December 20, 2000 -
December 20, 2000 - State education officials say 56 Minnesota elementary schools are performing below expectations on state tests and need to make improvements. The list released today is based on third and fifth grade test scores and fulfills an accountability requirement for a federal program that helps disadvataged children. Education Commissioner Christine Jax calls the list a "valuable tool." But some school leaders say the list does more harm than good. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
December 28, 2000 - The history of Duluth abounds with fur traders and explorers, ships and trains. The city is proud to point tourists to the museums and historical markers pointing to Duluth's colorful past. But, like all cities, Duluth has stories it regrets. For many years Duluth tried to forget the day it made national news in 1920, the day a crowd of thousands hanged three black men from a downtown street light. A group of Duluth residents is now working to honor the victims with a monument, and a week of events this coming June, on the anniversary of the lynching. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin reports.
January 2, 2001 - {For Jan. 2, 2001} Education issues are expected to dominate much of the debate when the 2001 Minnesota Legislature convenes this week. Lawmakers will tackle proposals on classroom funding, alternative pay systems for teachers and school accountability. They could also end up going back to the drawing board on the Profile of Learning graduation standards. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
January 8, 2001 - FOR MONDAY ATC 1-8 University of Minnesota President Mark Yudof went before a powerful House committee today (Monday) to begin the process of drumming up support for the school's largest state budget request in history. Yudof highlighted the U-of-M's accomplishments and gently reminded lawmakers why STATE money is important to the school's overall budget. Minnesota Public Radio's Patty Marsicano reports:
January 9, 2001 - [Unnamed man] is a tax partner at Aruthur Anderson and teaches a course in state law at the University of Minnesota. He says Ventura's proposal to extend the sales tax is playing very poorly in the business community.
January 10, 2001 - The push to overhaul teacher pay in Minnesota schools appears to be building momentum, but key lawmakers and education groups disagree on how quickly changes should come and how much money is needed. Advocates for teacher compensation reform say changes are needed soon to help retain quality teachers and attract a new generation into the teaching profession. The Association of Metropolitan School Districts hosted a conference on the issue today (Wednesday) in Saint Paul. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
January 10, 2001 - Stargazing just got a whole lot better at the University of Minnesota. Today the school received a $5 million gift from Hubbard Broadcasting that will allow it to buy time on the world's largest binocular telescope being built in Arizona. Chair of the Astronomy Department Leonard Kuhi (Kooee) says the telescope will have better resolution than the Hubble space telescope.
January 10, 2001 - Researchers at the Hennepin County Medical Center are reporting an increase in overdoses from GHB and related substances. GHB is also known as liquid ecstasy and has been banned. But HCMC researchers published a report in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine says the ban isn't stopping fitness buffs and teenagers from obtaining the substance. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
January 10, 2001 - If you started your morning with a bowl of cereal, you probably didn't think much about where it came from. But artist Jeff Morrison is trying to change that. He has a new exhibit at the A-Z Gallery in St. Paul called Cereal Killer. It looks at where we think our food comes from through the eyes of children. The exhibit looks like a classroom. 158 pictures and essays are taped up on the blackboard. They were created by first and second graders in Minneapolis and in rural South Dakota. Morrison asked the kids to answer the question: "Where did your breakfast cereal come from?" I stopped by A-Z Gallery to take a tour with Morrison, who says there's a purpose behind the art.