April 6, 2012
"Of all the mindset changes that I’ve made in the past 7 months, both intentional and unintentional, I think the most important by far has been accepting that along with every day at school comes a certain level of chaos..."
Get to Know The Northside Achievement Zone
Minneapolis' north side has historically struggled with the effects of multigenerational poverty, violence, and low achievement. The Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) was founded in 2010 to build a culture of high achievement in an 18 by 13 block section of North Minneapolis. The organization works in collaboration with schools, families, and service organization to ensure that when the more than 5,500 kids living in the Zone graduate from high school they are college and career ready.
NAZ seeks to improve life in North Minneapolis, one family at a time. In December 2011, The US Department of Education announced that NAZ was one of five national winners of a $28 million Promise Neighborhood grant. With grant funds, NAZ plans to build organizational infrastructure and train additional family coaches, who will work directly with parents and kids to create personalized achievement plans. The Promise grant will allow NAZ to support 1,200 families, up significantly from the 150 pilot families served since 2010.
After a powerful tornado devastated large parts of North Minneapolis in May 2011, NAZ and the Promise Neighborhood grant have represented a beacon of hope for north side residents.
Region Timeline
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Reverend J.D. Stevens starts the first educational institution in Minneapolis on the shores of Lake Harriet for children from Fort Snelling and from Cloud Man's band of Mdewakanton Dakota.
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As part of a program led by educational reformer Catharine Beecher, Harriet Bishop travels to what will soon become the Minnesota Territory to start the first public school in St. Paul.
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The vibrant Rondo neighborhood, the largest African American neighborhood in St. Paul, is split apart by the construction of I-94. As a result, thousands of black residents are forced to find new homes in face of discriminatory housing practices. Twin Cities neighborhoods continue to be amongst the most segregated in the country. Our public schools represent this segregation in their student populations.
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Minnesota legislators enact a school finance reform bill, known as the "Minnesota Miracle," which ends the achievement gap-widening practice of funding schools solely through local property taxes.
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Minnesota becomes the first state to pass a law approving the formation of charter schools. Bluffview Montessori School, Minnesota's first charter school, opens in 1992.
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Hiawatha Leadership Academy, where 96% of students are growing up in low-income communities, is named the state's most successful school according to new accountability measures adopted by the Minnesota Department of Education.
Overheard
It's the right time to be teaching in this region because the conversation about education reform is ever present in the legislature, various communities, and schools.
Twin Cities Corps 2009
Press
April 2, 2013
"Together, we must commit to doing more to inspire our emerging leaders of color to lead our classrooms for the next generation and beyond."
February 13, 2013
"Currently president of the 24-year-old organization, Kramer and Chief Operating Officer Elisa Villanueva Beard will take over the position now held by founder Wendy Kopp."
January 13, 2012
"Louisiana’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education selected John White as the state’s new superintendent of education, the equivalent of the state education commissioner..."
Pass The Chalk: The TFA Blog
April 10, 2013
Those best-suited to teach need a sustainable pathway to stay in the classroom.
Teach For Us
March 16, 2012
"A few random thoughts as I impatiently wait for the last 50-some minutes of grad class to wind down…"
