It's Not Like The Old Days
The comfort level in many schools changed forever last April when 14 students and a teacher died in Colorado's Columbine High School. The school year ended last spring under a cloud of fear and confusion. Threats and rumors of violence disrupted the routines in many Minnesota schools. Most Minnesota students return to school this week, and school administrators say they're trying hard to assure parents their children will be safe.
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The Profile of Learning Survives
Minnesota schools begin a second year of classes this week under the graduation standards system, known as the Profile of Learning. The complex system of applied-learning requirements was expected to be dumped or dramatically altered during the legislative session, but neither happened. Now, school districts and teachers are expected to push ahead and make the Profile work.
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The Politics of the Profile
Last spring, opponents of the Profile had a big impact at the State Capitol with protests and constituent phone calls, and they convinced the Minnesota House to vote to scrap the system altogether; a move that ultimately failed in the Senate. Despite their near-success, opponents of the Profile say the news media have misrepresented their positions and portrayed them as kooks, and they say the people of Minnesota don't really know what's at stake.
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Who Greets The Kids?
Minnesota schools are having an increasingly hard time hiring good principals. Superintendents say fewer people are applying for principal jobs, and many of those applicants lack the experience needed to meet the growing demands of the job. It's a nationwide trend that some predict is reaching crisis proportions.
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The Basic Basic
Minneapolis schools are trying to get back to the most basic of basics for obtaining a good education: showing up for school.
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Free Agent Teaching
The teacher shortage has done wonders for salaries and job security. But, at what price?
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