Education News

MPR News keeps track of the latest education news in Minnesota so you can understand the events shaping the future of learning and how it impacts students at any level.

Stay informed about local education events, policies and more happening in schools and colleges across Minnesota.

After year of fighting to stay open, school celebrates
The threat of closing Four Seasons Elementary brought this community even closer together. parents and kids banded together and persuaded district officials to keep their school alive.
How Century's new president sees his job
New Century College President Ron Anderson, 48, tells the Star Tribune what his goals are for the school: “To increase student success at the course level, make sure students are retained from one term to the next, and that they get their desired outcome — a certificate, degree or diploma, or completing certain courses. Also,…
Rival Plans Avoid Tough Decisions One of the few areas in which House Speaker John Boehner and Senator Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat and majority leader, agree is student aid. They both propose eliminating subsidized federal loans for students in graduate and professional schools. After intense lobbying by colleges and college students, Mr. Boehner and Mr.…
Why MSU-Mankato isn't cutting its aviation program
Still trying to work out the career outlook for aviation — and the practicality of hosting a state-run university program — in light of St. Cloud State’s high-profile decision to cut its well-known aviation program. The point made in a recent Star Tribune article is that the aviation business is on an upswing, and the…
Where Northwestern College students will be hanging out
Check out Northwestern College’s Billy Graham Community Life Commons, which the college says is “the centerpiece” or “family room” of the campus, which is in St. Paul. (Clarification: Technically, it’s Roseville, with part of the campus in Arden Hills.) The student center has already had a soft opening, but will have the official celebration in…
Colleges boost student fees to fill gaps in state funding Colleges are tacking on mandatory fees at a time when funding is declining. Meanwhile, lawmakers are demanding transparency. (USA Today) Gov. blasts California universities’ hiring of pricey presidents Gov. Jerry Brown has criticized leaders of California’s public universities for recruiting highly paid “hired guns” from…
States brace for drop in grad rates as formula changes
States are bracing for plummeting high school graduation rates, as districts nationwide dump flawed measurement formulas that often undercounted dropouts and produced inflated results.
Schools and "the shift"
Part of the solution to the $5-billion state budget deficit delayed money for Minnesota's K-12 schools. What does that shift mean at the school district level?
In a letter published in today’s Minnesota Daily (7/27/11), Provost Tom Sullivan writes that total financial aid has increased from $81 million in 2004 to $152 million in 2010. At first glance, this seems like a large improvement, increasing by 87.6 percent over 6 years. But while this statistic is technically true, it is intentionally…
What the Capitol thinks Minnesota ed priorities are
While flipping through the higher education budget again, I was reminded of an interesting little tidbit on the legislature’s “education priorities” for both the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system:   Education Priorities 7.9 The Board of Trustees, in fulfilling the 7.10 requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 7.11 136F.06,…