The latest news & updates
Catch up with us—explore announcements and happenings...
And feel free to connect with us: (612) 361-1309 or info@greatmnschools.org.
10 / 4 / 22
We're hiring! We have two new roles...
Apply to be our Vice President, Community Outreach
Great MN Schools is hiring for a new position, Vice President, Community Outreach, to lead the organization’s growing grassroots and community outreach work, building on existing community and advocacy partnerships, and policy initiatives. The Vice President position will report to the CEO. Apply today!
Apply to be our Senior Manager, Finance & Operations
Great MN Schools is looking for a Senior Manager, Finance & Operations to lead the organization’s team operations, HR, budget development and monitoring, and accounts payable. This position will report to the Sr. Director of Schools & Operations.
7 / 29 / 22 Vote for school board in the primary!
Vote down ballot for the Minneapolis School Board!
The Board of Education plays a major role in shaping our education system—and ensuring more children attend an excellent and equitable school. That's why, this past school year, we launched the Get on Board school board candidate training program with the Northside Achievement Zone, Voices for Racial Justice, and Ayada Leads.
Our school communities deserve common sense gun reforms and increased mental health support so students and educators are safe in school.
All children deserve a great education. To address our city’s long-standing and enormous opportunity gaps, children must be in school and learning. This is especially true for our Black, Brown, and Indigenous students who are falling even further behind every day they are not in the classroom.
11 / 15 / 21 You're invited: Community Literacy Convening
Literacy is crucial for student success. Many of our schools and partners have seen how the shift from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” opens up a world of knowledge for students that paves the way for a lifetime of learning success in science, mathematics, literature, and beyond. At Great MN Schools, we’re eager to continue our dive into foundational literacy skills with friends, partners, and advocates at our virtual Literacy Convening: Deepening our Understanding on How Students Learn to Read on Dec. 7, 2021.
9 / 13 / 21 It's official --> Teach Minnesota is launching!
We’re thrilled to share that Teach Minnesota—among the first state-approved alternative teacher preparation programs—is officially launching to increase the number of high-quality teachers of color.
8 / 24 / 21 5 recommendations to improve literacy, informed by local school leaders & educators
Every student deserves grade-appropriate curriculum and strong instruction, provided by teachers who are engaged, prepared, and supported. And reading is one of the most crucial academic skills because it’s the foundation for learning. That's why we commissioned a literacy needs assessment focused on grades K-5 in Minneapolis and St. Paul. We sought out to identify what's working and to better understand the needs of students, teachers, and schools.
Explore our findings, including a detailed report and our literacy action guide on how we can collectively support schools toward strong literacy implementation and robust student comprehension.
6 / 19 / 21 Happy Juneteenth!
We wish everyone a happy Juneteenth. On June 19, 1865, the last enslaved African Americans were set free in Galveston, Texas, and 156 years later in Washington, D.C., President Joe Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday.
5 / 28 / 21 Help recruit ServeMN (AmeriCorps) volunteers for our summer program!
Do you know someone looking for a way to give back and have fun this summer? Someone who enjoys working with kids and/or wants to spend time outdoors? Volunteers (18 or older) are needed for our summer program!
5 / 27 / 21: American Rescue Plan resources should be an accelerator to address local, long-standing K-12 gaps
We're proud to be among a coalition of advocacy and community organizations weighing in on proposed investments for the federal stimulus package, including $132 million in support for K-12 education in Minnesota.
5 / 6 / 21: Thank a teacher!
We at Great MN Schools want to say a major thank you to all teachers across our city, the state, and the country who have made this school year possible. This school year could not have been possible without you, and our entire community owes teachers a debt of gratitude.
4 / 21 / 21: Accountability. A moment to exhale.
Three hundred and thirty one days ago Derek Chauvin killed George Flyod. And yesterday the ex-Minneapolis police officer was finally held accountable
3 / 23 / 21: State approves TNTP's Teach MN—a huge victory for aspiring teachers of color!
