***SPPS IN THE NEWS:
St. Paul, Minneapolis schools get flu-fighting hand sanitizer from Children's Hospitals
Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota is distributing 15,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to St. Paul and Minneapolis public schools, starting today, to help stop the spread of influenza.
9/23/2009
Pioneer Press
http://www.twincities.com/education/ci_13398725.html
St. Paul school board gets wish list to guide search for new superintendent
Wanted: An engaging leader with a strong commitment to St. Paul and a proven record of reducing the achievement gap between student groups.
9/23/2009
Pioneer Press
http://www.twincities.com/education/ci_13398823..html
St. Paul school board hopefuls at forums
The public will have two chances to hear from candidates for St. Paul school board next week.
9/23/2009
Pioneer Press
http://www.twincities.com/education/ci_13398435.html
***OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE NEWS:
Doors close on 4 Minneapolis schools
The Minneapolis school board on Tuesday unanimously approved a downsizing plan that will fundamentally shift how and where students go to school, a move district officials said was a necessary response to years of declining enrollment and multimillion-dollar deficits.
9/3/2009
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/60469487.html?elr=KArks:DCiUoaW_eEO7UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
N.Y.C. Charters Found to Close Gaps
New York City’s charter schools are making strides in closing achievement gaps between disadvantaged inner-city students and their better-off suburban counterparts, a new study concludes.
9/23/2009
Edweek.org
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/09/22/05charter.h29.html?tkn=NNYF%2BUes76fRx8i3LUNIATjxFpq4CI4%2B7zak
Ohio Slots Ruling Casts Pall Over K-12 Funding
Ohio officials are weighing their next move after the Ohio Supreme Court dealt a huge blow to Gov. Ted Strickland, the legislature, and public school advocates by ruling that the legalization of slot-like machines at horse-racing tracks is subject to a statewide referendum.
9/23/2009
Edweek.org
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/09/22/05policybrief.h29.html?tkn=SWMFS0kf63UeI8WjFLZemn7R0Q0XgiVkt5xi
A dreamer not deferred + a devoted charter school = a good pair
What do a visionary and a bound and determined south Minneapolis charter school have in common? They are joined at the hips. Chrystal Deramus, a 21-year-old mother of three, said before her five-year-old daughter and two younger sons graduate from high school, she will be a pediatrician. The Minnesota Internship Center (MNIC - pronounced "min-nic") is steadfastly fixed on helping Deramus’ dream come true.
9/23/2009
Insight News
http://www.insightnews.com/education/4936-a-dreamer-not-deferred--a-devoted-charter-school--a-good-pair
2 of 3 Minnesota schools for deaf merge
The merger of Metro Deaf School and North Star Academy, two schools for the hearing-impaired, means more classrooms, more extracurricular options and more "community."
9/23/2009
Star Tribune
http://www.startribune.com/local/east/60454897.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU
Texas school district wins $1M Broad Prize for Urban Education
A Houston-area school district where 84% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch on Wednesday won the nation's top prize in public education, winning $1 million for making strides in student achievement.
9/23/2009
USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-09-17-urban-prize_N.htm
***MISC. NEWS:
African American and American Indian and School Readiness Project: A partnership between All Nation Indian Church and the Early Childhood Resource and Training Center
A pilot project launched in the Phillips Community in early September 2009 designed for African American and Somali, child care providers’ grandparents, uncles and aunts, reaching 50 children. Transportation, books, snacks, field trips, library visits, take home activities and visits, assessments, adult training classes, are available at no cost. Instructors are skilled and certified working with families and children three days a week 3 hours each.
9/23/2009
Insight News
http://www.insightnews.com/education/4935-african-american-and-american-indian-and-school-readiness-project-a-partnership-between-all-nation-indian-church-and-the-early-childhood-resource-and-training-center-ecrtc
Thompson Takes Aim at Mayor’s Schools Record and Vows to Give Parents More of a Voice
Declaring that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s “corporate model” has failed students and parents alike, William C. Thompson Jr., the Democratic nominee for mayor, pledged on Tuesday night to hire educators to run the school system, shrink class sizes and get parents more involved in the education process.
9/23/2009
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/nyregion/23thompson.html?_r=1&ref=education