The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) awarded Innovation Research Zone status to Benson Public Schools, starting this school year. Benson is one of only three rural district collaboratives that received the innovation designation.
“This year Benson Schools is embarking on a journey to build a culture of innovation that will serve as an example for others in our state and beyond,” said Dennis Laumeyer, superintendent of Benson Schools, which received the designation in partnership with Montevideo Public Schools.
The Minnesota Legislature enacted this new program in 2017 to enable school districts and charter school an opportunity to test new ideas in K-12 education. This designation is designed to remove barriers and give the school recipients some flexibility in state mandates.
“We excited about how this will enable us to further unleash our students and staff to develop their strengths, uncover new opportunities and be leaders in learning,” Laumeyer said.
Designated schools research and implement innovative approaches to learning. These new approaches can be based on existing models or an emerging practice not yet supported by research.
“This designation will enable us to get better results for our Benson students and help other schools in Minnesota implement innovative practices that achieve desired learning outcomes,” Laumeyer said.