Teach MN is on track to be among Minnesota's first alternative teacher preparation providers; TNTP is slated to launch the elementary and special education teacher prep program for fall 2022.
3 / 19 / 21: Stop Asian hate
We here at Great MN Schools are deeply saddened and devastated by the mass shooting in Georgia this week, where a white gunman shot and killed eight people at three different Asian businesses in the Atlanta area. Six of the eight people killed were Asian, and all but one identified as female: Delaina Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Soon C. Park, Hyun J. Grant, Suncha Kim, and Yong A. Yue. We believe it is important for us to know their names. And we continue to grieve with the families, loved ones of the victims, and communities affected by this loss.
While this attack occurred far away from Minneapolis, the issues of racism and hate are also found right here at home.
10 / 15 / 20: Announcing our core community partners
We are honored to announce the partnerships of our core community partners to support families in K-12 educational decision making. Our community partners have long-standing roots in the Minneapolis and Twin Cities community, serving over 5000 households with their programs. Great MN Schools partners with them to ensure 2500 of the families they serve receive direct support in navigating the education system, such as finding a best-fit school, determining if their child is on grade-level, best communicating with their child's teacher, & more!
9 / 10 / 20: Issue brief: Equitable enrollment practices
The Minneapolis district is taking on critical work to revise enrollment practices. And as we strive for all students, especially those underserved, to access high-quality schools, we spent this summer learning how several major U.S. districts have championed equitable enrollment practices. Our issue brief captures what we learned, and articulates a set of recommendations we advocate the district implement in this coming year.
8 / 5 / 20: MPLS school leaders on planning for the school year
A new school year is upon us, and school teams have spent the summer scenario planning. We recently convened a few local school leaders to share how they're thinking through the challenges and opportunities with returning to learning—and we thought you might like to hear their insights and the factors guiding their approach and decision-making.
7 / 1 / 20: Meet Karn Engelsgjerd + team transitions
We'd like to officially introduce you to the newest member of the Great MN Schools team: Karn Engelsgjerd, director of development. Karn comes to Great MN Schools with more than 20 years of K-12 education experience, ranging from teaching fourth grade—she was awarded Teacher of the Year at Forest Heights Elementary in Baton Rouge, La.—to supporting strong classroom instruction as ANet's vice president of networks.
6 / 17 / 20: Apply to be a Minneapolis Education Ambassador
We're inviting local leaders—be it in faith communities, neighborhood associations, professional groups, or online community forums—who are interested in learning more about the educational inequities and how to fix them. Apply by August 1.
5 / 29 / 20: With you and our community—a statement on the killing of George Floyd
Strengthening community is central to our mission and our commitment to Minneapolis. And the circumstances of the past several days exemplify the lived experiences that students of color face and bring into the classroom all too often.
5 / 5 / 20: Thank you, educators
As Teacher Appreciate Week wraps up, these extraordinary times have highlighted what we have always known to be true—our educators are heroes and their efforts to provide every student with a great education, no matter the circumstances, should be celebrated every week of the year.
3 / 13 / 20: School performance frameworks—event recap and resources
150-plus advocates, funders, and educators joined us to learn how other cities have used school performance frameworks as an important component of their efforts to effectively close opportunity gaps. These frameworks empower communities to define, measure, and manage school quality, together, as educators and policymakers, families and advocates.
3 / 26 / 20: COVID-19 response
We're helping school communities access critical information and resources (including our COVID-19 technology fund), and curating resources for community partners that can support families with distance learning.
1 / 8 / 20: 25 changing-the-odds schools
In Minneapolis, high-performing schools serving low-income students post 2x the growth and nearly 4x the proficiency rates of low-performing schools. They're a bridge to college and careers and promote community vitality. Explore the 4th edition of Minneapolis School Finder, including schools that are changing the odds for students.