ST. PAUL LEGAL LEDGER CAPITOL REPORT A recent report by the national research group PolicyLink features three maps showing Minnesota’s changing demographics over the course of 60 years, with each of our state’s 87 counties shaded to indicate the evolution of our diversity. Source: Policy Link, U.S. Census Bureau, Woods & Poole Economics. The 1980 map is almost all homogenous, with people of color comprising more than... Read More
ST. PAUL LEGAL LEDGER CAPITOL REPORT One of the sillier accusations tossed at our public schools in recent years is that they fail to teach “values” or provide moral instruction. I spend enough time in the halls and classrooms of Minnesota public schools to know that this is mostly nonsense, and that timeless virtues of respect for others, honesty, and perseverance are inculcated in some way, most days, to most students. But I&r... Read More
Maureen Ramirez, Growth & Justice policy and research director, was a panelist at a recent forum sponsored by the Minnesota Achievement Gap Committee. Seeking Agreement - Forum 1 of 4 from John Risken on Vimeo. Read More
ST. PAUL LEGAL LEDGER CAPITOL REPORT When popular will reaches critical mass around a common goal — whether it’s smoke-free restaurants, or landing on the moon, or ending legal segregation, or allowing women to vote, or letting people marry the person of their choice — things can move awfully fast. The dam breaks, the ice goes out, opposition becomes trivial, a new paradigm replaces the old, and we move on to the next obstac... Read More
The director of the Minnesota Minority Education Partnership (MMEP), Carlos Mariani Rosa (also known as state Rep. Carlos Mariani), frequently travels the length and breadth of our state to make a compelling case for closing our state’s racial opportunity gaps in education. The MMEP narrative is based on the obvious facts of fundamental socio-economic unfairness and systemic disadvantage for minority communities, with resulting gaps in te... Read More