October 23, 2003 - The third day of the strike by University of Minnesota clerical workers passed with no sign of movement from either side to break the impasse. No talks have been scheduled since the negotiations broke off Monday evening. Since the strike began the two sides have disagreed about how many workers have taken to the picket lines. The university says nearly sixty percent of the 19-hundred workers covered by the clerical contract have shown up for work. Union leaders say the number is half that. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa reports.
October 27, 2003 -
October 28, 2003 - Most Twin Cities adults say they're aware of child sexual abuse, but still don't know what to look for to prevent it. That's one of the findings of a random phone survey of adults in the Twin Cities metro area. The survey was commissioned by Stop It Now Minnesota, an organization that aims to prevent child sexual abuse through adult education and community involvement. Yvonne Counrnoyer is a program director for Stop it Now. She says the random survey revealed significant progress in the education effort.
October 30, 2003 - The Duluth Schools are in trouble. The district is short $6 million dollars for next school year. The district is asking voters to raise property taxes to help close the gap. But even if the tax increase wins at the polls, the district will face a $2 million shortfall. And Duluth is not alone. On Tuesday, voters in more than 60 Minnesota school districts will decide whether to raise their taxes. Two years after the legislature took school funding off the property tax, 80% of districts are taxing themselves anyway. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {
October 31, 2003 - Four members of the committee that came up with proposed new social studies requirements say the standards are so flawed they can't be fixed. The committee meets tomorrow (SATURDAY) to begin revising the proposed standards. Critics say the first draft is biased and not age-appropriate for students. Governor Pawlenty says some of the critics are equally biased. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
November 14, 2003 - Percussionist Marc Anderson has followed a musical path that has taken him far from his hometown of Austin, Minnesota. From the foothills of the Himalayas, to the steaming forests of west Africa, Anderson has spanned the globe in the spirit of musical and cultural exploration. He's recognized by musicians around the world as an authority on African drumming. Like his music, Anderson has made the people and cultural traditions he's come across in his travels a part of his personal life. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports:
November 14, 2003 - National test scores show Minnesota's eighth graders were the top math performers in the country last year, and fourth graders did nearly as well. In addition, results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress rank Minnesota students well above the national average in reading scores for both grade levels. But the scores also provide more evidence that the performance of minority and low income students still lag behind that of their peers. State education officials are trying to find ways to tackle the lingering achievement gap this week at a conference in Minneapolis. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
November 19, 2003 - The community of Northome (NORTH home) is mourning the loss of one of its native sons. Army Staff Sergeant Dale Panchot (pan-SHAHT) died in Iraq Monday -- becoming the third Minnesotan to be killed in the conflict. Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson reports... {
November 25, 2003 - Polar explorer Will Steger is preparing a quest across Northern Canada - a six month sled dog adventure that will bring the arctic into thousands of classrooms. Steger hasn't led a sled dog journey in five years, but says he came out of retirement concerned about global warming. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Kelleher reports:
November 25, 2003 - Minneapolis school district officials are trying to slow the exodus of students to city charter schools. A report issued last month quantified for the first time what district officials long suspected - that they're losing students to charter schools by the hundreds. The report prompted district leaders to begin addressing the charter school competition. But charter school advocates say the district is using test scores and legislative proposals to mount an unfair attack. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...