April 17, 2001 - The fate of four Saint Paul charter schools are in the hands of the Saint Paul School Board. Three of the four schools have problems with their financial statements. All four schools are sponsored by the Saint Paul School District.
April 17, 2001 - Striking bus drivers and other workers in the West Saint Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan school district have approved a new two-year contract offer from the school district. The union employees went on strike 20 days ago over wages and benefits and could be back at their jobs by tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
April 18, 2001 - New scores are out for the Minnesota Basic Skills math and reading tests. The Department of Children, Families, and Learning says eighth-graders did about the same as last year's class on the tests. 79 percent of eighth-graders passed the reading test on their first try, down from 80 percent last year. The rate of success on the math exam inched up one percentage point to 72 percent. Chuck Johansson is the Testing Project Coordinator for the CFL. He says if parents want to see their kids' tests, they have to contact the CFL.
April 18, 2001 - After years of steady annual gains, scores on the state's Basic Standards Tests are leveling off. Results of this year's tests show the number of eighth graders passing the reading and math exams is about the same as last year. State education officials say they were expecting this testing plateau. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
April 19, 2001 - Israel came to a standstill today to remember the victims of the Nazi Holocaust. Sirens wailed for two minutes across the Jewish state to commemorate the six million Jews killed during World War Two. In the United States, President Bush spoke at ceremony in the Capitol rotunda where he described the Holocaust as one of history's great crimes. The word holocaust is never mentioned in N.M. Kelby's new novel "In the Company of Angels," but the horrific event is clearly the backdrop her young jewish character, Marie Claire, is trying to escape.
April 19, 2001 - Three tiny unmanned airplanes are flying over Alaska to study arctic warming. They will be surveying the coasts for warming effects. It looks similar to a model airplane.
April 20, 2001 - Gustavus Adolphus sells Fair Trade Coffee and students are supportive. Buying a cup of Fair Trade Coffee helps Guatamalean farmers and cuts out the middle man.
April 20, 2001 - If you're driving around Minnesota, you're likely to see a good number of old barns... some dating back to the late 1800s. Tomorrow the Minnesota Historical Society will present a workshop on fixing up old barns. Mary Humstone is the founder of Barn Again!, a national program designed to promote barn restoration. She says interest in restoring old barns is increasing, because fixing up a barn can be cheaper than building a new one... and because people feel a connection to these buildings.
April 24, 2001 - MPR’s Patty Marsicano reports that a key House committee approved a higher education spending bill; one that proposes more spending than Governor Ventura, but less than the Senate plan. The House Higher Education Finance Committee passed its spending bill after some debate over whether it provided enough money.
April 24, 2001 - NASA's mission control responsibilities were transferred briefly today while high school students in Isle, Minnesota simulated a rocket launch to Mars. Junior and senior science students in central Minnesota have spent the past few months learning about space exploration using curriculum designed by NASA. Junior Chris Anderson says the students only experienced a couple of minor computer glitches.