April 24, 1997 - The Minnesota House and Senate both finished their K-through-12 education spending bills last night (Wed). Both bills are meant to improve schools and raise slumping test scores, but they take different approaches. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports: --------------------------------------------------------- | D-CART ITEM: 8617 | TIME: 3:21 | OUTCUE: "...soc at the cap --------------------------------------------------------- When the legislative session started in January, the pressure was on for lawmakers to do something about Minnesota's schools. Lower-than-expected standardized test scores had added ammunition to Governor Carlson's attacks on teachers unions and school bureaucracies. Four months later, the Senate has responded with what may be the most radical change in school funding in three decades. Senate K-through-12 chairman Larry Pogemiller says his bill is designed to succeed where years of court-ordered desegregation and open enrollment have failed:
April 28, 1997 - High school classes are scheduled to resume this morning (Monday) in Ada, where students were displaced by floodwaters for three weeks. School officials must demolish the Ada-Borup high school due to severe water damage. The Department of Children, Families and Learning says 20 Minnesota school districts closed at least one day due to flooding. East Grand Forks was forced to end the school more than a month early. Hundreds of students, teachers and administrators are working to reclaim their waterlogged schools and get back in business. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports... Seventh through 12th grade students in Ada will finish their schoo
April 28, 1997 - A Voices of Minnesota with Dr. Virginia Lupo of the Hennepin County Medical Center, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology. An interview with the author of "Becoming the Parent You Want to Be"... early childhood educator Janice Keyser, who says parents need to follow their own values, rather than those found in a book. Also, Sasha Aslanian's "Odd Job" segment with a dialect coach.
May 1, 1997 - While flood recovery is just beginning in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, just to the southeast the small community of Ada is further along. School reopened this week for high school students in the town of 1700, and emergency meals will only be served by the Salvation Army until the end of the week. Leif Enger of Mainstreet Radio reports.
May 1, 1997 - A bipartisan deal to regularly test the progress of Minnesota schools and students could be in trouble at the state capitol. Two months ago, the Governor and legislative leaders agreed to set up a new standardized testing system in the public schools, but last night (Wed) the final negotiations hit a wall. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports: Is it possible to test kids too much? Minneapolis state senator Larry Pogemiller thinks so, and he's willing to jeopardize what seemed to be a done deal to make his point. Two months ago, legislative leaders promised Governor Carlson they'd set up a new statewide testing system. Standardized tests are a favorite cause of the Governor's, who believes the publicized test scores will make public schools more accountable. The deal was supposed to set up four tests in the years between kindergarten and 12th grade, but Pogemiller and his Senate colleagues now say three are enough:
May 1, 1997 - intro: Hundreds of people gathered in Fargo today to observe the National Day of Prayer. The mayors of Fargo and Moorhead, pastors from Grand Forks and Wahpeton, and teachers and students prayed for strength to rebuild their flood-damaged communities. Leif Enger of Mainstreet Radio has this sound portrait of today's ceremony. D-CART #9889 Runs 2:14 Music Out NOTE -- Host Backannounce 340 woman singing: "God is in control, we believe that his children will not be forsaken. God is in control, we will choose to remember and never be shaken..." FADE W/CROWD FX 4538 then to 1430: "Lord, it's been a tough year for many in this Valley. Many have fought long and hard to win a battle against nature. For some i
May 5, 1997 - The Federal Communication Commission will decide this week how much schools and libraries should pay for access to the internet and other telecommunication services. An amendment to the Telecommunications Act of 1996 mandates a deep discount on access charges for schools and libraries. Educators say the discount is needed to get more schools wired and help them afford the online service. U-S West is urging Minnesota schools to apply for the federal program and offering help to make the technology connections. Despite the benefit to schools, company officials say the discount is a bitter pill to swallow. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports....
May 5, 1997 - As part of the “Voices of Minnesota" series, this program features two interviews on personal stories of overcoming life struggles. MPR’s Laura McCallum speaks with Stanley Sahlstrom, retired educator. Sahlstrom focused his adult life in support of agriculture. MPR’s Dan Olson speaks with Giovanna "Mama D" D'Agostino, a philanthropist and restaurateur. Program ends with a call-in segment with Kathleen Maloney, the new executive director of the Minnesota Alliance for Arts in Education.
May 8, 1997 - A Minneapolis-based, for-profit, education management company is expanding the private elementary school it opened 10 years ago in Eagan. Education Alternatives Incorporated plans to add an 11-classroom wing to its Tesseract (TESS-er-act) School and expand its program to seventh and eighth grades. The company's success with this suburban private school has been overshadowed by well-documented failures in urban public schools. Despite that troubled history, E-A-I officials say the company has a place in public education. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports... Education Alternatives Incorporated opened its first private preschool and elemenetary school with 42 students in September 1987. Enrollment a
May 8, 1997 - By the end of this week, residents in East Grand Forks, Minnesota may be able to drink their water straight from the tap. The city's more than 8-thousand residents have been without drinkable water since flooding shut down their water treatment plant three weeks ago. As Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports, city crews and an army of volunteers have been working around the clock to fix the problem and are now only days away from making life a little bit easier for everyone. 253 - Driving...Car doors slamming...10-4 clear Saint Paul Water Department tester Mary Hiber (HIGH-burr) drives through