August 20, 2003 - For more than a century, the Ojibwe language has been under assault. Generations of American Indians were forced into government or church-run boarding schools. Their native language and culture were forbidden. Today, only a few can speak Ojibwe fluently. But there are growing efforts to revive the language. Some say preserving it is essential to keeping the culture alive. And as Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson reports, language is also a vital link to the old spiritual ways. {
August 21, 2003 -
September 2, 2003 - The Saint Paul School Board will meet tomorrow night to decide whether to follow the Minnesota mandate requiring students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance The law passed earlier this year directs all public school students to say the pledge at least once a week. But it allows districts to opt out of the requirement. And it grants individuals the right to choose whether or not to join in as their classmates recite the pledge. So far, the new legislation has faced only limited public debate. Chuck Samuelson, executive director of the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union, says passion for the pledge ebbs and flows with the political climate.
September 2, 2003 - Eleven new charter schools are opening for business this week, bringing Minnesota's total to 88. The operators of these public schools, which are run independently of the traditional system, say they're eager to meet the educational needs of their students. But they say they're under increasing pressure to also keep their financial books balanced. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
September 3, 2003 - Minnesota's 18-hundred public schools will spend this school year retooling their academic standards and graduation requirements. Teachers are implementing new reading and math standards, after state lawmakers repealed the former standards in the Profile of Learning. But elements of the show-what-you-know profile system could linger as schools make the transition. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
September 4, 2003 - A potential multi-million dollar pledge from an unnamed donor has energized University of Minnesota boosters eager to bring Big Ten football back to campus. Unconfirmed reports suggest an anonymous donor is willing to contribute $35 million towards a new on-campus facility if University officials can find the remainder from other sources. The news has revived talk of a Gophers-only stadium after a plan to build a joint facility for the university and the Minnesota Vikings unravelled last year. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has more.
September 4, 2003 - The start of the new school year has brought added pressure to the Minnesota schools that are falling below performance goals. State officials identified 144 schools last month that are not making the adequate yearly progress required under the federal No Child Left Behind law. They say the designation will push schools to improve. Educators at one Minneapolis school say they accept the challenge, but they also resent the label. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
September 4, 2003 - St. Paul public schools will follow a new statewide Pledge of Allegiance mandate. School board members met in special session last Wednesday night to consider waiving the requirement this year. But the board quickly adjourned without taking action. The move means individual St. Paul schools will no longer have a choice to not recite the pledge. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
September 5, 2003 - In the near future, the first responders to a disaster in Minneapolis who are trained to handle emergency response may not be fire fighters or police officers, but citizens in the neighborhood. The City's Office of Emergency Preparedness is launching a program that would train citizens across the city to be able to respond to disasters like tornados... fires... and even terror attacks. It's called the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT. Richard Turner is Director of Emergency Preparedness for the city of Minneapolis. He says that the program originated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
September 8, 2003 - Declining enrollment is a fact of life for rural schools across the state. But this year, the tiny Glenville-Emmons school district in southern Minnesota took a major hit. Almost 60 students left and are now attending school in Iowa. Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally reports.