Alleen Brown’s Daily Planet story get picked up by the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder as “State’s integration programs face uncertain future.”
The programs that could see funding cuts include magnet school transportation, college preparatory programs, teacher cultural competence trainings, a network for teachers of color, curriculum development, all-day kindergarten and multi-district collaborations. Many of the stakeholders have testified before the task force.
“We have to plan for a worst-case scenario. How can many of those things be sustained without integration dollars?” said North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale district educational equity coordinator Tom Howley.
Very little is certain. According to task force co-chair Scott Thomas, proposals for the funding have ranged from literacy-specific programs to reward systems for school achievement growth. Some ideas would have districts move away from magnet programs, while others would keep many of the current programs in place.
