Education

As school staff and families weather yet another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Minnesota, some districts, including Rochester Public Schools, are adding extra days off in an effort to combat stress. Kent Pekel, Rochester's interim school superintendent, told host Cathy Wurzer how his district is working to overcome the challenges of the pandemic.

Many state curricula still don’t mention Indigenous people, or mention them only as part of history. But that’s changing.

Minnesota’s rise in COVID-19 cases is prompting some school leaders to cancel classes, move students to distance learning or make changes to their safety policies.

School districts around the country have been announcing extra days off this fall to address staff shortages and mental health. For some families, the unpredictable schedule feels like a betrayal.

A group of student athletes at St. Olaf College — many of whom are people of color — decided that instead of traveling outside of Northfield to find barbers who specialize in cutting different hair textures, they would bring the barbers to campus.

The measure was delayed by an all-night speech from GOP leader Kevin McCarthy. Centrist Democrats in the Senate have raised objections to some provisions that will likely alter the House-passed bill.

School vaccine mandates have been around for two centuries, but they've always brought pushback.

The pandemic has taken a toll on the amount of learning Minnesota students were able to do this year. But it’s also affected their mental and emotional well-being. 

Raquel Coronell Uribe, a history and literature major from Miami, calls the role a "huge" honor: "Even if it took 148 years, I'm thrilled that I get to be in the position to be that first person."

President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill includes $65 billion for improving broadband. That money could make a big difference for rural college students, who are especially disconnected.