SPPS Today - Morning Edition: Tuesday, September 2, 2008 ***SPPS IN THE NEWS: Arlington High good to go with 27 football players Arlington is eager to show its rivals that it takes only 11 to play football 9/2/2008 Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/ci_10329675.html Minnesota schools rank high, but are challenged by myth and complacency Most Minnesotans don't like to boast or brag about anything - including our public schools. But as Republicans and journalists from around the world join us, and more than 800,000 youngsters return to Minnesota's district and charter public schools, here are several things to consider. 9/2/2008 Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/ci_10351689.html New principals named at St. Paul public schools St. Paul schools are getting a new oversight structure along with some new building principals in time for the start of school Tuesday. 9/2/2008 Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/education/ci_10343190.html So long, cheesy bread: Schools cut back to battle rising food, fuel costs Three-quarters of the nation's 500 largest school districts are increasing lunch prices this year, according to a School Nutrition Association survey. Last year, one-third of the districts increased prices. 9/2/2008 Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/education/ci_10352271.html SPPS says downtown schools will start “on time” during RNC Despite the potential chaos in downtown St Paul during the Republican National Convention next week, St Paul Public Schools will remain open, according to Howie Padilla, the [Public Relations Coordinator at SPPS. Kindergarten classes have been pushed back to the Monday following Labor Day, but grades 1 through 12 will otherwise start as planned on Tuesday. 9/2/2008 Pioneer Press http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2008/08/30/spps-says-downtown-schools-will-start-time-during-rnc.html St. Paul / Schools tweak security for RNC Buses rerouted, nurses mobilized as classes start 9/2/2008 Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/education/ci_10343186.html Know yr cell-phone messaging limits b4 U get caught @ school Teachers and administrators offer warnings and suggestions for teen texting etiquette at school. 9/2/2008 Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/27726869.html?elr=KArksUUUU Minnesota can be U.S. early learning model A letter to candidates Obama and McCain on the importance of educational initiatives for the nation's preschool children. 9/2/2008 Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/business/27669774.html?elr=KArksUUUU State science test set St. Paul school apart from the rest Students at St. Anthony Park Elementary in St. Paul have the same science curriculum as students at the district's Bruce Vento, Longfellow Magnet and Maxfield Magnet elementary schools. They all use the same hands-on approach to science, and they all took the recent state science tests via computers. 9/2/2008 Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/local/south/27703289.html?elr=KArksUUUU St. Paul Works To Cut Costs On School Lunches The average price for a gallon of milk is $3.78. That's up about 10 cents a gallon from last year. That's not the only thing going up: so are school lunches. Elementary students in St. Paul will pay $1.75, while older kids will pay $2. School officials are doing everything they can to stretch their bottom line. High food prices are bringing some changes to St. Paul school lunches. It costs a lot to serve up 30,000 lunches a day. 9/2/2008 WCCO.com http://wcco.com/education/st.paul.lunch.2.806945.html ***OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE NEWS: Online learning boosts student’s grades El Bakri, a Coon Rapids resident, enrolled in the Minnesota Center of Online Learning (MCoOL), a public, online middle and high school program open to Minnesota students in grades seven-12. Since she enrolled in the program in 2006 she has seen a drastic improvement not only in her grades but in her self-esteem. 9/2/2008 ABC Newspapers http://abcnewspapers.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3855&Itemid=28.html Schools cautious of running on empty As the Minnesota school year gets started today, education administrators will be keeping a close eye on the expense of educating students. Energy costs are a special concern. Although they're generally less than five percent of a school district's budget, rising energy prices have forced districts to adjust. 9/2/2008 Minnesota Public Radio http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/09/01/schoolgas/ Campaign to Keep Schools Under Mayor’s Thumb Students left the Isobel Rooney Middle School 80 in the Bronx in late June after school was let out for the summer. 9/2/2008 New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/nyregion/02control.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin Charter Grade School Documents Its Success ALUMNI From left: Edward Holland, Harley Cabrera, Zakiyyah Wilky, Jessica Ford and Kananaii Mercado of the Learning Community, a charter elementary school in Jersey City. 9/2/2008 New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/31charternj.html?ref=education Thieves steal equipment, ice cream sandwiches and flag from Minneapolis schools Police are investigating whether a recent series of break-ins at Minneapolis public schools are related. 9/2/2008 Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/ci_10324417.html Washington County / Giving children tools to make it New 'Therapeutic Preschool' trains disruptive students 9/2/2008 Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/ci_10346924.html Court again backs Osseo gay-rights club The school district's fight to restrict a student gay-rights group was dealt another blow by the U.S. Court of Appeals. 