tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35892882012-01-25T09:08:51.473-06:00Minnesota education reform news by Scholar the Owl, a.k.a. Matt Abe, Plymouth, Minnesota.Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comBlogger3081100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-79765144547793805482012-01-25T05:00:00.000-06:002012-01-25T08:44:52.896-06:00

The schools that innovate are going to be rewarded. You can feel like a victim in education. This is saying, "We're going to control our own destiny." —Principal Rob Metz, Saint Louis Park High School Does it take a village to raise a child? To paraphrase Bill Clinton, it depends on what your definition of "a village" is. In her book It Takes A Village, Hillary Clinton says, "Every child needs a

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-22222573867236624022012-01-14T05:00:00.000-06:002012-01-14T05:00:00.890-06:00

According to a January 12 e-mail update from the Minnesota Center for Social Studies Education (CSSE), the latest revision of Minnesota's K-12 academic standards in social studies is nearing completion: The state K-12 social studies standards are in the final phase of revision, with an estimated completion date of mid-February or sooner. The CSSE will send an e-blast as soon as the final draft

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-63959635257469551872012-01-10T22:06:00.000-06:002012-01-10T22:06:32.993-06:00

Restoring Excellence in Education, a forum that will examine reform issues in both K-12 and higher education, will be held this Saturday, January 14 at Saint Cloud State University. It will feature RiShawn Biddle, editor and publisher of the education reform website Dropout Nation; and Richard Vedder, Distinguished Professor of Economics at Ohio University, Director of the Center for College

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-30277801563409238472011-09-16T07:00:00.000-05:002011-09-16T08:09:14.971-05:00

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. —Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America The Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement announces that, pursuant to legislation passed by Congress, educational institutions receiving

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-26795910807888969922011-03-28T05:00:00.005-05:002011-03-28T08:31:17.013-05:00

The prototypical Minnesota grassroots political action organization, EdWatch, was disbanded last year due to the departure of its founders to new positions. A "new" group, Education Liberty Watch, has taken its place. I use quotation marks around the word "new" because Education Liberty Watch is more of a child of EdWatch than a brand new administration. The group's president, Dr. Karen Effrem,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-74648602866916950062011-02-09T20:50:00.000-06:002011-02-09T20:50:23.382-06:00

"Instead of talking about how to spend more money and finding ways to spend more money, we ought to be talking about how to focus the resources we have on something we can measure." —Sen. David Hann (R-Eden Prairie), Star Tribune, February 5 Do you get the point that Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton really believes in early childhood education? The governor's seven-point education plan is not

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-69845308341819496352010-12-23T19:57:00.001-06:002010-12-23T20:05:34.380-06:00

EdWatch, Minnesota's best-known, powerful grassroots K-12 education advocacy organization is concluding operations at the end of this month, according to co-founder Renee Doyle, in an e-mail sent to supporters at the end of November. "We came into being in 1998 over the statewide outrage about Minnesota's radical new education system, the Profile of Learning," said Doyle in the e-mail. "Colleen

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-81106770456976894512010-12-14T19:28:00.000-06:002010-12-14T19:28:15.434-06:00

In Minnesota, as in Washington, the Senate has the duty to confirm appointments made by the executive branch. But unlike Washington, D.C., Minnesota’s confirmation process used to be about the resume and qualifications of the nominee at the beginning of their term. Used to be? Until 2004, that is, when Steve Kelly, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee used the confirmation process to

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-74731730353403887202010-10-26T20:50:00.001-05:002010-10-27T07:53:19.476-05:00

By Karen Effrem With the rise of TEA party movement and general voter anger at the overspending and the strangling control the federal government into more and more aspects of our lives, it was quite encouraging to read a lengthy analysis on EducationNews.org of where federal education policy is headed that included an interview of Congressman John Kline (R-MN2). Rep. Kline is currently

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-66678658332304419602010-10-19T20:13:00.001-05:002010-10-19T20:14:53.587-05:00

On Monday night, the candidates running to represent residents of the Wayzata Public Schools district at the state legislature met in a forum sponsored by the school district's Legislative Action Committee. The district overlaps Minnesota Senate Districts 32, 33, and 43. I attended the session for SD43, which had about two dozen in the audience. All of the endorsed legislative candidates in SD43

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comPlymouth, MN, USA44.97924954937831 -93.5012054443359444.96407104937831 -93.53038794433594 44.99442804937831 -93.47202294433593tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-9471000078253068432010-10-14T21:32:00.002-05:002010-10-15T08:45:27.763-05:00

By Karen R. Effrem, MD Director of Government Relations, EdWatch INTRODUCTION - Education is a very big issue in the state of Minnesota and across the nation this election season, as it should be for comprising 40-50% of many state budgets. Using Minnesota as an example, all three gubernatorial candidates in their budget plans, debates, and speeches are discussing the importance of “investing”

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-31387296398422247782010-05-06T07:43:00.000-05:002010-05-06T07:43:25.005-05:00

