Our Turn
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The latest news and perspectives on the fight for educational equity, from the voices of students and more.

The Cut: Minneapolis Public School Board Cancels Contract With Police

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The Minneapolis Public School board is canceling its contract with the city’s police department, following a unanimous vote on Tuesday. It had previously budgeted $1.1 million to employ school resource officers (SROs), according to Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, a program that students and organizers have been challenging for years.

But it was...

Colorlines: Minneapolis Board of Ed Unanimously Votes to Remove Police From Public Schools

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The Minneapolis Board of Education (MBOE) voted unanimously on Tuesday (June 2) to end their contract with the local police department in the wake of George Floyd’s death, The Guardian reports. “We cannot continue to be in partnership with an organization that has the culture of violence and racism that...

Buzzfeed: Minneapolis Public Schools Voted To End Its Contract With The City’s Police After The Death Of George Floyd

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The board of Minneapolis Public Schools voted unanimously Tuesday to end the district’s $1.1 million contract with the Minneapolis Police Department after the death of George Floyd, saying the actions of city police officers “run directly counter to the values” of the school district.

It is among the earliest and...

MSP Mag: Minneapolis Students Pressure School District to Sever Ties with the Police

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When Rayna Acha hears a cop car rush through her neighborhood, her stomach drops.

"I see a lot of police where I live, and it's scary. I get scared for my neighbors because they're Black," she says. This constant anxiety around the police doesn't end when she goes to school....

Meet Ken, Our New Chief Program Officer

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What drew you to organizing?

As a young child, I learned about the incarceration of my family during WWII and the whole experience they had to go through during that incarceration and after the war. It made life very difficult for my family. In spite of these...

We demand MPS end its contract with the Minneapolis Police Department

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Dear Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Directors,

We are writing to demand Minneapolis Public Schools end its partnership with the Minneapolis Police Department following the racialized violence that has taken place at the hands of its officers, as exemplified in the murder of George Floyd this...

Our Turn's COVID-19 Student Impact Report

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We Surveyed Over 235 Students

Our Turn conducted a survey of young people in April 2020 to understand how COVID-19 is impacting them and their educational experiences.

We know that inequities in our society have always existed in education, yet recent events have exacerbated these inequities in countless ways. Young people...

Our Turn Graduation Party Speakers Announced

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The #OurTurn2020 Graduation Party on June 05, 2020 will be a celebration for our members and network and their family and friends to share in the milestone that graduations represent, especially for so many first-generation high school and college graduates! It is an honor to create a virtual event with...

Young People Left Out - Again

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By Hugo Ruiz

Alex*, is a full-time student attending a local college. Alex lives at home, pays for most of her own expenses, and usually works two part-time jobs. In addition, she balances many financial, emotional and academic responsibilities while participating in campus activities and organizations for professional development....

On a 6-3 vote, Minneapolis school board approves controversial redistricting plan

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The Minneapolis school board on Tuesday approved a sweeping and controversial plan that will reshape the state’s third-largest school district for years to come and shuffle thousands of students to new schools.

The school board voted 6-3 in favor of Superintendent Ed Graff’s redistricting plan for Minneapolis Public Schools during...

Minneapolis high school students share their opinions on redistricting plan

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Kare11 News had a chat with Our Turn Minneapolis Public High School students Arielle, Estefania, Milena and Maya about the redistricting plan.

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Students Can’t Wait. We Deserve Better Now.

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We Urge the Board to Vote Yes on the Comprehensive District Design

Commentary from Minneapolis Public School students on the Comprehensive District Design to be voted on by the school board on May 12th.

Authors Arielle Elmore, Patrick Henry High School; Marianna Hefte, South High School; and Milena...