March 3, 2005 - Some Minnesota school children can't get in-state tuition to Minnesota's colleges and universities but that might change soon. A bill before the legislature would give Minnesota students who are not legal residents of the United states the right to pay the same amount as kids who were born here. Minnesota Public Radio's Bianca Vazquez Toness reports.
March 25, 2005 - An MPR Special Report, titled “What Happened in Red Lake?”, details the chronology of the shooting at Red Lake, what's known about the student who killed nine people and himself, and what makes this sovereign Indian community different from other communities. The special also examines the shooting within the context of other school shootings.
March 30, 2005 - University of Minnesota officials today unveiled a significant redesign of several academic programs. The blueprint is part of the university's strategic planning process. The goal is for the U to become one of the top public research universities in the world in ten years. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
April 20, 2005 - Plans to close the University of Minnesota's General College move forward despite deep controvesy over the proposal. For over 70 years, the U's General College has been a gateway to the U for under-prepared metro-area high school students, many of whom are immigrants and people of color. University officials say even with the proposed changes to General College, they are committed to recruiting and helping students of color succeed.Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
May 10, 2005 - Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and school Superintendent Thandiwe Peebles today assured Hmong community leaders they are working on school bus safety. The Minneapolis officials attended a gathering with Mai Chao Xiong, the mother of a kindergartner struck and killed by his school bus in April. The accident occurred shortly after the bus dropped 5 year old Kong Meng Vang at his stop. Peebles says she has been told such deaths have happened before in Minneapolis , but she says they won't happen again.
May 18, 2005 - MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports on how globalization has brought an increasing diversity to places like the St. Paul School District. Now officials are trying to spice up their lunch menu to satisfy the tastes of students from all over the world.
May 25, 2005 - A new report from a Twin Cities public policy organization suggests the St. Paul school district could do a better job pushing high school graduates toward higher education, especially students of color. The Citizens League says the goal of getting more students through college should be an urgent priority for not only the school district, but the entire state.
May 26, 2005 - Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the 2.8-billion dollar higher education funding bill today (THURSDAY) in Rochester. It's the first major budget legislation to pass in the regular session. Lawmakers continue to meet in special session to patch significant gaps in the remaining two year state budget. The state's college and university leaders say the recent session was much better for higher ed than past efforts. But students and others say the progress isn't enough. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
June 7, 2005 - Admission Possible is a nonprofit organization that helps disadvantaged students in St. Paul and Minneapolis get into college. This year, 100 percent of the program's 246 seniors are headed for higher education. Five Admission Possible participants talk about their future plans.
July 13, 2005 - MPR’s Marianne Combs reports that The MacPhail Center for Music is building a new home in Minneapolis…and a new future while breaking down old walls. MacPhail unveiled the design for an expanded music education center in the Mill District, in what's becoming a new cultural corridor.