Education Minnesota teachers union president Tom Dooher is speaking out in television ads against an alternative licensure proposal for teachers now before the Minnesota Legislature. Dooher says that the proposals would "lower standards to become a teacher in Minnesota." While alternative licensure would certainly challenge the status quo, "alternative" need not mean "lower" standards. The bill,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-36046994867698428612010-04-21T12:38:00.000-05:002010-04-21T12:38:51.946-05:00

I started this blog in 2003 when I was appointed to Governor Tim Pawlenty's Academic Standards Committee, under the leadership of then-Education commissioner Cheri Pierson-Yecke. That newly-appointed Commissioner Yecke restored her department's name to Education from the "Department of Children, Families, and Learning," and replaced the fuzzy, process-oriented Profile of Learning with the more

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-13126878427694408172010-04-14T07:22:00.000-05:002010-04-14T07:22:00.377-05:00

In case my last post left you with the impression that this blogger and conservatives in general are swooning over the Obama education initiative Race To The Top because it throws us a few reform bones, our friend Dr. Karen Effrem, M.D. of EdAction and EdWatch reminds us that the thing about federal education funding is that ultimately, who pays the piper calls the tune. As Effrem explains, Race

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-13748872617812997262010-04-07T12:25:00.002-05:002010-04-07T12:25:22.007-05:00

On Tuesday, Governor Tim Pawlenty simultaneously stood up for meaningful education reforms and tried to position the state to win second-round federal Race to the Top education reform dollars. "The only question in this room is going to be 'Do you want to get dragged there, or do you want to lead to that point?'" said Pawlenty. "I suggest we lead because this is going to happen. It will happen

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-43615355096497124972009-10-15T12:18:00.010-05:002009-10-15T12:18:00.231-05:00

In stark contrast to National Education Association (NEA) affiliate Education Minnesota's touchy-feely, warm-fuzzy, "it's for the children" public persona, the NEA's retiring general counsel made it perfectly clear in July that the NEA is a powerful union first, last, and always. Neal McClusky of the Cato Institute provides this transcript of Bob Chanin's "salty valedictory" (McClusky's words; I

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-36709960062107515332009-09-08T11:27:00.013-05:002009-09-08T11:57:10.959-05:00

"I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn." —President Barack Obama, address to schoolchildren, September 8, 2009President Obama's speech today and the revised Department of Education "engagement resources" do not change the federal government's ever-increasing control of education, to the detriment of local control by the states

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-40867848683561632722009-09-03T11:42:00.016-05:002009-09-03T12:38:07.801-05:00

The philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next generation.—Abraham Lincoln (attributed)Diffusion of authority among tens of thousands of school districts is a safeguard against centralized control and abuse of the educational system that must be maintained. —Dwight D. Eisenhower, New York Herald Tribune, February 9, 1955President Obama will

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-48761535254857289522009-08-11T12:13:00.024-05:002009-08-13T08:57:26.096-05:00

Now that the Minnesota Department of Education has released the 2009 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments II results, I pored over the high school data to compare the test results among west metro school districts. I added per-pupil spending and enrollment data from School Data Direct to see if I could find any relationships among test data, spending, and district size (the latter two are the most

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-75234462943150933512009-06-05T11:58:00.023-05:002009-06-05T12:42:19.147-05:00

"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." —Rahm Emmanuel, Obama White House Chief of StaffIn his July unalottment, Tim Pawlenty has an opportunity to put a nice bow on the signature education reforms of his two terms as Minnesota's governor. Although Pawlenty has been reluctant to cut education

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-35892972513559236922009-05-01T11:55:00.004-05:002009-05-01T12:12:57.270-05:00

In an e-mail to constitutents, Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) alerts us to a few troubling provisions in the House Omnibus K-12 Education Finance bill (HF2):Cuts education funding $1.9 million (14 percent) when shifts and one-time federal aid are excluded. According to Anderson, all revenue sources considered, this bill is $185 million less than the Governor's plan. So far, so good!Enacts a

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-74293156701660445632009-04-23T07:47:00.003-05:002009-04-23T07:49:09.986-05:00

Pardon our mess while SCHOLAR'S NOTEBOOK is under construction. All of our content should be available throughout our redesign. Thanks for your interest in SCHOLAR'S NOTEBOOK, integrated math, education reform, and school choice!

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-62033912902179493972009-03-12T08:07:00.018-05:002009-03-12T08:51:17.114-05:00

Over Republican minority objections, the Minnesota Senate Education Subcommittee on Charter Schools yesterday perverted Governor Pawlenty's charter school bill (S.F. 867) with several amendments that would strangle Minnesota's successful charter school movement. The bill passed out of the subcommittee and will be heard by the full Senate Education Committee.One of the bill's co-sponsors,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-11923524061446452832009-02-24T11:54:00.001-06:002009-02-24T12:00:11.907-06:00

When I heard this year that the Wayzata School District had recently adopted the textbook, Vocabulary from Classical Roots by Norma Fifer and Nancy Flowers (Educators Publishing Service, Cambridge and Toronto), I was pleased.I am a technical writer by profession, I love language, and insist that my own children learn to communicate effectively in writing and speech. So the study of Greek and

