EDUCATION Archives — Sahan Journal

‘We shouldn’t have to separate being Black from our profession’: A Minneapolis teacher weighs the cost of battling the white education hierarchy—and her own union.

by Becky Z. Dernbach May 20, 2022May 20, 2022

Nafeesah Muhammad is the type of teacher who is a mentor and a role model for her students at Patrick Henry High School. But the three-week-long Minneapolis teachers strike drove her to the brink of quitting her job and walking away from the students she loves.

Sarah Lancaster becomes first educator of Asian/Pacific Islander heritage to win Minnesota Teacher of the Year

by Becky Z. Dernbach May 1, 2022May 1, 2022

Flora Yang is ready to lead. When she becomes student-body president at the University of Minnesota on July 1, she’ll focus on making sure students’ voices are heard in administration offices.

by Katelyn Vue April 29, 2022April 29, 2022

Parents and students rallied to save Newport Elementary. Then, in a packed meeting, the South Washington County school board voted 6–1 to close the school and proceed with a massive building plan.

by Becky Z. Dernbach April 22, 2022April 22, 2022

South Washington County Schools wants to spend $462 million to accommodate its booming enrollment. The district also plans to close its most diverse elementary school.

by Becky Z. Dernbach April 20, 2022April 21, 2022

Why don’t Minnesota schools ever seem to have enough money? We asked House education-committee chair Jim Davnie how we got here and how to fix it.

by Becky Z. Dernbach April 12, 2022April 12, 2022

‘They’ve got to be able to speak Dakota at the Mall of America’: Prairie Island sends its first student team to the Dakota language bowl.

by Catharine Richert April 7, 2022April 7, 2022

Ed Graff, superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools, announces plan to leave the district in June

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 30, 2022March 30, 2022

Minneapolis teachers and district reach tentative deal to end strike after three weeks. Agreement includes raises, class-size caps, mental-health spending—and a lot of unfinished business.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 25, 2022March 26, 2022

Minneapolis school board chair Kim Ellison expects a deal with educators Thursday night or Friday morning to end a 13-day strike.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 24, 2022March 24, 2022

Minneapolis Public Schools and educators resume mediation Thursday to resolve stalled contract talks. Educators say they’re hopeful they can settle their differences today.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 24, 2022March 24, 2022

As Minneapolis educators’ strike stretches on, even parents and kids who support striking teachers long to return to school.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 22, 2022March 22, 2022

What’s the biggest obstacle to ending the Minneapolis teachers strike? The district says it’s increased spending requests for mental-health services.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 22, 2022March 22, 2022

Strikeblog Week 3: Minneapolis educators say the district is getting close to an acceptable contract offer. The district says it’s made a final offer to support staff. The Minneapolis teachers strike continues.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 21, 2022March 22, 2022

Food service workers reach tentative contract agreement with Minneapolis Public Schools, averting a strike planned for March 28

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 17, 2022March 18, 2022

An open gym, Legos, a church drop-in center, and a sit-in at district headquarters: how North High students are staying busy during the Minneapolis educator strike

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 15, 2022March 18, 2022

Strikeblog Week Two: Striking educators and Minneapolis Public Schools describe (limited, halting) progress in contract negotiations.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 14, 2022March 14, 2022

Minneapolis Public Schools outline strike’s effects on school calendar

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 11, 2022March 11, 2022

Teachers in Minneapolis’ adult English literacy and GED program earn less than their K–12 counterparts. They say the low pay is causing an “exodus” of teachers and reducing available classes.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 11, 2022March 12, 2022

Kim Ellison, the Minneapolis school board chair, shares her approach to union negotiations

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 10, 2022March 11, 2022

Strikeblog! All the latest news on the Minneapolis teacher strike: rallies, negotiations, and another day without classes

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 9, 2022March 11, 2022

Minneapolis educators hit the picket line for the second day. “Stability on the Northside is a question of racial justice,” one striking teacher said.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 9, 2022March 11, 2022

Minneapolis Public Schools and educators union resumed talks for first time in two days—and broke them off 90 minutes later.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 9, 2022March 11, 2022

Striking Minneapolis educators rallied at the Capitol, called for education funding, and sang “Purple Rain.” Some non-unionized educators, and their students, joined them.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 9, 2022March 10, 2022

