Education

The day after the Minnesota Independent contacted Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge David Minge about his assignment to a case involving his alma mater, St. Olaf College, Minge recused himself. He was replaced on the three-judge panel by retired Judge James C. Harten — another Ole (Class of ‘57), who also promptly recused himself. Third [...]

Two Anoka-Hennepin School District teachers accused of harassing a student denied the allegations, the Pioneer Press reported Monday, saying they were fabricated by the student, Alex Merritt. Jodi Merritt, Alex’s mother, says the claim by Diane Cleveland and Walter Filson — that her son falsified the harassment in retaliation against the teachers — is a [...]

Saturday night, sports fans filling the new TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota can enjoy some good old-fashioned logo-spotting the way it was meant to be — back on campus and under the stars. You can help Goldy Gopher do a spot check to see if the University of Minnesota is fulfilling its [...]

Students at a St. Paul school recently renamed for President and First Lady Obama did not see the president’s address to the nation’s school children today. The plan is to show it later in the week.

It seemed like a watershed on Thursday when CNN offhandedly described Gov. Pawlenty — who never seems to be quite as well known as he’d like to be — as “high profile.” Then Friday, as if on cue, the media put his comments about President Obama’s back-to-school speech up in lights. 

Some Minnesota superintendents have banned the live airing of President Obama’s back-to-school speech next week, but the Minneapolis school district is telling parents that teachers will be allowed to show the address. “Such speeches by any sitting president are worthy of Americans’ time, attention and consideration,” the district said Friday afternoon via robocall to student home [...]

The Becker School District in central Minnesota’s Sherburne County will be joining schools in the Fergus Falls area in tape-delaying President Obama’s speech to students on Tuesday morning, according to a memo from superintendent Steven Dooley.

Bowing to pressure from some parents in the district, the superintendent of schools in Fergus Falls is directing teachers not to show President Obama’s live “Back to School” speech to students next week. But while some call the speech unprecedented, in 1991 the roles were reversed: a Republican president was blasted by Democrats for the same type of address to students.

Two teachers accusing of coordinated harassment of a student have been put on leave by the Anoka-Hennepin School District. The school district has come under heavy criticism for what community members see as lax disciplinary action against Diane Cleveland and Walter Filson, who are accused of repeatedly harassing one of their students because they thought he was gay.

Students, teachers and concerned residents of the Anoka-Hennepin School District crowded into the district’s board meeting on Monday evening to vent their concerns after learning that the district paid out $25,000 to a student who says he was continually harassed by two district teachers because they thought he was gay.