On January 10th, Secretary DeVos notified the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) that their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) accountability plan has been approved. In the letter, Secretary DeVos congratulated Commissioner Cassellius on the approved plan and “for the important work that you and your staff [MDE] are doing to support the transition to the ESSA and most importantly to lead Minnesota’s students to achieve higher levels.”
The road to creating the...
Last week we wrote about Minnesota’s November budget forecast, which showed that the state is projected to have a $188 million deficit for the final year of the 2018 and 2019 biennium. While the small deficit is hardly a cause for alarm, the forecast did indicate that unexpected cost increases in special education services is one of the biggest drivers of the deficit...
Last week, the Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) Office released the November Budget and Economic Forecast for the state, which showed a $188 million projected deficit for the final year of the 2018 and 2019 biennium.
According to the forecast, the deficits are due to a reduced U.S. economic growth forecast and impacts of legislation enacted during the 2017 session. The forecast also noted, “At this time, it is unclear what tax law changes will emerge from the U.S. Congress and how those...
This post was written by Julene Oxton, a founding teacher of Impact Academy, a school in Lakeville Public Schools, and now the Innovation Coordinator for the district.
Last week David Osborne, author of the new book Reinventing America's Schools, visited Minnesota as part of his 28 city nationwide tour to celebrate its release. The reception and discussion of his book gave the audience a glimpse of a new paradigm emerging for public education that fits the realities...
What would happen if schools had more autonomy and accountability for performance? And what if metro regions featured more diversity of school designs and parental choice?
In his new book, Reinventing America’s Schools, David Osborne, the Director of the Reinventing America’s Schools Project at the Progressive Policy Institute, answers these questions by describing the transformational E-12 public education changes that are taking place in several American cities—including New Orleans, Denver, Memphis, Washington D.C., and Indianapolis—that have adopted these strategies,...
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) was recently awarded a five-year, $45.8 million Charter Schools Program (CSP) grant from the US Department of Education (USDE). The purpose of the CSP grant program is to help high-quality charter schools expand and grow, while also improving instruction for all students.
In a press release, Governor Dayton noted the “essential role” that the state’s charter schools play ensuring that every student in Minnesota has a “strong start and a great education.”...
On Tuesday, the Innovation Research Zone Advisory Panel met for the first time to discuss the Innovation Research Zone application, which was released in mid-September, and the application rubric, which the Panel will be working on and releasing in late November. According to Jennifer Nelson, Director of State Library Services for the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), the intent of the rubric is to provide more detailed information for applicants about what the Panel will be looking for when they are reviewing the applications...
This blog was written by the Education Evolving Team
It’s a busy and exciting time at Education Evolving. The last year and a half have brought a number of changes: we’ve added new faces to our team and a new executive director as our founding generation steps back from the daily work, welcomed new board members, and formally became our own independent nonprofit organization.
With all these recent changes, we were intentional about making 2017 a year of reflection. This week we are proud to unveil the results of that work, including a new vision for student-centered...
This blog post was written by Deyonne Jackson and Lauren McDaniel, two teachers at Woods Learning Center, which is a teacher-powered school in Wyoming
When Woods Learning Center’s (Woods) Administrative Manager took a call from Sarah in the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), Sarah went quiet when she was told that the decision about Secretary DeVos’ visit couldn’t be made without first speaking to the Woods' administrative team of teachers. “What do you mean? Isn’t there a principal who can make the decision?”
Not at this school.
When...
On Monday, 30 states, including Minnesota, turned in their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) accountability plans to the US Department of Education (USDE) in the second and final deadline. Four states—Alabama, Florida, Texas, and South Carolina—received extensions for later this fall due to the recent hurricanes, and last April sixteen states and the District of Columbia turned in their ESSA state plans to USDE.