Minnesota

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Minnesota
A sign reading "Protect Neighbors" is posted near a bus stop as a school bus passes on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Minneapolis.
A sign reading "Protect Neighbors" is posted near a bus stop in Minneapolis on Jan. 30, 2026. A lawsuit from two Minnesota school districts and the state's teachers' union says immigration agents have detained people and staged enforcement actions at or near schools, school bus stops, and daycare centers.
Kerem Yücel /Minnesota Public Radio via AP
Law & Courts Educators Sue Over ICE Activity on School Grounds and Nearby
The challenge targets the Trump administration's revocation of a policy that limited immigration enforcement at schools.
Alyson Klein, February 4, 2026
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5 min read
The 2023 National Teacher of the Year award for Rebecka Peterson is displayed during a ceremony honoring the Council of Chief State School Officers' 2023 Teachers of the Year in the Rose Garden of the White House, Monday, April 24, 2023, in Washington.
The Council of Chief State School Officers will announce the 2026 National Teacher of the Year award later this spring. The crystal apple award is pictured in this photo from 2023.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Teaching Profession The Nation's Top 5 Teachers in 2026 Focus on Community, Place-Based Education
This year's top teachers bring their communities into the classroom, and vice versa.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 30, 2026
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7 min read
A child kneels in the snow among demonstrators holding signs during a news conference at Lake Hiawatha Park in Minneapolis, on Jan. 9, 2026, demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement be kept out of schools and Minnesota following the killing of 37-year-old mother Renee Good by federal agents earlier on Wednesday.
A child kneels in the snow among demonstrators holding signs during a news conference at Lake Hiawatha Park in Minneapolis on Jan. 9, 2026, demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement be kept out of schools following the killing of Renee Good by federal agents.
Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP
Teaching 'There's a Firehose of Information': Talking to Students About Minneapolis
Find curated coverage on discussing confusing, scary, or politically charged topics in the classroom.
Sarah Schwartz, January 26, 2026
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2 min read
A young man in the city looking at American flag in a surreal window. Concept art of change, solution, freedom, hope, life and environment. Conceptual artwork.
iStock/Getty + Education Week
Families & the Community Opinion ‘What Sort of Nation Terrorizes Children?’: A Teacher’s View From Minneapolis
My students live with the knowledge that anyone they love could be taken by ICE at any moment.
Italia Fittante, January 23, 2026
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4 min read
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, January 22, 2026: Ninth grade teacher Tracy Byrd helps student Avi Veeramachaneni, 14, with his final essay on the last day of the semester at Washburn High School in Minneapolis, MN.
Tracy Byrd helps students with essays on Jan. 22 at Washburn High School in Minneapolis. As immigration raids and protests have played out across the city, he and fellow educators have sought to create a stable environment for students.
Caroline Yang for Education Week
Teaching In Their Own Words ‘Normal Looks Different’: Teaching Through Fear in Minneapolis
Tracy Byrd, a 9th grade English teacher, shares what teaching entails as federal agents patrol his city.
Ileana Najarro, January 22, 2026
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8 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Opinion Minnesota Students Are Living in Perilous Times, Two Teachers Explain
The federal government is committing the "greatest constancy of deliberate community harm."
Larry Ferlazzo, January 14, 2026
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6 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Opinion 'Survival Mode': A Minnesota Teacher of the Year Decries Immigration Crackdowns
Federal agents are creating trauma and chaos for our students and schools in Minneapolis.
Larry Ferlazzo, January 13, 2026
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5 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Opinion 'Fear Is a Thief of Focus.' A Teacher on the Impact of ICE and Renee Nicole Good's Death
At a time that feels like a state of emergency, educators are doing their best to protect students.
Larry Ferlazzo, January 12, 2026
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4 min read
Protesters demonstrate against ICE agents near the the Whipple Federal Building on Jan. 8, 2026.
Protestors gather after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis, on Jan. 7, 2026. The incident later prompted the Minneapolis school district to cancel classes amid broader federal immigration operations.
Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS
School & District Management Minneapolis Schools Close in Wake of Deadly Shooting, Immigration Enforcement
The districtwide closure marks a departure from schools' responses to ICE presence.
Ileana Najarro, January 8, 2026
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6 min read
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Minneapolis Public Schools for discrimination in its efforts to shield teachers of color from layoffs and reassignments.
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Minneapolis Public Schools for discrimination in its efforts to shield teachers of color from layoffs and reassignments.
Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS
Equity & Diversity Trump Admin. Accuses Minneapolis Schools of Racism in Protecting Minority Teachers
The Justice Department has filed its latest suit alleging racism for efforts to boost teacher diversity.
Anthony Lonetree, Star Tribune, December 11, 2025
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2 min read
The Ocean City Boardwalk is pictured on Aug. 14, 2025, in Ocean City, Md.
The Ocean City Boardwalk is pictured on Aug. 14, 2025, in Ocean City, Md. Some states, including Maryland, have debated whether schools should start after Labor Day to maximize tourism dollars.
Robyn Stevens Brody/Sipa via AP
School & District Management Should Schools Start Before or After Labor Day? The Debate, Explained
Most districts now start before Labor Day. For holdouts, it's often about more than just tradition.
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 29, 2025
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4 min read
Parents await news during an active shooter situation at the Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 27, 2025.
Parents await news during an active shooter situation at the Annunciation Church in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, 2025. This is the first school shooting of the new academic year.
Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP
School Climate & Safety Two Children, Ages 8 and 10, Killed in Minneapolis School Shooting
Seventeen people were injured in the new academic year's first school shooting.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, Brooke Schultz & Elizabeth Heubeck, August 27, 2025
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4 min read
Alison Flaata, a technology integration coordinator for the South Washington County district in Minnesota, listens to questions about her poster presentation on small ways to provide tech professional development at the ISTELive 25 + ASCD Annual Conference 25 in San Antonio on June 30, 2025.
Alison Flaata, a technology integration coordinator for the South Washington County district in Minnesota, listens to questions about her poster presentation on small ways to provide tech professional development at the ISTELive 25 + ASCD Annual Conference 25 in San Antonio on June 30, 2025.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Professional Development How One District Makes Tech Training Quick and Easy
A district tech coordinator discusses how they use micro-learning for tech training.
Lauraine Langreo, July 1, 2025
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2 min read
Image of a leader replacing FA"KE" with FA"CT"
Diki Prayogo/iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance How This District Headed Off Misinformation About Its School Bond Campaign
School bonds are hot-button issues for districts—and ripe for misinformation campaigns.
Evie Blad, June 18, 2025
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5 min read
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