9/2/2008 Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/local/west/27660649.html?elr=KArksUUUU Economic woes, shrinking enrollment give some school districts the urge to talk mergers MONACA, Pa. - Pennsylvania will be shedding a school district by the end of this school year — a significant development even after years of nationwide efforts to nudge and sometimes force school systems to share services or merge. 9/2/2008 Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/nation/27757139.html?elr=KArksUUUU Georgia school district ruled unfit, loses accreditation ATLANTA, GA. - A school system in metropolitan Atlanta on Thursday became the nation's first in nearly 40 years to lose its accreditation. 9/2/2008 Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/nation/27639399.html Higher food costs, smaller package sizes mean lunch challenges for parents this school year MILWAUKEE - Kids may be worried about homework, teachers and that pesky bully this school year. But parents? They're leery about lunches. 9/2/2008 Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/business/27738159.html?elr=KArksUUUU No child left behind? Law, reality are at odds in state Minnesota has one of the largest white-black achievement gaps in the country. And while the law aims to make each child proficient in reading and math, test scores show it's not working here. 9/2/2008 Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/local/south/27703089.html?elr=KArksUUUU Back to School As teachers and students head back to school, they need help. You can help by donating school supplies and by volunteering in schools. Both teachers and students need school supplies (see Minnesota schools, hand sanitizer, and a lack of cash), and your help can make a big difference. 9/2/2008 Twin Cities Daily Planet http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2008/08/28/news-you-can-use-back-school.html Kids, kitchenware make a difference to poor in Philippines Jane Velde’s fifth grade class at Eagle Creek Elementary in Shakopee, Minn., collected kitchenware during a collection drive in May. 9/2/2008 Twin Cities Daily Planet http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2008/08/26/kids-kitchenware-make-difference-poor-philippines.html Minnesota schools, hand sanitizer, and a lack of cash Underfunded schools don’t have a choice. They have to slough off the cost of providing an education to parents and teachers. 9/2/2008 Twin Cities Daily Planet http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2008/08/28/minnesota-schools-hand-sanitizer-and-lack-cash.html Despite Costs, Mpls. School Lunch Prices Unchanged Rising food and fuel prices are causing some school districts to stretch their already tight budgets even further. Minneapolis isn't raising the cost of their school lunches, but it's something to think about in the near future. 9/2/2008 WCCO.com http://wcco.com/education/school.lunch.minneapolis.2.806838.html First day out of school: Chicago pupils to skip class, head to rich suburb to lobby for funds CHICAGO - Maurisha Gaiter didn't raise her two daughters to be honor roll students by letting them skip class. 9/2/2208 Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/nation/27731814.html?elr=KArksUUUU ***MISC. NEWS: Hard Times Hitting Students and Schools LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With mortgage foreclosures throwing hundreds of families out of their homes here each month, dismayed school officials say they are feeling the upheaval: record numbers of students turning up for classes this fall are homeless or poor enough to qualify for free meals. 9/2/2008 New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/education/01school.html?ref=education Moms say, hello, school days! Classes start Tuesday for most Minnesota students. Some local mothers posting their thoughts on MinnMoms.com are excited about the change, while others are apprehensive. Here are excerpts from that discussion. 9/2/2008 Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/ci_10327849.html Students build battling robots Mentoring program provides a taste of workaday science 9/2/2008 Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/ci_10340004.html Vitamin D deficiency back as childhood threat 9/2/2008 Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/ci_10343140.html McCain has opposed spending on teen pregnancy prevention programs, sex education WASHINGTON - Republican John McCain, whose running mate disclosed that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, has opposed proposals to spend federal money on teen-pregnancy prevention programs and voted to require poor teen mothers to stay in school or lose their benefits. 9/2/2008 Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/conventions/27758079.html?elr=KArksUUUU Excellent news today, a warning for tomorrow Our schools are facing hard financial times. Almost every school district in the state is laying off faculty, cutting programs or plotting strategy to win levy elections in November, or all three. 9/2/2008 Twin Cities Daily Planet http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2008/08/22/voices-excellent-news-today-warning-tomorrow.html Back-To-School Shoppers Spend More On Electronics The trend this year in back-to-school shopping is less -- less of just about everything. Consumers are cutting back and looking for deals. But there is one area were they are actually spending more: Electronics. 9/2/2008 WCCO.com http://wcco.com/education/school.shopping.electronics.2.805554.html Program Offers Free Immunizations To Children Since the mid-90s it's been part of the state's back-to-school checklist. Students can't go to class without either updated immunizations or a waiver. For children who need last-minute shots, there's a program to help. 9/2/2008 WCCO.com http://wcco.com/education/immunizations.shots.school.2.806481.html |