Faith in Public Schools

Just 34 percent of Americans say they have faith in the public school system, an all-time low. Many of them say budget troubles are to blame, but they also think better teachers would fix the problem.

Testing Out

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan
talks with students during a visit to
Dayton's Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School

Time Magazine reports that state and local education officials have been begging the federal government for relief from student testing mandates in the federal No Child Left Behind law.

LGBTQ Discrimination Alleged

The Justice Department and the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights are looking into "allegations of harassment and discrimination in the Anoka-Hennepin School District based on sex, including peer-on-peer harassment based on not conforming to gender stereotypes," according to a district memo obtained by CNN.

The federal investigation comes after a string of seven student suicides in less than two years, which stirred public debate over the district's sexual orientation curriculum policy. Parents and friends say four of those students were either gay, perceived to be gay or questioning their sexuality and reports are that at least two of them were bullied over their sexuality.

It is unclear whether the suicides or the policy are a significant part of the federal investigation, reporters Poppy Harlow and Emily Probst write on CNN.com.

The district's controversial policy, adopted in 2009, states that staff must "remain neutral on matters regarding sexual orientation" and that "such matters are best addressed within individual family homes, churches, or community organizations."The head of the Anoka-Hennepin school district told CNN the policy reflects a community divided over homosexuality.

Lack of Progress Report

Nearly 4,900 high school seniors might not graduate in Minnesota because they have not passed state-mandated reading or writing tests. The shocking number amounts to about 8 percent of all seniors tested. Even more stunning -- it shows no improvement from last year's results.

The students are allowed to retake the tests after waiting six weeks.

Targeted

Star-Trib writer Daarel Burnette reports that school administrators estimate the St. Paul school board will have to lay off hundreds of employees and cut multiple programs in an effort to meet an anticipated $25 million shortfall next year. Administrators put most of the blame on legislators who have proposed deep cuts in the state's public school systems this session. St. Paul Superintendent Silva: "We did not expect that St. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth schools would be targeted in the way that we have been targeted this legislative session."

Giving Back

Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that four Minnesota businesses announced a collaboration that holds promise to make an even greater impact on Minneapolis kids. For the first time, Cargill, General Mills, Medtronic and Target wisely joined forces to provide a total of more than $13 million in grants to the Minneapolis district.

Donors worked with Minneapolis school district leaders to identify areas that are known to expedite student achievement. Speeding that progress is crucial for Minneapolis schools; 70 percent of the district's 32,000 students are of color, and 65 percent are lower-income. Like many urban districts, Minneapolis has large learning disparities between many minority and white students.

The grants are part of the general trend among Minnesota foundations to refocus their education, giving with an eye on producing better results for students.

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