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-83607594351030217312009-02-13T11:57:00.018-06:002009-02-13T12:38:26.336-06:00

Beacon Academy, a Core Knowledge-based charter school, has outgrown its current building in Plymouth. I have been following the creation and evolution of this charter school since it was just an idea. Hearing about Beacon's growing pains and then growing successes from Beacon's director (and my friend), Jordan Ford, has been heartening.As reported by the Sun Newspapers ("Beacon Academy interested

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-41055647001789066572008-11-24T11:35:00.025-06:002008-11-24T13:06:55.608-06:00

If you were looking for mention of the Beacon Academy charter school of Plymouth, Minnesota on a recent KSTP-TV "5 Eyewitness News Investigates" segment about charter schools, and if you blinked, you may have missed it.That's because the story focused on various charter schools that are violating Minnesota law, and on calls to overhaul those laws, so the story mentions Beacon Academy by contrast

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-91971678949498574772008-09-11T12:42:00.005-05:002008-09-11T12:49:47.109-05:00

Education is the civil rights issue of this century. Equal access to public education has been gained. But what is the value of access to a failing school? We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition, empower parents with choice, remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work.When a public school

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-38495867120605862642008-09-05T09:19:00.004-05:002008-09-05T20:03:18.855-05:00

I have shut down Minnesota Education Reform News, the web site that existed at various URLs and on various web platforms since about 1999. I will continue to maintain this blog, but my main blog has been and will be North Star Liberty. Thanks to everyone for your support, particularly of my popular articles on integrated math.If you have any bookmarks that point to scholarsnotebook.info, they

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-71178765508153312472008-06-09T08:10:00.001-05:002008-11-13T18:44:21.256-06:00

It's the end of the school year, and at high schools in America, teachers, administrators, and staff — God bless them all — are enduring Senior Prank Day. At Bloomington Kennedy High School, three senior boys were barred from participating in Class of 2008 commencement exercises for waving the so-called "Confederate Flag" on school grounds, in violation of school policy. Considering the fact that

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-67078578895563965652008-05-19T12:27:00.002-05:002008-05-19T12:39:49.219-05:00

Liberals and conservatives differ on freedom of the press and speech. Conservatives call a newspaper story that presents both sides of an issue "fair and balanced." Liberals call the same newspaper story "biased."Some of the writers at the Wayzata High School newspaper, the Trojan Tribune, are already practicing "activist journalism," whereby advancing an agenda takes precedence over informing

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-39025881019043434832008-05-07T08:21:00.001-05:002008-05-07T08:59:34.273-05:00

On Monday, April 28, the Minnesota House of Representatives voted 128-0 (see Journal page 10824) in favor of an amendment to the omnibus education bill, SF 3001/HF 3316, that would ask the U.S. Secretary of Education to relieve the state of Minnesota from the federal No Child Left Behind Act's (NCLB) educational assessment and accountability provisions, while continuing to provide federal funding

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-41219131210711558462008-03-04T07:23:00.036-06:002008-11-13T18:44:21.460-06:00

Last week I attended an open forum, conducted by the PTSO, to hear about Wayzata High School's integrated math program. My son is a freshman at Wayzata, who is taking the "regular" integrated track, based on the Core Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP) from Western Michigan University. Wayzata also offers an accelerated or honors track, with the self-esteem neutral moniker of "X" track. In addition,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-51982753774385022162008-01-10T12:36:00.000-06:002008-01-10T13:10:11.015-06:00

Minnesota schools could emerge from the financial and administrative burdens of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) if conservatives in the state and in Congress have their way.In Minnesota, Sen. Geoff Michel (R-Edina) has announced that he will introduce a bill in the Senate to withdraw the state schools from the federal program. Although some estimate that the state would thereby

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-75718107127726921882007-12-14T08:15:00.000-06:002007-12-14T08:53:27.579-06:00

One of the good things about campaign season is that, if you look hard enough, you can uncover substantive debate on issues you care about.Presidential candidate Fred Thompson's white paper on education caught my eye. It sums up several points of the conservative position on education reform.The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution leaves education to the states, but thanks to President

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-27677230801392141502007-12-06T12:19:00.000-06:002007-12-06T12:47:12.386-06:00

The State of Texas has pulled its funding for the third grade unit of the integrated math curriculum Everyday Mathematics (the University of Chicago School Mathematics Program, a.k.a. "Chicago Math," or just "fuzzy math"). The state board of education charged that the program leaves Texas public school graduates "unprepared" for college math.As The New York Sun newspaper reported, "While

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-48945593400436924442007-12-06T08:49:00.003-06:002008-09-08T08:02:15.211-05:00

Thanks to all of you who read Scholar's Notebook now and then, subscribe to our RSS feed, or just find us by entering "integrated math" into Google. I have gone from continual blogging during the Profile of Learning repeal battle with my friends at EdWatch (who are still doing yeoman's work for freedom, by the way), to joining Cheri Pierson Yecke in the academic standards battle, to raising

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-13848420566386040262007-06-21T11:31:00.001-05:002007-06-21T12:08:30.698-05:00

