April 6, 1999 - The Saint Paul school board will let its high schools decide individually whether to provide birth control directly to students. Board members met until early this morning debating the controversial proposal to allow health clinics in those schools to distribute contraceptives. In a hastily concieved compromise, parents, teachers and students at each school will now vote on the issue.
April 5, 1999 - Many discipline problems at two Minneapolis schools are now resolved in student court, where students serve as the lawyers and jury. Organizers of the program at Webster Open School and Four Winds American Indian magnet school say student court is building leadership skills and reducing behavior problems. The program has also caught the attention of the nation's top law enforcement official.
April 1, 1999 - A plan to train inner-city youth for careers in agriculture is moving through the state legisalture. The Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council wants to build an urban agriculture high school in Saint Paul. The group is seeking 350-thousand dollars in start-up money. But some critics call the plan a boondoggle.
March 22, 1999 - State officials are rejecting a proposal for unlimited open enrollment among Twin Cities schools because they say it's "unworkable." The Minnesotaeaplis NAACP wants to eliminate metro area enrollment boundaries as one step in settling its education adequacy lawsuit against the state. The state has now responded with its own settlement proposal, and few of the NAACP initiatives are included.
March 11, 1999 - University of Minnesota administrators and students are trying to make sense of the academic fraud allegations against four men's basketball players. U of M officials declared the players ineligible for today's NCAA tournament game, and an internal investigation is pending. University Regents tried conducting business as usual, and reserved comment about the scandal. But around the campus, students freely shared their opinions, and few are defending the accused players.
March 11, 1999 - Howard Sinker, MPR sports commentator; and Jay Weiner, MPR sports commentator, discuss the allegations of academic fraud in the University of Minnesota basketball program. MPR reporters William Wilcoxen and Tim Pugmire contribute reports. Basketball coach, Clem Haskins, discusses big-time athletics in the University setting.
March 8, 1999 - The legislature will soon debate Governor Ventura's proposal to reduce class sizes in elementary schools. Ventura wants one teacher for every 17 students in kindergarten through third grade. He's convinced smaller classes will improve student achievement. Ventura holds up Centerville Elementary School to prove his point. But the success of one school's experiment might be tough for other schools to copy.
March 3, 1999 - State education officials and University of Minnesota researchers say they can now show a clear connection between breakfast and learning. They say results of a three-year study will add weight to Governor Ventura's proposal to boost funding for school breakfast programs by six million dollars.
March 2, 1999 - A year-long search for a superintendent has ended in the Saint Paul school district, and school board members say it was worth the wait. The board voted unanimously Monday night to hire Patricia Harvey. The urban education consultant and former Chicago schools administrator will replace Curman Gaines, who stepped down last summer after seven years on the job.
February 24, 1999 - The Saint Paul school board has officially named its finalist for superintendent. A public interview of Patricia Harvey, a former Chicago school administrator, is scheduled Monday night. Board members say they're ready to offer her the job.