despite a smooth morning rush hour, officials say it's way too early to draw any conclusions.
October 12, 2000 - Sixteen young Minnesotans now have their high school diplomas and more apologies for the test-scoring fiasco that prevented their graduation last spring. Governor Ventura and his education commissioner hosted a special graduation ceremony Wednesday at the state capitol to honor the students. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
October 4, 2000 - A new report says after two years of work, middle school reforms have begun taking hold in the Minneapolis school district. The Minneapolis chapter of the League of Women Voters recently studied the district's 23 middle schools as a follow up to a study it conducted in 1998. Researchers say this year's results, unlike two years ago, show the schools now have clear, common educational goals. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
September 29, 2000 - University of Minnesota President Mark Yudof says improving faculty salaries is among the keys to the institution's future success and the state's. Yudof has made faculty compensation the centerpiece of his 2001 legislative proposal. He outlined the plan and its potential impact Thursday during his annual state of the university address. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
September 19, 2000 - A Texas education reform organization is offering Minnesota legislators help in setting up a school accountability system. The House K-12 Finance Committee held a hearing yesterday on the work of the nonprofit foundation "Just for the Kids." Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
September 11, 2000 - {For Mon. 9/11 M.E.} A group of national experts hired to review the state's Profile of Learning graduation standards will soon release its findings. The nonprofit organization Achieve Incorporated has been studying Minnesota's standards for several months and comparing them to other states. The report could lead to further changes to Minnesota's controversial show-what-you-know system in the next legislative session. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
September 11, 2000 - Legislators and school district leaders are reacting cautiously to Governor Ventura's latest tax proposal. Ventura wants the state to take on a bigger share of public school funding, at the same time reducing the burden now placed on local property taxpayers. But the plan is raising questions about the source of the state funding and the potential loss of local control of schools. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...