Alex Friedrich

What the UMN-Twin Cities director for educator development says about the teacher-prep ratings

blogs.mprnews.org — I've just received this note from Mistilina Sato, director of the Educator Development and Research Center at the Twin Cities Campus of the University of Minnesota. Sato, who holds the the Campbell Chair for Innovation in Teacher Development, is among many who've taken issue with today's National Council on Teacher Quality ratings.

How Congress sees Minnesota’s student debt

blogs.mprnews.org — This student-debt study just came out this morning from the U.S. Congressional Joint Economic Committee, of which Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar is vice-chairwoman. I spoke with analyst John Armstrong of the state Office of Higher Education, who was able to look at it briefly. The report seems to echo what the OHE has been...

How Minnesota rated in a review of teacher preparation programs

blogs.mprnews.org — The National Council on Teacher Quality has come out with what's being billed as the first-ever report card on teacher preparation programs, and the verdict reported by the Washington Post is: mediocre. (Bob Collins on MPR's NewsCut blog calls it "a report card of failure." Colleges and universities may get multiple ratings depending on the...

Notes in the Margins: Employee loans, luxury digs and academic doping

blogs.mprnews.org — Sen. Schumer seeks crackdown on "academic doping" Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said up to 35 percent of all college kids report using stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin as a study tool. He wants colleges to come back from summer break with a plan on how to deal with abuse of the prescription ADHD pills.

June 17 - State Economy Among Country's Fastest-Growing

positivelyminnesota.com — ST. PAUL - Minnesota has one of the fastest-growing economies in the country, according to a study by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The U.S. Commerce Department bureau said Minnesota tied California for fifth place in growth of gross domestic product (GDP) last year, based on data for durable-goods manufacturing, construction, mining, agriculture, wholesale trade, and finance and insurance.

Winona State University students to get tablets this fall

blogs.mprnews.org — This just in: Winona State University will be the first public university in the Midwest to offer a tablet and a laptop to all students starting in fall 2013. WSU's Digital Life and Learning Program will provide all new Winona State students, and students due for their two-year laptop exchange, an iPad mini or Android-based...

What the small group of people in front of the McNamara Alumni Center was doing Friday

blogs.mprnews.org — You may recall the address made at the University of Minnesota's budget forum earlier this month by a steward of the union representing the U's clerical workers - the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. (The U's response is here. Further response is below.)

Two letters about tuition at the University of Minnesota

blogs.mprnews.org — As you may have gathered from posts I've put up recently, the affordability of an education - especially at the University of Minnesota - is on a lot of people's minds. Here are a couple of comments posted on the subject. One is from Krista Finstad Hanson, a U alumna.

How to read the University of Minnesota’s efficiency evaluation

blogs.mprnews.org — Last week I waded through the report on efficiency at the University of Minnesota, marveling at the buzzwords and tortured English that infest consultant-speak. I vented to MPR business correspondent Martin Moylan, who told me where that stuff comes from: internet language generators. He started me off with the dack.com Web Economy Bullsh-t Generator, which...