UMN cuts ties with Minneapolis police in light of George Floyd case
The University of Minnesota will no longer contract with the Minneapolis Police Department for support services following the death of George Floyd. City and university police forces in the past would...
View ArticleNo grades in some east metro school districts during distance learning isn’t...
Grace Garrett says part of her education is missing. Garrett, a 16-year-old junior, studied with distance learning, after coronavirus forced the cancellation of classes at East Ridge High School in...
View ArticleUniversity of St. Thomas to close for George Floyd service
The University of St. Thomas will close and classes will be canceled Thursday and Friday for the George Floyd memorial service. The service is being held at 1 p.m. Thursday at North Central University,...
View ArticleMinneapolis school board ends security contract with city’s police force
The Minneapolis school board has voted to end its contract with the Minneapolis Police Department following the death last week of George Floyd while a white police officer pressed his knee to the...
View ArticleBrainerd teacher accused of racist comments over George Floyd protests resigns
BRAINERD, Minn. — Forestview Middle School teacher Kara Hall resigned Wednesday after widespread concern over social media statements many deemed racist. The comments came on a Facebook post shared by...
View ArticleUMN president recommends return to in-person classes in fall
University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel is recommending a return to in-person classes in the fall, along with the reopening of dorms and dining halls at limited capacity. Under a plan going before...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Twin Cities graduates make the best of coronavirus-altered celebrations
When her daughter’s in-person high school graduation ceremony was canceled due to the spread of COVID-19, Andrea Cournoyer got creative. Ahead of Highland Park Senior High School’s virtual graduation...
View ArticleWhite Coats for Black Lives: Medical pros and students protest in St. Paul
Medical professionals, students, family and friends protested the death of George Floyd as part of a “White Coats for Black Lives” demonstration Saturday on the lawn of the state Capitol in St. Paul....
View ArticleSt. Paul school board chairwoman Marny Xiong, 31, dies of COVID-19
Marny Xiong, 31-year-old chairwoman of the St. Paul school board, died Sunday morning of COVID-19, according to a statement from her family. Xiong had spent the past month in critical condition at the...
View ArticleFrom the archives: A look back at Marny Xiong, in her own words
Editor’s note: Marny Xiong, 31-year-old chairwoman of the St. Paul school board, died Sunday morning from COVID-19, according to a statement from her family. The Pioneer Press first interviewed Marny...
View ArticleMN students can get $325 for groceries to make up for lost school meals
Applications opened Monday for a new food assistance program for low-income Minnesota families who have lost access to school meals because of the coronavirus pandemic. The federally-funded Pandemic...
View ArticleSt. Paul school board postpones meeting on school police after chairwoman’s...
The St. Paul school board has postponed a meeting scheduled for Tuesday following the death of board chairwoman Marny Xiong. Xiong, 31, died Sunday from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Black students in Stillwater call on board to keep Superintendent Denise...
Alumni and students of color at Stillwater Area High School on Tuesday called on the Stillwater school board to keep Denise Pontrelli in her role as superintendent and said removing her would move the...
View ArticleJudge rejects class certification in lawsuit over payments to Minnesota...
Three Minnesota teachers demanding refunds from their union have lost a bid to certify their lawsuit as a class action. A federal judge’s May ruling means individual teachers will have to bring their...
View ArticleUMN regents endorse plan to resume in-person classes in fall, impose payroll...
The University of Minnesota plans to provide face masks for all students, faculty and staff as it resumes in-person instruction this fall, while allowing anyone who doesn’t feel safe on campus to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Stillwater School Board parts way with superintendent; Pontrelli receives...
Supporters of Stillwater Superintendent Denise Pontrelli passionately argued on her behalf Thursday night, saying that her leadership is needed during this time of pandemic and racial unrest. But the...
View ArticleHousing concerns push UMN to resume in-person classes after Labor Day
The University of Minnesota will start after Labor Day, after all, as it resumes in-person instruction this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Twin Cities and Rochester campuses had been planning...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Top Grads: A few words from our top graduates’ commencement speeches
Four of our Top Grads shared excerpts from their commencement speeches. Ruwayda Egal , one of 6 commencement speakers for Class of 2020 at Highland Park High school in St. Paul. (Courtesy of St. Paul...
View ArticleTop Grads: List of top graduates from area high schools
AFSA, Vadnais Heights Madeline Randall Parents: William and Nancy Randall College, major: Hamline University, English and digital media arts Quote: “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” —...
View ArticleBolivian schoolteacher gives virtual classes as superhero
LA PAZ, Bolivia — Sometimes, Jorge Manolo Villarroel is Spiderman. Sometimes, he’s the Flash, or the Green Lantern. But he’s always a teacher — one who lives out his childhood dreams by dressing up as...
View Article