May 7, 2002 - Native American tribes of Minnesota say University of Minnesota research threatens the future of a crop the Native Americans consider sacred. The tribes say maintaining pure wild rice stock is a treaty right. The University says it is simply trying to help northern Minnesota farmers make a living. Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
May 9, 2002 - State education officials say just over 90 percent of Minnesota high school sophomores passed this year's Basic Skills written composition test. That's a slight drop from last year's results, and the first time in four years of testing there was not an improvement. The scores also show students of color continue to have a harder time than white students with the state tests. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
May 9, 2002 - University of Minnesota President Mark Yudof will recommend a tuition increase for all University of Minnesota campuses when he addresses the Board of Regents tomorrow (Friday). Yudof says the increases are critical for plugging the university's 30 million dollar deficit. Yudof blames current economic factors, but critics say the proposed hike is part of a disturbing long term trend that's pricing any low income people out of higher education. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
May 13, 2002 - Rich Cohen says he set out to write the 80's suburban epic. What he ended up with was a book called "Lake Effect." It's a memoir of his life growing up in a suburb north of Chicago along Lake Michigan. His high school was the setting for a number of popular teen movies in the those years. But Cohen says nobody has written about his generation from an adult perspective in a way that isn't ironic or embarrassed. Cohen told Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Crann the book centers around his close friendship with a kid called Jamie, who was seen as so cool even teachers wanted to imitate him.
May 23, 2002 - (For Thurs. 5/23 M.E.) Minnesota has held steady in a new national ranking of the amount states spend on public education. For the second year in a row, a Census Bureau survey on local government finances ranked Minnesota 18th for total per pupil spending. The amount of spending did rise significantly, and state education officials credit the jump on a big increase in K-12 funding two years ago. Other education leaders warn, however, that the state is actually losing ground. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
May 24, 2002 - MPR’s Marisa Helms presents this report after attending a Minnesota News Council forum to hear complaints about how Twin Cities news media are doing an inadequate job covering women's sports at the University of Minnesota.
May 31, 2002 -
June 3, 2002 - Republican Senate candidate Norm Coleman says he stands behind a campaign commercial that some Democrats say is misleading. The critics -- who include the chair of the St. Paul School Board -- says the spot gives Coleman too much credit for helping to improve St. Paul Schools. They also maintain Coleman can't say he supports more federal funding for Minnesota school AND President Bush's so-called 'Leave no Child Behind' education bill.
June 3, 2002 - MPR presents a series of reports "Reading, Writing and Revenue," which looks at Minnesota schools' funding crunch. MPR’s Tim Pugmire provides a summary report on the political and educational debate.
June 4, 2002 - MPR presents a series of reports "Reading, Writing and Revenue," which looks at Minneosta schools' funding crunch. MPR’s Tim Pugmire looks at the challenges in the Minneapolis school district.