Minneapolis teacher salaries have fallen behind pay in other big Minnesota districts, nonpartisan researcher says.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 9, 2022March 11, 2022

Strikeblog Day Four: Negotiations continue, educators canvass, and district outlines school makeup day policy.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 7, 2022March 11, 2022

Classroom duties are piling up. Mental health needs are skyrocketing. But pay hasn’t budged. Why Minneapolis and St. Paul educational assistants are ready to strike.

by Becky Z. Dernbach February 25, 2022March 10, 2022

Minneapolis and St. Paul educators plan to strike March 8 if no agreements are reached before then. What you need to know.

by Becky Z. Dernbach February 18, 2022March 10, 2022

‘A joyful moment’: For the first time, some Minnesota school districts add Eid to the calendar

by Becky Z. Dernbach February 11, 2022April 29, 2022

Half of all Minnesota community college students struggle to pay for housing. And now, a pandemic rental-assistance program is ending. Students of color and college administrators say they need solutions.

by Becky Z. Dernbach February 7, 2022February 7, 2022

Burnsville charter school director takes leave of absence following fraud allegations in Feeding Our Future investigation.

by Becky Z. Dernbach February 3, 2022February 23, 2022

With the Omicron variant, teacher absences are way up. But what’s happening with students is… interesting.

by Becky Z. Dernbach January 21, 2022January 21, 2022

Teach in person? COVID causes chaos. Teach remotely? Kids suffer. Minnesota’s teachers of color say that Omicron presents schools with bad options and impossible choices.

by Becky Z. Dernbach January 13, 2022January 13, 2022

Moriah Stephens, special education teacher: ‘We just had a staff member die of COVID that was contact-traced to school.’

by Becky Z. Dernbach January 13, 2022January 14, 2022

Averi M. Turner, second-grade teacher: ‘Seven students showed up yesterday. I’m hoping for better tomorrow’

by Becky Z. Dernbach January 13, 2022January 14, 2022

Grisel Vidal, English language development teacher: ‘I woke up on Monday and I thought it was 2020’

by Becky Z. Dernbach January 13, 2022January 14, 2022

Jeff Garcia, special education teacher: ‘We don’t need to spend the rest of the year in distance, and I don’t want to.’

by Becky Z. Dernbach January 13, 2022January 14, 2022

Omicron will hit Minnesota schools like a ‘viral blizzard.’ We need to prepare for mass absences, building closures, and more.

by Becky Z. Dernbach January 7, 2022January 7, 2022

St. Paul Public Schools is one of the most diverse districts in the state. Increasingly, parents prefer segregation.

by Becky Z. Dernbach January 6, 2022January 7, 2022

Students of color know that having diverse teachers can make a huge difference. Last year, Minnesota finally took real steps to expand its teaching corps.

by Becky Z. Dernbach January 5, 2022January 5, 2022

Midwestern community colleges work to lure, and keep, students struggling with poverty and other barriers

by Becky Z. Dernbach, Mario Koran / Wisconsin Watch and WPR, Olivia Lewis / Bridge Detroit and Ata Younan / Borderless Magazine December 21, 2021December 21, 2021

Hunger on campus isn’t a joke about ramen: How unmet needs keep Minnesota students from enrolling in community college.

by Becky Z. Dernbach December 16, 2021December 20, 2021

Native American students want the University of Minnesota Morris to search for lost burial sites. It may be even harder to recover generations of missing Indigenous culture and family history.

by Tiffany Bui December 6, 2021December 8, 2021

Native American students want the University of Minnesota Morris to search for lost burial sites. It may be even harder to recover generations of missing Indigenous culture and family history.

by Tiffany Bui December 5, 2021December 6, 2021

Minnesota’s healthcare industry is short of workers. A gap persists in racial health outcomes. The University of St. Thomas thinks it can help solve both problems.

by Joey Peters December 3, 2021December 3, 2021

St. Paul school board spares three schools from closure after outcry from immigrant families. Six other schools will close in district consolidation plan.

by Becky Z. Dernbach December 2, 2021December 2, 2021

St. Paul has a plan to pursue more equitable education by closing and merging schools. But immigrant parents say it would hurt their communities.

by Becky Z. Dernbach November 24, 2021November 24, 2021

Fights, depression, substance abuse: Mental health of Minnesota students suffers during COVID pandemic.

