Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/author/joe-nathan/page/11/)
by Joe Nathan, 2/29/08 • “I am not a Joe Nathan fan.” That’s what an educator wrote last week. He told me that he retired from the Anoka public schools after teaching for many years. I try to respond, at least briefly, to each person who writes or calls. But since I often hear from educators with similar concerns, I thought my responses might interest you. Among other things, he wrote:
by Joe Nathan, 2/17/08 • Many Minnesota parents might share some of the provocative views some Somali American and Oromo (Ethiopia) parents presented last week. In a wide ranging meeting, about 30 men and women said they strongly support some, and strongly oppose other freedoms that their children are encountering in America. Their reactions have helped guide the schools their children attend.
In a great gift to families, Forest Lake area district, charter and parochial school educators are doing something wonderful. It’s an opportunity that I’d hope Iron Range educators consider offering. On Thursday, January 24, from 4:30 – 8:00 PM, schools are coming together in one place to help families learn more about their programs. The school choice fair will be at North Lakes Academy, 255B NW 7th Ave in Forest Lake.
Let’s start 2008 with a short list of 2007’s outstanding (mostly Minnesota) people and places:
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Two-thirds of Minnesota’s high school seniors may be making pretty good decisions about alcohol, marijuana and seat belts. We have lots to do with at least 1/3. And more than half of Minnesota’s 12th graders are not big fans of their school. Those are some of the key findings of a survey involving about 135,000 Minnesota 6th, 9th and 12th graders. released last week. The Minnesota Departments of Education, Health, Human Services and Public Safety cooperated in the 2007 Minnesota Student survey, More than 300 Minnesota school districts participated on a voluntary basis. Continue Reading
Here’s a quick request: could YOU please spend five minutes considering how to give a youngster the gift of reading? Yes, you – regardless of whether you are a parent, grandparent, whether you have students in school now, or never have had youngsters in school.
Could you, and/or some organization you belong to help at least one youngster in community learn to read in the coming year?
Is this your responsibility, if you are not a parent? Probably not. But is it in your self interest? Yes, absolutely.
Congratulations, readers. You, your family and your community benefit because you read. That’s a brief summary of one of the most important, stunning reports I’ve seen in a long time: “To Read or Not to Read,” just issued by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Brief summaries as well as the full report are available here. PLEASE consider reading this report (or a summary of it) before making holiday plans and purchases.
NEH documents that people who read well
* Are 2.5 times more likely to earn $850 are more per week
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Can/should Minnesota learn from outstanding rural high schools such as those in Hibbing, Henderson, Little Falls and Lake of the Woods? “Yes” is the clear answer of research the Center for School Change (where I work) has carried out in the last year. Some of our conclusions will surprise plenty of people.
Congratulations to the more than 60 districts (out of the 99 making requests) that passed all or part of a requested property tax increase. Now what? Three things come to mind.
First, give the parents, educators and students involved in the campaigns credit. Convincing people to raise their taxes is tough. As a growing percentage of people do not have children in schools, it becomes even tougher. Voting on a property tax increase to help fund schools also is one of the few times that people get a chance to say “yes” or “no to taxes.
Folks in Elk River and St. Paul now have green plants up in the sky. That’s because Elk River’s Twin Lakes Elementary School, and Community of Peace (CPA), a St. Paul chartered public school, have installed “green roofs.” Everything I read urges communities to adopt this idea.