Education

Any time I write a story about a school, I look for test scores, which are available to the public on the Minnesota Department of Education website. I know that scores can’t give the whole picture, but they can be useful from a reporting perspective. MDE’s site allows you to compare different schools—to see how a particular school compares to others in the same district or the state. The website also allows you to look at how particular groups of students—such as high-poverty students, English learners (EL), or those from a particular race or ethnicity—are faring.

Knowledge is power. Knowledge is also a job path to prosperity and stability. Prosperity and stability flow from the purposeful application of knowledge to public and personal circumstance. The sooner we realize that expanding knowledge builds a better, growing Minnesota, the sooner we’ll get there.

Looking for childcare in St. Paul? Parent Aware has rated 83 childcare programs, assigning one to four stars to each. The map below shows all of the centers, ratings, and contact information. A pilot program started in 2007 and adopted by the state of Minnesota in 2011, the Parent Aware Child Care Rating System provides parents with resources to make informed choices about childcare options in their local communities. 

On a shelf in a large office overlooking the University of Minnesota West Bank sits a framed photograph of two men.