December 19, 2003 - State education officials released the final draft of proposed social studies and science standards. The standards spell out what Minnesota students will be taught about history, geography, government, economics and science. The first draft was heavily criticized as too long, too Eurocentric and too fact-heavy. Education commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke says the new versions address the critics' concerns, but some still have reservations. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
December 19, 2003 - MPR’s Duluth reporter Chris Julin reflects on a student named Grace from a holiday season past.
December 19, 2003 - Minneapolis school district officials say mid-year budget cuts will result in the loss of 17 jobs, including as many as five teachers. Administrators will present a detailed plan for their $4.5 million districtwide budget fix today during a special school board meeting. The schools themselves will absorb about a quarter of the cuts. But principals say after three years of budget reductions, they have no fat left to cut. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
December 19, 2003 - Children and their parents complain about school Internet access. Billions of our tax dollars have gone to wire public schools for the Internet. But a new survey reveals strong dissatisfaction about going online in the classroom. The Children, Families and the Internet report from research and consulting firm Grunwald Associates surveyed thousands of children and parents. Two major complaints emerged, according to Peter Grunwald
December 29, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio’s Chris Julin reports from Duluth, about the Woodland Hills treatment program and the efforts of incorporating ballet to help kids untangle themselves from drugs and crime.
January 1, 2004 - The Gophers open their Big Ten season tonight against Michigan at 7 p.m. in Williams Arena. Minnesota Public Radio's Julie Siple reports.
January 1, 2004 - A last minute field goal and an interception allowed the University of Minnesota football team to pull out a thirty-one to thirty victory over Oregon in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, yesterday. The Gophers now have back-to-back bowl wins, having claimed the 2002 Music City Bowl in Nashville. Today, college football serves up its main course of bowls with five games on the schedule, and the college bowl season will finally wrap up on Sunday night with the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. For some die-hard football fans, it's the best week of the year. But for others, the abundance of bowl games has just made the college game more confusing. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.
January 5, 2004 - Governor Pawlenty is proposing more legislative initiatives aimed at improving Minnesota's public schools. The Republican governor unveiled another wish list today (Monday) that includes plans for restructuring low-performing school districts, expanding the number of charter schools and reducing disparities among regions in Internet availability. DFL lawmakers claim the proposals are rehashed ideas that will bring little improvement. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
January 21, 2004 - MPR’s Toni Randolph reports that local and state officials, refugee agencies, and Hmong community organizations have been trying to figure out how many refugees could end up in the Twin Cities. The Thai government says more than 15,000 refugees are living in the camp surrounding a Buddhist temple. They'll be eligible for the resettlement program, which is scheduled to begin screening refugees in mid-March of 2004.
February 9, 2004 - Minnesota residents talk a lot about the great quality of life they have. The state has enjoyed a national reputation for good schools and supportive children's programs…but that image has taken a hit lately. Funding for low income daycare has been chopped and lawmakers will struggle again in 2004 to make up a deficit that could total $500 million dollars. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Reha reports that it's a situation that may leave some families, scrambling to pay the daycare bill.