MPR News with Angela Davis Minnesota Public Radio

We hear a lot about students who are not engaged in school.  

But what happens when schools begin to do things differently to give students more control over their education — in everything from hiring staff to student discipline policies?  

MPR News host Angela Davis shares a conversation she moderated this spring with high school students, principals and teachers from three public schools who are finding new ways to support student leaders. 

A technical high school on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota is helping students explore careers and Indigenous identity. A small public charter high school in Brooklyn Park involves students resolving discipline issues.  And, at a small-town school in southeastern Minnesota high school students help out in the elementary school classrooms.  

The panel discussion was held May 7 in Minneapolis at an annual education reform gathering called “Student-Centered Learning for Equity” convened by the Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization Education Evolving and supported by the Bush Foundation.  

Guests:   

Cari-Ana Garcia Luna is the director and superintendent of SAGE Academy, a public charter high school in Brooklyn Park.  

Skye Leng is a ninth grader at SAGE Academy.   

Marlin Kingi is a social studies teacher and student council advisor at Lakota Tech High School, a public high school in Oglala Lakota County on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.  

Marcel Swallow is a sophomore at Lakota Tech High School.  

Luke Kjelland is principal of Spring Grove Public Schools, a public kindergarten through 12th grade school in Spring Grove in southeast Minnesota.  

Ellie Halverson is a senior at Spring Grove Public Schools.

Four years ago this week, a movement to defund and abolish the Minneapolis Police Department ignited across the city and the world.  

George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man and St. Louis Park resident, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in the Powderhorn neighborhood of Minneapolis. 

In those four years since his murder, everything — and nothing — has changed. 

The Minneapolis Police Department was not defunded. And the city is still struggling to come to terms with what safety and accountability look like in the aftermath.

A new book traces how Minneapolis arrived at the brink of police abolition, and why true reform is so hard to come by.  

It’s called “The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence and the Politics of Policing in America.”

MPR News host Angela Davis talked with the book’s author, sociologist Michelle Phelps.

Guest: 


Michelle Phelps is an associate professor in the department of sociology at the University of Minnesota and the author of the new book, “The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence, and the Politics of Policing in America.”

The weather is warmer, and many are itching to enjoy the sunshine.  

In Minnesota, there’s a recreational team for just about every sport you can imagine — and you most likely don’t need to travel far to find them.

MPR News guest host Dan Kraker and his guests are talked about ways to get active and play the sports you love as an adult, whether you’re a total beginner or an all-out fanatic.   

Just this past week, tech giant Google unveiled its new AI music tool, ”Music AI Sandbox,” which the company says will be “the ultimate collaborator” for musicians.

It’s an example of how rapidly AI is integrating into the art world — for better or for worse.

MPR News guest host Chris Farrell and his guests talked about what the rise of artificial intelligence means for artists, musicians, actors and writers.

Depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are the most common complications during and after pregnancy, yet 75 percent of postpartum problems go untreated. The consequences can be devastating. Suicide and overdoses are leading causes of maternal death in the United States.

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first-ever pill specifically aimed at postpartum depression, but most health plans don’t cover the medication. 

This special program looks at the under-recognized public health issue of postpartum depression and the challenge of treatment. We’ll hear first-hand from people who have experienced it. 

Join Call to Mind host Kimberly Adams for Birth & Depression: The Unspoken Conversation a one-hour broadcast special.

Schizophrenia affects about 24 million people worldwide. It can be a disruptive illness, making it difficult to find a meaningful job, attend school or manage relationships.

People with schizophrenia require lifelong treatment, but there is hope. A growing body of research shows that with new interventions it’s possible to live well with the illness. 

This program shares stories about schizophrenia that don’t make the headlines. We’ll hear from people living with this illness and from leading experts about new treatments that make it possible to manage. 

Join Call to Mind host Kimberly Adams for Schizophrenia: Finding Hope on a Hard Road, a one-hour broadcast special.