At last, truth in advertising from the integrated math crowd.According to the movement's web site, "Radical Math Teachers was launched in April 2006 by Jonathan Osler who teaches Math and Community Organizing at El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice (www.elpuente.us), a public high school in Brooklyn, NY."Radical Math Teachers are educators who work to integrate issues of political, economic,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-58798841661567481302007-06-14T12:36:00.000-05:002007-06-14T13:21:25.376-05:00

The St. Michael-Albertville Schools (STMA) are currently in Year 1 of a several-year long curriculum review cycle for their math curriculum. As in many school districts, the process attempts to bring the various stakeholders together (teachers, the curriculum director, parents) to look at the current curriculum, assess needs, and select a new curriculum (often the latest edition of the current

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-46507693023297194712007-06-12T11:58:00.000-05:002007-07-03T08:34:25.001-05:00

The good news is that the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) evaluated a random sample of children entering kindergarten in the fall of 2006, and found that only 3-10% of this cohort had not acquired a skill, knowledge, or behavior in a selected "developmental domain."The bad news is that the kindergarten readiness industry, led by the powerful Ready4K lobby, is still pushing its aggressive,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-21374857993238784532007-05-04T12:28:00.000-05:002007-05-04T12:51:17.744-05:00

In “All-day kindergarten funding overdue (April 25),” Sun Newspapers Minnetonka Community Editor Joe Kieser chastises the state of Minnesota for falling “behind states like Mississippi, Alabama and most of our neighboring states in funding all-day kindergarten.” He says that “Minnesota is also in need of more special education and early childhood funding. We are leaving our youngest and most

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-73088594367421290812007-05-02T08:37:00.000-05:002007-05-04T12:47:40.721-05:00

The Star Tribune brightened my day with an editorial ("Charter school cap is unwarranted") endorsing charter schools, and by extension, school choice. "The door should remain open to create innovative schools for Minnesota students," said the Star Tribune.Charter schools do not represent the ultimate in local control. They are taxpayer-funded, government-controlled public schools. They are

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-41260254473089060462007-03-16T12:35:00.000-05:002007-04-03T08:38:28.499-05:00

No Child Left Behind is in my mind the largest intrusion of the federal government into state policy, and the biggest federal boondoggle, in my lifetime...They have actually created a cash subsidy to encourage states to lower standards. —David Jennings, as interim superintendent of the Minneapolis public schools, Star Tribune, September 21, 2003A pair of bills with bipartisan support (HF 2007 and

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-6155675384050149132007-03-05T09:45:00.000-06:002008-11-13T18:44:21.763-06:00

Since 1968, a reciprocity agreement has enabled Minnesota college students to attend Wisconsin schools at Minnesota in-state tuition rates, and Wisconsin students to attend schools in the Gopher State at their home state's in-state tuition rates. While tuition rates stayed fairly close to each other, the agreement gave students in the two states a greater variety of schools from which to choose,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-79046676286192218772007-03-01T08:47:00.000-06:002007-03-05T12:34:10.343-06:00

I have had the pleasure of serving as a History Day judge over at Wayzata East Middle School for the past few years. This year I also helped one of the seventh graders at Wayzata West Middle School, a family friend, with his project, which to our delight earned a spot at the regional competition on March 15.From the National History Day web site:Each year, more than half a million students,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-55910402731285155832007-01-29T08:44:00.000-06:002007-01-29T08:45:23.328-06:00

Let's not allow nostalgia to limit our children's future. We owe our children their own future, not our past. —Gov. Tim Pawlenty, State of the State Address, January 16, 2007Governor Tim Pawlenty gave Minnesota plenty of the past in his education agenda, highlighted by a 7.7% increase ($986 million) to K-12 education over the last biennial budget, or $13.745 billion (40%) of the governor's total

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-48626460067304656142007-01-26T08:03:00.000-06:002007-01-26T08:56:32.743-06:00

Under a reciprocity agreement, Wisconsin students can attend the University of Minnesota for about what they would pay for in-state tuition at the University of Wisconsin. Unfortunately for the University of Minnesota, it costs much less to attend school in Wisconsin than it does in Minnesota.According to an article in today's Star Tribune, "U threatens to quit tuition reciprocity deal," "'It's

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-18869673773956660462007-01-25T11:44:00.000-06:002007-01-25T12:01:12.141-06:00

Parents and educators from Washington state's Where's the Math? have produced a wonderful 15-minute video that shows why many parents and math educators believe that integrated math curricula like Chicago Math/Everyday Mathematics is a fundamentally flawed curriculum, in spite of what you might be hearing from your child's teacher or district curriculum and instruction people. The video is hosted

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-35238130192960388882007-01-15T08:48:00.000-06:002007-01-15T09:21:54.351-06:00

Our approach when it comes to early childhood will be to focus on kids who are at risk and disadvantaged. —Gov. Tim PawlentyGovernor Tim Pawlenty gave a preview of his education agenda to Star Tribune columnist Lori Sturdevant in yesterday's Strib. Presumably, Pawlenty will give a more detailed overview in his upcoming State of the State address.About the best way to improve education: "We'll

