About

DSCN2214SARAH LAHM

I live in Minneapolis and work as an independent journalist.  Reach out at sarah.lahm@gmail.com.

Progressive Magazine Education Fellow

Featured Articles

In These Times: Rental Assistance and Food Stamps in Jeopardy Under Trump Shutdown

In These Times: An Oakland Coal Terminal is Officially Stalled–Thanks to a Labor-Environmental Alliance (March 2018)

Excerpt:

Many Oakland activists have fought the proposed coal project on broader environmental grounds. If Tagami’s development goes through, it would facilitate the shipping of coal from Oakland to coal-burning plants in Asia. But protesters and activist groups like the Union of Concerned Scientists have pointed out that burning coal brings climate change and threatens human and animal populations around the world.

The Progressive: Want Better Student Outcomes? Try Loving Cities (March 2018)

Excerpt:

The crowd inside St. Paul’s Galtier Community School on a recent Thursday night looked like a Hollywood casting agent’s dream—if that agent was trying to find actors cut from every swath of American life. Mingling on the carpeted steps of the school’s airy central meeting space were women in colorful hijab, babies sleeping on laps, men in dress shirts, young parents in jeans and Galtier t-shirts, and teachers, their blue work lanyards still circling their necks.

The Progressive: School Austerity Measures Come to the Suburbs (May 2016)

Excerpt:

Now this movement has extended its reach beyond the city and into areas once thought to have better schools—or, at least, wealthier parents and better protection from invasive, outside education reform groups. And, as parents and community members are figuring out, one group in particular seems to be leading this invasion: the Boston-based District Management Council. 

Other Things I’ve Written:

Alternet: Hysterical Right-Wing Falsely Attacks Public Schools for Indoctrination

The Progressive: Cashing In On Special-Needs Kids 

City Pages: Why the Minneapolis Schools are better than you think

Muck Rack: Updated compilation of my recent articles

The Progressive: The Secret Group that Wants to Take Over Your School 

In These Times:  Billionaire-Backed Group Spends Unprecedented $290K in Minneapolis School Board Race

Sarah’s writing has been featured on Have You Heard Blog, Living in Dialogue and Twin Cities Daily Planet.

Media Appearances, Some Better Than Others:

AM 1130, Minneapolis Up & At Em show

  • Appeared on the show’s “Ask a Liberal” segment to answer calls and discuss my August 1, 2015 “Boston Boondoggle for MPS?” blog post

AM 1130, Minneapolis Up & At ‘Em show

Education Town Hall, Washington D.C. We Act Radio

6 thoughts on “About

  1. Wondering if you know what must be a current achievement gap meme. Listening to “Reflections of New Minnesotans” with host, Julia Nekessa Opoti, right now, Sat. May 2. Overall topic was a DOJ program about youth terrorism and MPS involvement with it. Male guest (I didn’t catch his name) talked about “achievement gap” and the failure of MSP. Stated that Somali children enter kindergarten way ahead of other minority kids. He attributed it to fact that Somali kids go to weekend schools for years before they enter kindergarten. Then he said that by 3rd grade Somali kids have lost all their academic advantages and a firmly part of “achievement gap.” He soundly, but calmly and authoritatively condemned the “failure” of MSP for this and the overall achievement gap. He mention RT and Generation Next, but didn’t attribute his example to him or the organization.

    Is there any truth to this? I can find several stories from 2011 about Somali kindergartners being ready for school. (https://www.minnpost.com/community-sketchbook/2011/10/report-shows-somali-kids-test-kindergarten-ready-why)

    I can’t find corresponding stories or studies that shows that Somali children lose that advantage by third grade and are, in fact, lagging behind. One story from Dec 2014 reports on MSP dropping test scores, but testing director mentions that the dip was caused by about 12 Somali students and that the data isn’t accurate. (http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/286430671.html)

    Know anything about this? If true, it backs up the schools’ role in causing achievement gap. Or is this just the rephomry crowd sort of, semi creating their own self-serving “truth”?

  2. I am a teacher who is licensed in two areas, in English/Language Arts 7–12 and in ESL K–12 and also taught in Minneapolis and St. Paul schools and there is much information that I would like to tell you about. I also would like to follow news about these two districts. I used to teach in Minneapolis and I was abused by both students and staff.

  3. Hi Sarah,

    A few interesting thoughts on the MPS annual School Information Fair: Of note: School staff was out as usual to provide information to parents. Missing? School board members! In the past, District leadership was on hand to talk to parents and help school staff promote our schools. Not this year. While school staff spent the good part of our Saturday talking to prospective parents about the gift of our city schools, leadership was absent. No Superintendent, no school board members, no area superintendents. Really?!
    Leave the talking to teachers and principals who spent the week with the students, spending a Saturday promoting all that is great about our schools.
    Also, the event was poorly attended compared to previous years. Why?

  4. I’m curious to learn more about MPS payment to charter schools. Why does this happen? Can you do a story around this bizarre arrangement that undermines the state’s largest district?

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