St. Paul councilman leaving for state post

Favors Central Corridor
St. Paul City Council Member Melvin Carter III announced Monday he'll serve as director of the Office of Early Learning for the Minnesota Department of Education.
MPR Photo/Laura Yuen

A St. Paul City Council member is leaving the council to lead a state office.

Melvin Carter III announced Monday he'll serve as director of the Office of Early Learning for the Minnesota Department of Education.

Carter, who represents the city's Frogtown and Summit-University neighborhoods, said his new job will build on the work he did with St. Paul's Promise Neighborhood, an anti-poverty effort focused on school achievement.

"Neighbors and parents kept saying, "What about education? What about education?" Carter said.

"With the Promise Neighborhood we've recognized that getting kids a good quality education is more than about just schools. It's about building a great neighborhood around them and making sure the families are stable," he said.

Carter will leave the Council July 5. The Council is expected to name an interim member. In November, Ward I voters will pick a new Council member to fill out the remaining two years of Carter's term.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.