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-75443219991975468572006-11-29T08:55:00.000-06:002006-11-29T12:46:22.766-06:00

The achievement gap is like the weather: everyone talks about it, but everyone has seemingly been powerless to do anything about it, until now.In a collaborative effort between community organizations, big business, and his administration, Governor Tim Pawlenty announced in a press release that they will try to bridge the Twin Cities public school achievement gap with KIPP. By bringing KIPP to

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1161114088750720472006-11-27T08:31:00.000-06:002006-11-27T08:46:09.107-06:00

In her recent Star Tribune column, "Teachers group takes lint-remover to 'fuzzy math,'" (a.k.a. "integrated math") Katherine Kersten reports that the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is taking a second look at fuzzy math. The "math wars" launched in 1989 are still playing out today. Now, probably thanks in part to fuzzy math, one in five college freshmen needs a remedial math course,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-69080579621191915152006-11-27T08:18:00.000-06:002006-11-27T08:21:27.438-06:00

Scholar has been missing in action at this blog, due to heavy coverage of the 2006 elections at my "other blog," North Star Liberty (http://northstarliberty.blogspot.com). We now resume our regularly scheduled programming.

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1159795621517688902006-10-02T08:24:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:52.648-06:00

From our friends at EdWatch:A national education conference addressing what's dangerous about the International Baccalaureate curriculum, why universal preschool is a bad idea, and how mental health screening for all is being incorporated into education outcomes will be held Friday evening, October 13th, and Saturday, Saturday, October 14th until 4:00 p.m at the Embassy Suites Airport Hotel in

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1158860001627073402006-09-21T12:27:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:52.508-06:00

This week, Minnesota Education Commissioner Alice Seagren announced that applications are now being accepted for the Minnesota Math Standards Revision Committee. The new committee will begin the process of analyzing and recommending changes to Minnesota's current math standards."Minnesota took a big step forward when we eliminated the Profile of Learning and replaced it with more rigorous

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1158859479938279452006-09-21T12:11:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:52.386-06:00

Our ability to defend — intelligently and thoughtfully — what we as a nation hold dear depends on the knowledge and understanding of what we hold dear. —Diane RavitchThe good news is that 5% of all the schools in the United States that officially celebrated Constitution Day on Monday were in Minnesota.The bad news is that only 42 schools celebrated Constitution Day nationwide. That's not even one

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1158093815173797052006-09-12T15:42:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:52.230-06:00

The fifth anniversary of 9/11, one of the most significant events in history, was not discussed let alone commemorated in any way at my kids' middle school.Please let us know in the comments how 9/11 was commemorated at your local K-12 school.EDUCATION | 9-11

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1156872729763598812006-08-29T12:12:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:52.059-06:00

Whether you missed it on the first time around in January, or want to review this eye-opening, unabashed program again, tune in to your local ABC affiliate for a rerun of John Stossel's 20/20 report, Stupid in America, in which Stossel reveals the schools we need, and why we don't have them — in Stossel's trademark, "give me a break," myth-busting style.Stupid in AmericaFriday, September 1,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1155736030812703892006-08-16T08:34:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:51.882-06:00

As election season approaches, Craig Westover makes it perfectly clear why federal education policy matters: the less federal education policy, the better.It's tough to be heard over the drumbeat of the education establishment (teacher unions, government bureaucrats, nonprofits) that robotically calls for more, more, more money and more government ("no unfunded mandates"), but Westover hits the

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1154712547832583462006-08-04T11:49:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:51.762-06:00

"Take away a people's heritage and they are easily persuaded.""Give us the child for eight years and it will be a Bolshevik forever.""Our program necessarily includes the propaganda of atheism."Revolutionaries, dictators, and tyrants throughout history have well-understood the importance of government-controlled education in shaping the ideology of a nation. The founders of the United States of

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1153243448398735612006-07-18T12:07:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:51.630-06:00

Beacon Preparatory School, a public charter middle school in Plymouth, Minnesota, will be hosting an open house on Monday, July 24, at 5:00 p.m. A light dinner, beverages, and snacks will be served. The program begins at 5:30 p.m.According to a letter mailed by the school's board of directors to area students, "Beacon Preparatory offers the Core Knowledge curriculum — a curriculum that typifies a

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1150132219550965122006-07-03T11:43:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:50.984-06:00

In his May 18 Sun Newspapers commentary, "New programs create better schools," Minnetonka Community Editor Joe Kieser points to the results of Newsweek magazine's annual "Top 1200 High Schools" survey as evidence that the advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs "are becoming a necessity rather than a luxury." He concludes, "The days of reading, writing, and

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1151427341277220272006-06-27T11:55:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:51.494-06:00

The effectiveness of early childhood education is taken as an article of faith by groups like Ready4K and proponents of more and bigger taxpayer-funded government programs.At a July 18 early childhood education luncheon, The Center of the American Experiment will challenge this assumption in a big way, with questions like:Isn't it true that advocates rely excessively on a few small and

