Minnesota
News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Minnesota
Teaching
Video
Teachers, Try This: A Pen Pal Exchange to Improve Student Writing and Build Empathy
This class experiences so many benefits through the monthly letters they exchange with their pen pals at the local retirement home.
Education Funding
States Are Pulling Back on K-12 Spending. How Hard Will Schools Get Hit?
Some states are trimming education investments as financial forecasts suggest boom times may be over.
School & District Management
It's Not Just Snow Days: How Can Districts Work Extreme Weather Into Their Calendars?
Extreme weather that's becoming more frequent is challenging districts with novel choices about when it's safe to stay open.
School & District Management
Superintendent of the Year Focuses on How to ‘Do More’ in Minnesota
The 2024 winner of the national honor didn't want to spend pandemic relief funds "in the way that we’ve always spent our money."
Teaching Profession
'Never Stop Learning’: Inside the Club for Retired Teachers
A club for retired teachers keeps lifelong educators connected to the young people in today's classrooms.
School & District Management
Superintendents Share the Lessons They've Learned From ESSER—and Look Ahead
The four finalists for the 2024 National Superintendent of the Year award reflected on the lessons they learned from pandemic relief aid.
School & District Management
Meet the Finalists for 2024’s Superintendent of the Year
These four superintendents were recognized for their advocacy and for improving academics and community engagement.
Reading & Literacy
Video
Teachers, Try This: A Writing Exercise for Amazon’s Strangest Products
Students search for the strangest product they can find on Amazon, and practice writing reviews in this pre-winter break exercise.
States
Massachusetts Joins Short List of States Providing Free School Meals to All
States are stepping in where federal COVID-relief aid dropped off.
Recruitment & Retention
Q&A
This High School Couldn't Fill Key Jobs, So It Turned to Students
Schools have struggled to fill key support staff jobs since reopening from pandemic shutdowns. This high school recruited its students.
School Climate & Safety
What 3 Teachers Think About Eliminating School Resource Officers
Teachers have mixed feelings about school resource officers and whether their presence makes schools feel safer.
Teaching
Video
Teachers, Try This: Use Restorative Justice to Solve Student Conflicts
In this kindergarten classroom, students learn conflict resolution skills through a short restorative justice practice.
States
Six States Have Made School Meals Free to All Students. Will More Follow?
The new state laws provide universal school meals permanently, affecting 8 million students.
Budget & Finance
Special Education Is Getting More Expensive, Forcing Schools to Make Cuts Elsewhere
States and districts share the disproportionate cost burden of supporting a complex, growing, and vulnerable population.