August 22, 1997 - St. Paul Public Schools will have at least 227 new teachers in classrooms for the start of the school year, and the district is still filling vancancies. Some of the new teachers are recent college graduates, but the majority come to St, Paul with experience in other districts. District officials held an orientation this week for 200 teachers to better prepare them for challenges of urban classrooms. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
July 23, 1997 - Two food cooperatives in the Twin Cities are teaching young children healthy food choices and organic farming. The project includes classroom instruction about growing food and field trips to organic grain and vegetable farms near the metropolitan area. A group of homeless inner-city children recently toured a small farm in Wright County. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports... (Sound) About 30 children from the Learning Center school in Minneapolis explore the fields at River Bend Farm near Delano. They push single-file up and down the rows of radishes and wheat, trying hard to avoid ste
July 21, 1997 - More than 600 pre-school children are attending Learning Readiness classes this summer in St. Paul, twice the enrollment of last summer. Learning Readiness is a statewide initiative to help prepare four and five year old children for kindergarten. The St. Paul district expanded its program this summer, targeting low-income children who have not been in other early childhood programs and those with limited English skills. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
July 17, 1997 - The new superintendent of Minneapolis public schools says she has a special relationship with the state's largest school district and feels she can make a contribution. Carol Johnson will step down as superintendent of the suburban St. Louis Park district next month. She'll begin her new duties in Minnapolis with widespread support and high expectations for success. Minnesota Public radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
June 27, 1997 - Governor Carlson will sign the K-12 education funding bill Monday. Reaction remains mixed following the one-day speciall session. Most of the attention and controversy centered on the inclusion of tax credits and tax deductions for educational expenses, but the $6.7 million bill contains other significant provisions for schools. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
June 23, 1997 - The candidate for superintendent of Minneapolis schools says the failure rate of students of color is the biggest challenge facing the state's largest school district. Carol Johnson, the current superintendent of St. Louis Park schools, told school board members today how she would address that and other challenges. The board spent two hours interviewing its lone candidate for the job. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
June 19, 1997 - School district administrators throughout the state are preparing for the coming school year with an unclear picture of their finances. The Minnesota legislature will meet in special session next week to work on a new K-12 education funding bill. Governor Carlson vetoed the first bill because it did not include his tax credit plan. The lack of a funding bill will begin causing problems for schools when the fiscal year ends June 30th. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
June 18, 1997 - The Minneapolis School Board has found a candidate for superintendent less than three weeks after ending its relationship with a private management firm. They're offering the job to a suburban district superintendent who spent five years as an administrator for Minneapolis schools. Board members say the state's largest school district has too many urgent needs to conduct a prolonged superintendent search. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
June 17, 1997 - High school students from throughout the nation are in Minnesota this week arguing the merits of abortion, gay marriages and other controversial issues. The National High School Speech and Debate Tournament runs through Friday at sites in Bloomington and Minneapolis. There are 14 events in the tournament including Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Original Oratory and Dramatic Interpretation. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire observed the Student Congress event and filed this report.
June 16, 1997 - About 8500 students returned to their classrooms today in the Minneapolis school district. Minneapolis public schools expect up to 10,000 students in this year's summer school, ten times larger than past years. The unprecedented effort is aimed at those students not passing basic skills tests. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.