The original vision of a charter school called for heavy doses of professional teacher contribution throughout all aspects of curriculum and administration. Unfortunately, that is not how charter schools have evolved. Until now. The Minnesota Guild of Public Charter Schools is the first union-sponsored entity created for the sole purpose of…

A statewide "Dialogue in Education" in Minnesota--beginning with "town meetings"--has helped policymakers to find strategies and programs to focus on adults' and students' objectives. Citizens' priorities include the basic skills, maintaining the current curriculum, and improved graduation competencies. (CJH)

A participant in Minnesota's standards-based reform initiative claims Wade Nelson, in his May 1998 "Kappan" article, is misinformed about teachers' exclusion from this movement. The standards constitute a minimal competence level in reading, math, and writing, were developed cooperatively, and have raised teacher expectations of…