by Elizabeth Shockman November 23, 2021November 23, 2021

Immigrant students rally to save a small St. Paul high school from closing. ‘It feels like you belong in this country,’ a recent graduate says of the program.

by Becky Z. Dernbach November 15, 2021November 16, 2021

‘Horrific, hateful, racist’ video stirs protest at Prior Lake High School

by Elizabeth Shockman, Tim Nelson and Matt Sepic November 11, 2021November 15, 2021

This year, Minnesota school-board meetings endured a backlash against diversity. On Election Day, three suburban districts elected Somali Americans for the first time.

by Becky Z. Dernbach November 10, 2021November 10, 2021

DEMOCRACY & POLITICS

With St. Paul school board win, Halla Henderson becomes first Eritrean American elected to office in Minnesota

by Becky Z. Dernbach November 3, 2021November 4, 2021

In White House visit, Minnesota’s top teachers bring President Biden a message from second graders in Burnsville

by Becky Z. Dernbach October 18, 2021October 20, 2021

Peggy Flanagan hails $1.3 million investment to teach K–12 students the ‘full true history’ of Minnesota’s Indigenous people.

by Becky Z. Dernbach October 8, 2021October 8, 2021

Somali American youth in St. Cloud sign up for new class in school: Reading and writing Somali.

by Kirsti Marohn October 7, 2021October 7, 2021

University of Minnesota appoints its first immigrant, person of color as dean at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs

by Hibah Ansari September 22, 2021September 22, 2021

Less than 30 percent of Minnesota’s people of color believe schools offer equal opportunities to all students, survey says.

by Elizabeth Shockman September 20, 2021September 24, 2021

On the first day of school, Minneapolis students say they’re happy—and only slightly confuzzled—to get back to in-person learning.

by Becky Z. Dernbach September 9, 2021September 10, 2021

Everything you need to know about the COVID safety plans in Minneapolis and St. Paul public schools

by Becky Z. Dernbach September 8, 2021September 9, 2021

‘There is nothing safe about Delta in schools’: How parents can plan for the pandemic this fall

by Becky Z. Dernbach September 1, 2021September 1, 2021

Natalia Benjamin becomes first educator of Latin American heritage to win Minnesota Teacher of the Year

by Becky Z. Dernbach August 11, 2021August 20, 2021

Back to the future: As a new academic year approaches, schools are once again being forced to make decisions about whether to require masks.

by Joey Peters August 6, 2021August 6, 2021

English is important, but so is Somali: Minneapolis Public Schools are launching a Somali Heritage Language Program.

by Hana Ikramuddin August 3, 2021August 3, 2021

Robots, skateboards, bike rides: Summer school helps Twin Cities kids switch back to the classroom

by Becky Z. Dernbach July 30, 2021July 29, 2021

Arts

Beyond stereotypes: Daybreak Press aims to broaden depiction of Muslims in Minneapolis school books

by Hana Ikramuddin July 27, 2021July 27, 2021

The diverse teachers Minnesota needs may already be working in schools—as classroom aides. New state funding promises to help them level up.

by Becky Z. Dernbach July 16, 2021July 16, 2021

As a child, Abdulaziz Mohamed looked to Barack Obama for proof he could be president. On July 1, he became the first Somali American student-body president at the University of Minnesota.

by Becky Z. Dernbach July 6, 2021July 7, 2021

Inside one Minnesota school district’s battle over an equity training program.

by Elizabeth Shockman June 30, 2021June 30, 2021

Minnesota pioneered the movement for charter schools 30 years ago. Since then, one in every three statewide has closed.

by Becky Z. Dernbach June 24, 2021June 24, 2021

Cedar Riverside Community School is closing. The first big step in replacing it is understanding why it failed. Here’s what we found over a year of reporting.

by Becky Z. Dernbach June 17, 2021June 17, 2021

‘We were able to achieve what we thought was impossible’: In a senior year like no other, these graduates found a way to thrive

by Becky Z. Dernbach and Aala Abdullahi June 14, 2021June 11, 2021

Too hot for school: Minneapolis and St. Paul close school buildings during June heat wave

by Becky Z. Dernbach June 7, 2021June 10, 2021

Many immigrant kids deal with layers of trauma. This teacher’s answer: ‘I love you, and I trust you.’

