Saturday, November 21, 2009
   
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Columns/Opinion

Encouraging progress at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

Joe Nathan column -- Anoka Technical, St. Cloud Tech and Inver Hills Community College are part of an encouraging Minnesota trend: greater numbers of students, including “under-represented students,” are attending Minnesota’s public colleges and universities.

As the economy improves, people with strong skills will have more career and employment options. The Minnesota State College and University system has committed to serve all kinds of Minnesotans. That includes those from low-income families, people who parents did not attend a two or four year college or university, and students representing communities of color.

Read more: Encouraging progress at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

 

Remember at Thanksgiving time to be truly thankful

Clicking on the Web -- Howard Lestrud, ECM Online Managing Editor-- Prior to making your mouth water about the wonderful food offerings to be featured on the Thanksgiving table, just take a few moments to recall why you are thankful. You may be thankful for good health, for having a job, for having a loving family and you may be thankful to be living in a free society. Sure, there are obstacles in the road, but Thanksgiving is a time to observe for its real meaning.

In this column we will look at the history of Thanksgiving once again and we will also add a few delicious recipes at the end.

Read more: Remember at Thanksgiving time to be truly thankful

 

In spite of depressed economy, 70 percent of state districts pass levies

Don Heinzman Editorial -- School districts where tax levy referendums failed, will point to the economy as the main reason.

While that may be part of the answer, in this economy, 70 per cent of the school districts passed their levies, notably Anoka-Hennepin where a single operating levy question was on the ballot and passed by a significant margin, only four of the district’s 37 precincts not supporting the levy question.

Read more: In spite of depressed economy, 70 percent of state districts pass levies

 

Anthony and others help explain, "Why School?"

Joe Nathan Column -- Mike Rose writes about Anthony with honor and humility. Anthony is one of the many students we learn about in Rose’s remarkable, eloquent, brief book, “Why School?”

Rose is a 40-year teacher who has won several national awards. But he comes across as quite humble and human. Though less than 170 pages, “Why School” is one of the most insightful, challenging, honest, helpful and encouraging books I’ve read in many years.

Read more: Anthony and others help explain, "Why School?"

 

Smoking statistics show decline; Great American Smokeout Nov. 19

Clicking on the Web, by Howard Lestrud, ECM Online Managing Editor -- In the United States, an estimated 26.2 million men (23.5 percent) and 20.9 million women (18.1 percent) are smokers. These statistics are continuing to spiral downward mainly due to the efforts of former smokers and because of the work done by the volunteers of the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.

Every third Thursday of the year is declared the Great American Smokeout. That event will be observed this year on Thursday, Nov. 19.

Read more: Smoking statistics show decline; Great American Smokeout Nov. 19

 

Motorists now have another alternative method of travel in use of Northstar Commuter Rail

northstarriderDon Heinzman column -- The ballyhooed Northstar Commuter Rail trains will roll down the Burlington Northern tracks Monday, Nov. 16, signaling another answer to motorists tiring of congested highways.

Officials are predicting the Northstar rail passenger cars will be entirely full from day one as they travel the 40 miles back and forth from Big Lake to the Target Field transit hub in Minneapolis.

The North Star Commuter Rail line officially gets its start on Monday, Nov. 16 but for weeks, the trains have been going over the tracks in readiness for the actual beginning.

Here, a local legislator boards the Northstar train on its way to the Twin Cities transit station at Target Field, Minneapolis

(Photo by T.W. Budig, ECM Capitol Reporter)

Read more: Motorists now have another alternative method of travel in use of Northstar Commuter Rail

 

Recognizing and resolving $1900/pupil differences in school spending

Joe Nathan Column -- Is it fair or wise that Anoka Hennepin will be able to spend $165 per pupil, beyond what the state provides, South St. Paul will be able to spend $1010/per pupil, and North Branch won’t be able to spend anything beyond what the state provides? No. I think it’s wrong. It’s not wise or responsible.