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1150995626366396912006-06-22T11:57:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:51.368-06:00

Minnesota educators, policymakers, and teachers are wringing their hands over an Education Week report on the state's high school graduation rates. According to the Star Tribune:Fewer than half of Minnesota's black high school students end up getting their high school diplomas, according to a new study by Education Week magazine. That's a graduation rate for black students that's one of the

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1150913252840221272006-06-21T12:58:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:51.231-06:00

The Strib recently savaged EdWatch for its stand on International Baccalaureate (IB). Here is EdWatch's response:To the editor:Your June 12 editorial countering EdWatch's criticisms of International Baccalaureate (IB) programs should have dug beneath the cheerleading to learn why the ranks of IB critics are growing.For example, former IB student Liam Julian of the Fordham Foundation states, "

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1150294465861512242006-06-14T09:01:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:51.113-06:00

Former Minnesota education commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke broke a few eggs during her tenure in an attempt to make an education reform omelet, by implementing Gov. Tim Pawlenty's ambitious education reform agenda.One of the hallmarks of Yecke's tenure was replacing the process-oriented Profile of Learning graduation standards with a new set of content-oriented academic standards in English,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1149516241749589752006-06-05T08:56:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:50.847-06:00

Check out Norman Draper's fairly balanced article in the Star Tribune on International Baccalaureate, or IB. IB is a controversy coming to a school district near you. Just ask the folks at Minnetonka, who are emerging from a battle royale over IB (they adopted it in addition to Advanced Placement or AP), which may have been partially to blame for the resignation of one school board member.Is IB

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1147970702978784732006-05-18T11:37:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:50.712-06:00

As announced in Scholar's Notebook last October, the Wayzata School District decided to conduct a random survey of Wayzata High School 2003 and 2004 graduates on their views on integrated math. The survey reveals that while integrated math is the math they love to hate, surprisingly, only 25% would end teaching integrated math to better prepare students for college, while 42% wouldn't change

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1146677223914285502006-05-03T12:26:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:50.588-06:00

A Washington state blog called Sound Politics is reporting, and its readers are commenting on, a group of Seattle parents concerned about math education. The group calls itself, "Where's the Math?" The name reminds me of that old Wendy's Hamburgers commercial, in which the late Clara Peller demands, "Where's the beef?"Like similar Minnesota public school parent groups from Eden Prairie and Maple

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1146589537561644112006-05-02T11:45:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:50.439-06:00

Please run, do not walk, to listen in on this online debate over California's Proposition 82, Preschool for All.Arguing in favor is Susanna Cooper, director of communications for Preschool California, one of the organizations pushing for approval of Proposition 82. Arguing against is Joanne Jacobs, one of America's most respected edubloggers.Jacobs says:Proposition 82 makes half-day preschool for

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1145045665924915642006-04-14T15:07:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:50.298-06:00

The Education Minnesota teachers union's answer to rising health care costs in school districts would be a new state law (HF 517/SF 1459, passed by the Senate and pending in the House) that would require all school district employees, both union and non-union, to join a statewide insurance "pool."The good news, according to the fiscal note prepared by the Department of Finance, is that some

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1144429118581537662006-04-07T11:52:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:50.138-06:00

The million-dollar public relations campaign by the state teacher union Education Minnesota failed a reality check by Pat Kessler of WCCO-TV Channel 4 (and 100.3 KTLK-FM).One of its TV ads features an older, white male politician (read: Republican) on the campaign trail, saying, "Minnesota schools have stood with the best for long enough. It's time to slash education spending and lower standards.

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1144416149791887482006-04-07T07:56:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:49.992-06:00

In marked contrast to its splashy announcements of large grants (totaling $1 billion) to fund some 1500 "small learning communities" across the country, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has quietly concluded: they don't work."At the Gates Foundation, early grants went to utopian and communitarian movements but we moved away from that because it does not work," foundation spokesman David

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1143567973057230612006-03-31T07:41:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:49.839-06:00

Our state never releases the human being from the cradle to the grave...We do not let go of the human being...until he dies, whether he likes it or not.*After the disasterous Profile of Learning was finally repealed after several years of effort, everyone wondered "what's next for EdWatch?" The answer: The Profile of Learning for preschoolers.EdWatch has informed its members that several "early

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1142346612469096712006-03-24T12:10:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:49.554-06:00

In his March 9 State of the State address, Governor Tim Pawlenty announced another sweeping education agenda. "Education made Minnesota what it is today," said Pawlenty, "and education will make us what we will become tomorrow."The Minnesota governor announced the first of these initiatives before the address. Pawlenty's early childhood education initiatives would fund kindergarten readiness,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1143040200638201802006-03-22T09:01:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:49.686-06:00

Minnesota Education Reform News is back online!Check out our preview edition and new location at http://scholarsnotebook.info/news. Please update your bookmarks and links accordingly. Due to an unrecoverable software glitch, we will be transferring all of our old content to the new site over the next few weeks.Thank you for your visiting Minnesota Education Reform News. As always your comments