by Logan Carroll May 24, 2021May 24, 2021

‘I want to wear the gown, I want the cap, I want tassels’: Minneapolis high school seniors want to walk the graduation stage—even if they’re missing credits.

by Becky Z. Dernbach May 18, 2021May 18, 2021

For almost three decades, Somali children in Minneapolis’ Riverside Plaza could attend school in their apartment complex. The historic school will close permanently June 30.

by Becky Z. Dernbach May 13, 2021May 14, 2021

Showdown at school board meeting: Elk River alumni of color say they ‘never felt safe,’ parents decry ‘woke mob’

by Becky Z. Dernbach May 12, 2021May 12, 2021

A landmark Minneapolis charter school may close forever in June. Its leadership debated the school’s fate in a meeting without Somali parents, community politicians, or the press.

by Becky Z. Dernbach May 7, 2021May 7, 2021

Students in Elk River asked the school’s equity specialist to explain looting. Now their parents want him fired.

by Becky Z. Dernbach May 6, 2021May 6, 2021

Mass protests against racism spur statewide student walkout

by Becky Z. Dernbach April 19, 2021April 19, 2021

Asian American history is rarely taught in schools. Educators say that fuels anti-Asian violence—and are pushing for change.

by Becky Z. Dernbach April 16, 2021April 16, 2021

Minneapolis nonprofit may face ‘corrective action’ for flawed supervision of 21 charter schools.

by Becky Z. Dernbach April 6, 2021April 6, 2021

Pillsbury United announces intent to close landmark Cedar Riverside Community School

by Becky Z. Dernbach April 1, 2021April 1, 2021

Students of color disproportionately choosing distance learning.

by Elizabeth Shockman April 1, 2021April 1, 2021

Diversity debate over teaching licenses creates confusion for Minnesota’s teachers of color.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 29, 2021March 29, 2021

A senior at Macalester College found a trick to represent the complex identities of other students of color: He asked them to talk about themselves.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 15, 2021March 16, 2021

Musab Hussein needed to rent a laptop to take a University of Minnesota exam. Instead he was told, ‘You do not look like a U of M student.’ And then things got worse.

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 11, 2021March 11, 2021

Why 2021 might be the year Minnesota addresses its teacher of color shortage

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 6, 2021March 8, 2021

‘Almost like getting permission to be a kid’: Even through the pandemic winter, Eden Prairie teacher helps first graders connect with nature

by Becky Z. Dernbach March 1, 2021March 1, 2021

‘I won’t be the last Black woman to leave the college’: At St. Olaf College, resignations of Black faculty and diverse staff leave students seeking answers

by Becky Z. Dernbach and Eli Tan February 18, 2021February 19, 2021

Summer school in the park: Walz administration proposes expanded programs and more flexible venues to ready kids for the next academic year.

by Becky Z. Dernbach February 15, 2021February 15, 2021

As Minneapolis classrooms reopen, white students most likely to return to in-person learning

by Becky Z. Dernbach February 5, 2021February 5, 2021

We toured a Minneapolis school to see new COVID safety measures. Then we asked an expert how well they’d work. Here’s what we found.

by Becky Z. Dernbach February 5, 2021February 5, 2021

As Minnesota elementary schools reopen, teachers say they hope to hear students giggle again. They’re also preparing their wills.

by Becky Z. Dernbach February 1, 2021February 2, 2021

Everyone wants to close Minnesota’s achievement gap. Students say it starts with hiring more teachers of color.

by Becky Z. Dernbach January 27, 2021January 27, 2021

A violent white mob and a Black woman vice president: In tumultuous two weeks, Twin Cities educators teach history in real time

by Becky Z. Dernbach January 20, 2021January 20, 2021

Everything you need to know about whether to send your kids back to the classroom during the COVID-19 pandemic.

by Becky Z. Dernbach January 18, 2021January 18, 2021

St. Paul Public Schools data show the devastating effect of pandemic and distance learning on students of color.

by Becky Z. Dernbach December 21, 2020December 21, 2020

Minnesota’s first generation students are working three jobs, supporting their families—and figuring out how to apply for college during a pandemic.

by Becky Z. Dernbach December 14, 2020December 11, 2020

Minnesota’s 2020 Teacher of the Year read her class a picture book to help them understand the George Floyd killing. Minnesota’s largest police association didn’t like it.

by Becky Z. Dernbach November 18, 2020August 24, 2021