Dear Neighbors,
On August 4, the city of Hibbing celebrated its 128th birthday! We all have a rich appreciation of our community’s history, and as conductor of the city band, it was an honor to take part in the festivities.
Minnesota North College
Five higher education institutions in northeast Minnesota are merging under one umbrella: Minnesota North College. Last week, I had the opportunity to join college staff for a luncheon featuring college President Mike Raich and Minnesota State Chancellor Devinder Malhotra. Chancellor Malhotra put forth a fitting motto for the institution: “Minnesota North College: north of extraordinary!” Following the merger, students will experience improved delivery of services while operational efficiencies will strengthen the schools for long-term financial sustainability.
Our region’s colleges play a critical role in helping students reach their full potential while ensuring our businesses and industries have a pipeline of skilled, qualified job prospects. The merger is officially set to take effect with the start of the Fall 2022 semester. More information about the vision and planning for the future of higher education in northern Minnesota is from the Northeast Higher Education District.
Hibbing Taconite Tour
I also joined officials from Minnesota State and the future Minnesota North College for a highly informative tour of Hibbing Taconite last week. The mine employs over 700 people, with workers earning wages and benefits averaging $104,000. No other workplace on the Iron Range can compete for workers with two-year degrees at the level of HibTac.
It’s no secret that HibTac is running out of ore and its mine life is rapidly diminishing. This is a problem urgently moving to our doorstep and we all need to work together to develop a plan to keep the facility viable. Ore from the former Mesabi Metallics/Essar Steel site in Nashwauk presents one such opportunity to extend the life of HibTac. Mesabi Metallics has now started litigation against the Minnesota DNR after the DNR pulled mineral leases from Mesabi following a series of missed deadlines. While I’m confident the DNR will prevail in the lawsuit, we need to start developing a plan for the Nashwauk site now. I’m advocating that the DNR take a proactive approach to the Nashwauk site with a vision and a plan that responsibly manages our natural resources while protecting good-paying jobs in our region.
Social Studies Standards
Minnesota’s academic standards for K-12 classrooms are revised every 10 years, with a single area of academic study reviewed and revised each year. During the current cycle, the focus is on social studies, and I’ve heard feedback from many of you. While lawmakers don’t have a direct role in the revisions, I thought sharing some resources about this process would be helpful. Last summer, the Minnesota Department of Education convened a committee of teachers, administrators, college faculty, informal educators, and community members to revise the standards. More information about the social studies standards revisions is available here, including information about the timeline, draft standards, and information from committee meetings. The final draft of the standards will be adopted later this fall, and they won’t be implemented until 2025, at the earliest.
Academic standards don’t require a specific curriculum. School districts are ultimately responsible for determining how students will meet the standards and benchmarks through selection of courses, curriculum, and teaching methods. Click here for more information about the process.
Please continue to contact me with your input, ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. It’s an honor to represent you.
Together,
Julie Sandstede
State Representative