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1141845129331549092006-03-08T12:51:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:49.436-06:00

This blog began as an offshoot of my web site, Minnesota Education Reform News, which has existed on various hosts and in various formats since December 1999.Minnesota Education Reform News is currently experiencing technical difficulties related to its content management system, Mambo. This will not affect the Scholar's Notebook blog, except you may see fewer postings from me until this issue is

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1141139622657514652006-02-28T09:13:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:49.312-06:00

Last night, Scholar attended the first open house for Beacon Preparatory School, a public charter middle school opening in Plymouth next fall.Beacon Prep is sponsored by Friends of Ascension, building on the success of an existing Friends of Ascension charter elementary school (Beacon Academy), and based on Core Knowledge, Saxon Math, daily Spanish language instruction, and character

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1140807419204506802006-02-24T12:51:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:49.048-06:00

An American student, regardless of race, religion, or gender, must know the history of the land to which they pledge allegiance. They should be taught about the Founding Fathers of this Nation, the battles that they fought, the ideals that they championed, and the enduring effects of their accomplishments. They should be taught about our nation's failures, our mistakes, and the inequities of

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1140619311010255732006-02-22T08:41:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:48.933-06:00

The Minnesota Legislature is considering universal mental health screening for all kids at least once by age three ("all" means "all").Mental health screening is subjective and inaccurate in children. Diagnoses very often reflect simple behavioral issues or "politically incorrect" attitudes and values. Powerful medications with serious side effects are almost always used as the treatment. Using

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1140013774234144762006-02-15T08:24:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:48.828-06:00

"Most countries that beat America on international tests give their students that choice. In Belgium, the government spends less than American schools do on each student, but the money is attached to the kids. So they can go wherever they want — to a state-run school, a Montessori school, or even a religious school... In public education, our land of the free is now a bunch of local fiefs, where

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1139248268421197322006-02-06T11:29:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:48.696-06:00

Mike Antonucci's Education Intelligence Agency is the best teachers union watchdog on the web. I learn something new, interesting, and humorous with every visit to his site and every e-mail "EIA Communiqué."Antonucci recently reported on the Washington Education Association's new well-funded public relations campaign for more education funding, which sounds eerily like Education Minnesota's new

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1138812565232987312006-02-01T10:49:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:48.553-06:00

This morning, the Drudge Report posted a transcript of an interview between Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) and Katie Couric, in which Kerry claimed that "53 percent of our children don't graduate from high school." But Drudge disputes the statement:Kerry's 53% claim conflicts with a recent press release from the U.S. Census Bureau: "High School Graduation Rates Reach All-Time High." And the

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1138641849110749052006-01-30T11:24:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:48.396-06:00

Another academic bull has been kicked out of Minnesota's K-12 china shop.The Minneapolis school board accepted the resignation of Superintendent Thandiwe Peebles, who simultaneously raised test scores, assigned homework over Christmas (sorry, "winter") vacation, rankled educators, snubbed politicians, allegedly used district resources for personal gain, and according to a Star Tribune report,

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1138212752811879872006-01-25T11:48:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:48.258-06:00

Regular Scholar's Notebook readers will recall last year's story of Veritas Academy, a fledgling charter school that due to various circumstances never opened its doors. I am happy to report that Veritas Academy is now Beacon Preparatory School, which will be open in Plymouth, Minnesota in the fall of 2006 for sixth grade, sixth and seventh in 2007, and adding grade eight in 2008. The school has

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1137596002808470232006-01-18T08:46:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:48.074-06:00

John Stossel gets an "A" for taking a hard look at the failures and successes of K-12 education in America in his 20/20 program, "Stupid in America." Visit the companion web site for a report that partially follows the TV script, a link to purchase the report on video and its transcript, and a huge Stossel message board, and more.Stossel tackles these hot-button topics in education reform:Funding

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1137437254431788942006-01-16T12:18:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:47.826-06:00

Diane Ravitch, author of the education reform classics The Language Police and Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms, is advocating national standards as a way to hold states more accountable for student achievement. She says that standards based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are the next logical step in the standards-based reform that began with Goals 2000 and

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1137163219366277452006-01-13T08:11:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:47.675-06:00

Stupid in America: How U.S. Public Schools are Failing Kids is the latest report from our favorite network news reporter, John Stossel.From the ABC News web site:There are many factors that contribute to failure in school. A major factor, Stossel finds, is the government's monopoly over the school system. Parents don't get to choose where to send their children. In other countries, choice brings

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1136472000770042912006-01-10T07:35:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:47.563-06:00

Here are Scholar's picks for the top education reform news of the past year, with a preview of their implications for the year to come:K-12 funding - the Minnesota Legislature approved the largest increase in more than a decade for K-12 education, $800 million total new revenues. Of that total, $139 million is from board-authorized and voter-approved levies. This represents a 4 percent increase

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1134669265231581922005-12-15T11:33:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:47.415-06:00

Our friend Mark Yost, Associate Editor at the PiPress, is reviewing the provocative book Education Myths: What Special-Interest Groups Want You to Believe About Our Schools and Why it Isn't So by Jay P. Greene. This book was discussed on the Northern Alliance Radio Network show back in October.Yost will be devoting three columns to the book. I will update the links below as he posts his

