Sunday, April 14, 2013
This week's compilation includes the death of a grocery chain's namesake, Chelsea Clinton presents top prize to student and a manufactured home fire.
Editor’s Note: Every week we bring you a sampling of stories from Patch sites in the west metro: Eden Prairie, Edina, Fridley, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Lake Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Shakopee, Southwest Minneapolis, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. (UPDATED) Washburn HS under Code Yellow as Students Protest AD Firing Students taking part will be suspended, school administration said. The Star Tribune reported that Athletic Director Dan Pratt was or will be fired in connection with the purchase of a new playing-field scoreboard. UPDATED: SW Journal Reports Principal Carol Markham-Cousins Out at Washburn HS Robert McCauley is now substitute principal at Washburn, a Minneapolis school district spokesman told the …
Friday, April 12, 2013
After a walkout Monday and a sit-in Wednesday, demonstrations will likely continue until the investigation of Athletic Director Dan Pratt is completed. Below is a gallery of all the events.
Washburn High School students, parents, alumni and community members have come out in droves to show their support for Athletic Director Dan Pratt this week. Donning stickers that read "Support Pratt" and carrying signs asking "Where is your P.R.I.D.E. Ms. Cousins?," hundreds of students participated in a walkout Monday and a sit-in Wednesday. Another demonstration will likely take place Friday as well. Add your photos of the demonstrations to the gallery by clicking on "Upload Photos and Videos." News broke last week about the potential firing of Pratt, as the district started an investigation looking into an issue involving the purchase of a scoreboard. Many Pratt supporters blamed school principal Carol Markham-Cousins for getting the …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Here is some of what is being said online about the 'reassignment' of Carol Markham-Cousins.
Sample the range of responses on social media to news that Minneapolis Public Schools officials have "reassigned" Washburn High School Principal Carol Markham-Cousins in the Storify above (use scroll bar at right) or at Storify.com. Related:
Robert McCauley is now substitute principal at Washburn, a Minneapolis school district spokesman told the newspaper. The move came three days after students staged a walkout protest in support of embattled athletic director Dan Pratt.
Update (3:45 p.m. Thursday): According to an updated report at the Star Tribune, a Minneapolis Public Schools spokesman "confirmed that an investigation involving [reassigned Washburn High School principal Carol] Markham-Cousins is underway." The Star Tribune post explains that testimony about a student protest earlier this week is part of the investigation: One potential reason that the district is investigating Markham-Cousins is the assertion by [student Jamison Whiting] that he was told by her that he couldn't leave an administrator's office until he agreed to call off a protest. Board member Rebecca Gagnon said that the testimony to the baord Tuyesday by Whiting and others was a matter of concern. “You have to investigate. Kids are …
Monday, April 8, 2013
The school administration posted a statement about the situation ahead of a planned student protest over the reported firing of Athletic Director Dan Pratt.
A statement posted on the Washburn High School website said (in full): Student Demonstration We understand that a large number of students may participate in a sit-in or walk-out at Washburn High School beginning on Monday, April 8. It has come to our attention that several hundred students, alumni and community members may participate in a demonstration in support of a Washburn staff member. As a precautionary measure, Washburn will be on a code yellow on Monday. We are working proactively to ensure that the potential demonstration remains safe for students and staff members, and causes as little disruption to the school day as possible. While we respect students’ rights to demonstrate, if a student chooses to participate, the absence …
44.914176
-93.281711
Washburn High School
201 W 49th St, Minneapolis, MN
/articles/walk-outs-won-t-be-excused-washburn-high-school-administrators-warn
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/locations/9190906
The Washburn High School athletic director is rumored to be fired soon in connection with the purchase of a new playing-field scoreboard.
Last update: 12:38 p.m. Monday, April 8. See below. Hundreds are showing their support for Washburn High School Athletic Director Dan Pratt Monday, as rumors of his firing swirl around the community. Not only are students, alumni and community members participating in a demonstration at the school today, an online petition has been started on Change.org. The petition is titled: "Athletic Director Dan Pratt: Remain as the Athletic Director at Washburn High school," and more than 200 supporters had signed the petition by 10:30 a.m. Monday. Update: The petition had 341 signatures by 9:30 p.m. Update: The petition had 239 signatures by 12:30 p.m. To see the petition, click here. Here are some of the comments supporters left on the petition: …
Photos show protesting students leaving school in support of fired athletic director Dan Pratt.
Students and alumni of Washburn High School took to Twitter Monday in anticipation of a student walkout in support of Athletic Director Dan Pratt, who the Star Tribune reported was fired in connection with the purchase of a new scoreboard for the athletic field. See the tweets in the Storify above or at Storify.com. Related: Follow us Southwest Minneapolis Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our free daily email newsletter
44.914176
-93.281711
Washburn High School
201 W 49th St, Minneapolis, MN
/articles/washburn-hs-walkout-talk-on-twitter
1602308
/locations/9191948
Students taking part will be suspended, school administration said. The Star Tribune reported that Athletic Director Dan Pratt was or will be fired in connection with the purchase of a new playing-field scoreboard.
Washburn High School is under a "Code Yellow" Monday in response to a planned student walk-out to protest the firing of Athletic Director Dan Pratt. See these related Southwest Minneapolis Patch posts: Update (10:20 a.m. Monday): Washburn student-athlete Felicia McRae told WCCO-AM students are willing to be suspended to help save Pratt's job. "We're trying to support someone we love and care about," she told the station. Original post (10 a.m. Monday): The Star Tribune reported Monday: District spokeswoman Rachel Hicks said this weekend that the alert, which normally is declared in response to a perceived security threat at a school, is being imposed as a precaution. Students are rallying in support of Pratt, and said that he has been …
44.914176
-93.281711
Washburn High School
201 W 49th St, Minneapolis, MN
/articles/washburn-hs-under-code-yellow-as-students-protest-ad-firing-reports
1602308
/locations/9190881
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Washburn, South High incidents blamed on "misunderstandings" and "ignorance" of African-American history and culture.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Principal calls incident "intolerable."
According to an open letter penned by Principal Carol Markham-Cousins, three Washburn High School students are in trouble for allegedly hanging a dark-skinned baby doll from a piece of string in a school stairwell on Jan. 11. According to the Star-Tribune, four students were involved. The students then posted the image on several social media websites, according to the letter (reproduced below). School security cameras recorded the incident and the students were the subjects of unspecified disciplinary action when the incident was uncovered that same day. School administrators, the letter read, will "promote open dialogue" within the school community to talk about race issues and build respect between students. Markham-Cousins' letter …
Caitlin Burgess
1:46 pm on Friday, April 12, 2013
A comment from Southwest Minneapolis Patch's Facebook page: William Henry Gustaf Bildsten: It is tragic that such an amazing principal, one who has turned around Washburn from the days of disposable principals, is being chastised for an investigation that she personally had no authority over. If everyone in any job made a mistake, as Dan Pratt supposedly has with the scoreboard and has Mrs … more ›