While 71 percent of the 58 districts reporting to the Minnesota School Boards Association passed at least one of the requests that they made to local taxpayers, election results seem to show that Minnesota needs fundamental reform in how we fund public schools. Asking candidates for governor about what they will propose seems like a very high priority.

Read more: Recognizing and resolving $1900/pupil differences in school spending

 

Doubly “Great Opportunities” offered at Cambridge-Isanti High School

Joe Nathan Column -- Cambridge-Isanti and Braham area parents and students really should check out what Mitch Clausen, C-I High School principal recently called a “great opportunity”: the chance for local students to earn up to two years of college credit, while they are still in high school.

C-I and Braham High Schools have responded constructively to Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (which allows high school juniors and seniors to take courses for free on college campuses).  Taking several of the approximately 15 college – level courses offered at C-I High School or the three college level courses at Braham means that students can stay in the building, avoid driving, and literally save themselves and their families thousands of dollars in higher education costs.

Read more: Doubly “Great Opportunities” offered at Cambridge-Isanti High School

 

State education test results show commitment made to excellence

ECM Editorial Board -- Over the past 20 years test scores have been a significant part of the information available to the public for judging Minnesota’s schools.

For a great many of those years test data has served as the rallying point for school critics as if a constant harangue about failing scores would serve as the needed motivation to change education and sometimes a justification to curb investment in our schools.  A careful examination of test related results from national and international tests present a very different picture.

Read more: State education test results show commitment made to excellence

 

Arizona Highways another colorful magazine of interest

Howard Lestrud, ECM Online Managing Editor -- Last week we explored the National Geographic Magazine which has a colorful history spanning more than a hundred years. Today, we will take a look at another artistic magazine that has been out there for our consumption for a number of years. It is called Arizona Highways.

I first became familiar with the publication when my uncle from California sent back issues regularly to my mother. The scenes of Arizona were breathtaking to say the least.

Read more: Arizona Highways another colorful magazine of interest

 

Poverty is damaging to our children and to the future of our state

Don Heinzman editorial -- The number of children who are poor and come from poor families is increasing in Minnesota, as the recession continues.

The latest data from the Children’s Defense Fund shows that 140,000 Minnesota children lived in poverty in 2008 and that number is going up.  Before the economy recovers, 44,000 to 56,000 more are projected to live in poverty.  Eighty-eight thousand Minnesota children did not have health care coverage in 2008.

Read more: Poverty is damaging to our children and to the future of our state

 

National Geographic magazine inspires people to care about Planet

by Howard Lestrud, ECM Online Managing Editor -- On its Web site, National Geographic says it is “Inspiring People to Care about the Planet.” Many of us have grown up with National Geographic lying on a coffee table in our living room. It is a magazine that has always impressed us with its beautiful photographs and detailed world maps.

This is one publication that always pulls jus into the inside pages because of its colorful photography on the front cover. Once inside, we are challenged to put the magazine down.

Read more: National Geographic magazine inspires people to care about Planet

   

Ted Sizer brought great ideas, money to help Little Falls, Cambridge, Isanti Public Schools

Joe Nathan Column -- Ted Sizer, a Massachusetts educator who made sure millions of school reform dollars came to Minnesota, has died. Sizer, 77, inspired and assisted, parents and community leaders in places like Cambridge/Isanti, Coon Rapids, Henderson, Houston, Little Falls, Minneapolis, and St. Paul to promote active, hands on learning, community service, and high school graduation requirements in which students had to demonstrate their skills in many ways.

Read more: Ted Sizer brought great ideas, money to help Little Falls, Cambridge, Isanti Public Schools

 

Anoka retains claim to being Halloween Capital of the World

Clicking on the Web -- by Howard Lestrud ECM Online Managing Editor -- Anoka still claims to be the Halloween Capital of the World and this year’s long list of activities make it a cinch that this Anoka County community of nearly 20,000 will retain its claim to Halloween fame.

Some Halloween activities have already started in Anoka and around the community. Check out the schedule of events at the Anoka Halloween Web site at http://www.anokahalloween.com/

Read more: Anoka retains claim to being Halloween Capital of the World

   

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