Last week, Minnesota legislators and Governor Mark Dayton gave a great gift to Minnesota families and students. Legislators extended Minnesota’s pioneer Post Secondary Options law to allow 10th graders to take career and technical courses on college campuses. Because of young people’s creativity and insight, new “You Tube” videos are available to help young people Read more »
Pierz and other high schools wisely recognized the value of surveying graduates, and seniors about to graduate. Recently I contacted about 35 Minnesota districts and five charter public schools. Twenty-six responded. Just under half do these surveys. But in every case, where it’s done, school officials are gaining useful information. After talking with Karrie Boser, Read more »
Two frustrated questions at a recent Stillwater “Conversation in the St. Croix Valley” community meeting mirrored each other. One came from a parent of a teacher. The other came from a senior citizen, also a parent. Together, they help illustrate two passionate, opposite polls in our national debate about improving schools. One person identified herself Read more »
A new national Met Life/Harris Interactive Poll of students, parents, educators and community leaders contains both surprising and expected results. I think it’s a model because it values the views of each group. Individual schools can use the questions that are asked with educators, parents and students, and compare results with the nation. My single Read more »
Both national and local talent is being used to help Little Falls and other Minnesota students and families learn from online videos. That’s good news for students and a compliment to teachers who continue seeking new ways to help students learn. Julie Cook, a Milaca math teacher, is, according to principal Troy Anderson, “Doing the Read more »
Here’s an early Christmas, Hanukah, or Kwanza present to young people that can save you and your family thousands of dollars. Really. Please take 10 minutes to read “One Year Out,” at http://press.collegeboard.org/releases/2011/content/new-college-board-research-86-young-americans-believe-college-essential. This is a survey of 1,507 young people who graduated from high school in 2010. Students were interviewed either by phone, or Read more »
It’s not well known, but Minnesota played a central role in Apple Computer’s ascendancy. Here’s more about that, and comments from education leaders about the impact of Apple and its late co-founder, Steve Jobs. Curt Tryggestad, Little Falls superintendent believes, “… for nearly four decades Steve Jobs and Apple enhanced the art of education by Read more »
Here’s a free, fun, family “back to school” August activity: visit one or more two- or four-year colleges or universities. Officials representing colleges and universities made it clear last week that they welcome such visits. You and your youngsters can learn a lot. Visiting a campus also can help motivate youngsters for the coming school Read more »
With all the talk about political principles, I decided to ask several Morrison County area principals and higher education leaders about their personal priorities. George Weber, superintendent of District 484 (Pierz area) Schools, wrote, “I try to convey an organizational culture that absolutely believes that we can find a way to be successful with all Read more »
“The shift is not ideal, but we did give school districts the extra money (and then some) to pay for any of the additional costs,” Republican Rep. Pat Garofalo of Farmington, said. DFL Rep. Mindy Greiling of Mounds View said, “My biggest concern is the terrible school funding shift, going from 70/30 to 60/40.” Those Read more »
There’s a mirror at the end of displays in the Dr. Martin Luther King National Historic Site at Atlanta, Ga. As I learned in visiting last week, there’s a question next to the mirror. It’s a quote from King, who won the Nobel Peace Prize. Just 1.5 miles away at President Jimmy Carter’s Library, there’s Read more »
Regardless of the politics, state funds should keep going to schools. That’s my conclusion after interviewing about 20 superintendents and principals, Gen Olson, chair of the Minnesota Senate Education Committee (and a Republican) and Charlene Briner, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). A shutdown may delay in payments to schools. Jeff Solomon, Read more »
Autumn, Rosemary, Renee, Pam, Edgar and Ellen, are among an intriguing group of 100,000 Minnesotans. They range in age from 17 to more than 50. They come from everywhere, Anoka to Zimmerman, suburbs, small towns, farms and cities. They are taking online courses this year from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system. Here Read more »
What’s the Memorial Day weekend going to mean for your family? Perhaps you’ll consider not just the traditional TV, picnics, parades and so on. If you’re interested, the Minnesota National Guard has dozens of ways to help on a section of its Web site entitled, “how can I help?” You’ll find it at www.minnesota Read more »
BY JOE NATHAN Little Falls area educators like Curt Tryggestad, Laura DeChaine and Michelle Brekken, are urging families to talk with youngsters about bullying. Judging from a statewide survey involving thousands of Minnesota sixth, ninth and 12th graders, this is an issue for a lot of young people. Here’s what educators suggested, and here’s what Read more »