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1130872740714388802005-11-01T11:44:00.000-06:002006-11-13T11:31:47.276-06:00

In the latest edition of the Wayzata Central Middle School "Parent Communication" newsletter, principal Steve Root re-published, with some updating, a column he originally published three years ago. In a high-achieving public school district like Wayzata, I was surprised to read how Root feels about grades:I think that sometimes too much emphasis is put on the final product (grades) and not

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1129921221975283222005-10-21T13:55:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:47.139-06:00

Tomorrow at 1:00 pm, the Northern Alliance Radio Network will interview Marcus Winters, contributor to Education Myths: What Special-Interest Groups Want You to Believe About Our Schools and Why it Isn't So.Chad at Fraters Libertas has been listing three of the book's eighteen (count 'em) myths every day this week, as a prelude to tomorrow's show.Whether you agree with the book or not, it should

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1129643915326251432005-10-18T00:41:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:46.996-06:00

In December, the Wayzata School District will be surveying by telephone as many of its Class of 2003 and 2004 as possible to find out how the district's integrated math programs have prepared them for college-level math. Scholar urges all Wayzata Class of 2003 and 2004 alumni and parents to respond to the district's upcoming request for current phone numbers, and to participate in the December

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1129560563092382462005-10-17T08:40:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:46.858-06:00

Part I of the John Eidsmoe event sponsored by EdWatch will be aired on Metro Cable Network, Channel 6 tonight, 7:00-8:00 pm. Part II will air next Monday, October 24 at the same time. This is a great opportunity to hear this Constitutional scholar speak on a timely and important topic, for parents and everyone interested in Constitutional issues.EDUCATION

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1129134790852101552005-10-12T11:22:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:46.723-06:00

According to the Orlando Sentinel, former Minnesota education commissioner and candidate for U.S. Representative in the 6th Congressional District Cheri Pierson Yecke is finding the climate in her new home in Florida more to her liking — in more ways than one:In Minnesota, Cheri Pierson Yecke was seen as too conservative, too polarizing, too eager to overhaul public education. But in the power

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1127137978439034952005-09-20T07:48:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:46.568-06:00

Ironically, requiring schools to observe Constitution Day is technically unconstitutional.In spite of Sen. Robert Byrd's (D-West Virginia) great Constitution Day essay, with which we largely agree, the new Constitution Day law imposes yet another federal mandate on schools that receive federal funding (a technique quite familiar to school districts, called "fiscal federalism"), and another

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1126889993288408842005-09-16T11:36:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:46.425-06:00

At Wayzata Central Middle School, the approximately 300 students in each grade are grouped into "teams" for administrative and logistical purposes. Until this year, each team was named for one of the Wayzata district colors: blue, gold, and white.This year, I was surprised to hear from one of my seventh grade son's friends that the White Team was renamed the Silver Team. Why? "The name 'White

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1126789373429831522005-09-15T07:53:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:46.298-06:00

The Washington Times reported that "A California federal judge yesterday ruled it is unconstitutional to require children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools...The judge [said] he would sign a restraining order preventing the recitation of the pledge at the Elk Grove Unified, Rio Linda Union and Elverta Joint Elementary school districts, where the plaintiffs' children attend."U.S

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1126201192665231832005-09-13T22:09:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:46.160-06:00

I starting writing a blog entry about the upcoming Constitution Day, now mandated by federal law in all schools receiving federal aid. Then I received this article from Allen Quist, Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato. After reading it I decided that my thesis looked pedantic and lame by comparision, so I junked my writing in favor of posting Professor

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1125668940288232882005-09-02T08:17:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:46.034-06:00

This year on the Gold Coast, the first football game of the season was The Big Game. In the last game of the year last season, the Minnetonka Skippers defeated the Wayzata Trojans in the Class 5A Prep Bowl. In this year's opener, the Skippers came to "our house," as the Trojans call it, for a rematch. The teams did not disappoint the overflow crowd under the lights at the 5,500 seat stadium. They

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1125411830303270082005-08-30T09:02:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:45.908-06:00

As one of Cheri Pierson Yecke's appointees to the Academic Standards Committee for Social Studies, I had the rare privilege and opportunity to work with and get to know Minnesota's former Commissioner of Education. She led her department through a stormy period of change and innovation with vision, courage, and grace, and was rewarded for her efforts with some of the most hateful personal attacks

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589288.post-1125075702889882302005-08-26T11:49:00.000-05:002006-11-13T11:31:45.797-06:00

Unlike today, Day 1 of the The Great Minnesota Get-Together occurred under perfect weather conditions. Here is how Scholar's PDA cam saw the day:The AM 1280 The Patriot booth, H18 Judson Avenue, with merchandise table and remote studio:Look for national remote broadcasts next week, and weekend remote broadcasts from the Northern Alliance Radio Network and Taxpayers League Live. Stay tuned to The

Scholarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00543824463606235106noreply@blogger.com