The Minnesota Campaign for Achievement Now (MinnCAN) released a “Native American Student Achievement” report and a list of the schools that made the greatest gains with Native students last year. MREA congratulates these schools. Elementary School #1 Parkview in Virginia #2 Churchill in Cloquet #3 King in DeerRiver #4 Central in Bemidji #5 Ogema in Waubun-Ogema-White Earth #6 Washington in … Read More
Dibb To Speak On World's Best Workforce Requirements
Steve Dibb, assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education, will give educators, administrators and school board members an inside look at what all the legislative talk about creating the “World’s Best Workforce” is all about during a session at the MREA Annual Conference on Nov. 18. Hailed as the capstone of a historic session for education in Minnesota, the K-12 … Read More
Join Conversation on High School Alignment
Minnesota policymakers and legislator have brought the alignment of high school, post-secondary education and work force development needs to the forefront over the past year. Your district can enter this conversation in a direct way through participation in one of five Leadership Summits on Aligning Systems through Post Secondary Partnerships for Student Success to be held in December. Learn more and … Read More
MREA’s Eleven Fall Area Meetings Point to 2014 Platform
From Preston to Thief River Falls, from Virginia to Slayton, and location in between, MREA Executive Director Fred Nolan facilitated Platform Development Meetings with MREA Contract Lobbyist Sam Walseth. The conversations provided input on opportunities and challenges facing districts as MREA prepares the 2014 Legislative Platform. Nearly all participants rated the meetings as valuable or very valuable, and were satisfied … Read More
Work of Five Education Task Forces Underway
Five of the state education task forces established by the legislature last session have begin work. The appointments announced to date reveal rural Minnesota is under represented in these task forces focused on key issues in our state. The legislature called for seven task force or councils. These task forces address complicated issues which have competing interests in how the … Read More
State Task Force Focuses on Special Education Case Loads
A state task force focused on special education case loads will meet Tuesday. The Special Education Case Loads Task Force has been charged with providing recommendation on the appropriate numbers of students with disabilities that may be assigned to a teacher, both with and without paraprofessional support in the classroom, and for cost-effective and efficient strategies and structures for improving student … Read More
Accountability and World’s Best Work Force
A combination of a need to create a highly educated workforce to maintain Minnesota’s edge in economics and the political necessity to not be seen as weak on accountability with the elimination of the GRAD rule, House K-12 Education Finance Chairman Marquart authored pursued with the determination to get the World’s Best Work Force (WBW) enacted into law. Where do … Read More
High School to Post Secondary Transition
Where do we stand? Minnesota enacted in 2013 systemic changes designed to make Minnesota’s young adults career and college ready and have as much as possible of that work accomplished before they graduate from high school.While the popular focus was on repealing the GRAD rule, the policy changes are twofold: Align the K-12 system with post-secondary college and career readiness … Read More
MREA Uncovers Early Learning Issues
The Legislature and current administration are conceiving and enacting policies that students move along a continuum of educational growth and opportunity from early childhood through post-secondary schooling, although not necessarily four year college. In hearings and in hallways, legislators and staffers are using words like “readiness,” “systems alignment,” “workforce development,” “seamless transitions,” and “early intervention” when speaking of education. In … Read More
Literacy Instruction Class Available for ESL students
The University of Minnesota will provide an online course on Elementary literacy instruction for ESL students this fall. This three-credit course is designed for graduate students and in-service teachers who teach reading and writing in English to students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. It focuses on: How is learning to read in a new language the same or different from reading … Read More