History 21 The Podcast - 6.17 Northwest Passage High School

Northwest Passage is a charter high school in Coon Rapids that encourages project based learning for its students as well as expeditions outside of the classroom. In this episode, school staff member and ACHS volunteer, Erin Freitag, gathered her veteran coworkers to talk about the school’s history. Along the way they reminisce about the ways the school has changed since it was founded in 1999, how students engage and grow, as well as the maxim that everyone has their own poop story.

Join hosts Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator, and Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director, as they share this intriguing story.

History 21 The Podcast, History 21: The Podcast, PodcastSara GivenSeptember 4, 2026Anoka County Historical SocietyACHS, Season 6, Anoka County, episode 6.17, Northwest Passage, Charter Schools, Education, special education

1975 Handicapped Children’s Act, before and after

Horace Greeley talked about the education of all children in the 19th century. With the arrival of new immigrants, state legislators passed a compulsory attendance law in support of Greeley’s thinking to “melt” the different cultures into a common denominator. Greeley’s dream appeared to have become reality — almost. Children with disabilities attended trade classes with no academic instruction or stayed home. The Supreme Court decision of 1890 allowing “separate but equal” schools mirrored this contemporary thinking.

Herald ColumnsAnoka County Historical SocietyNovember 18, 2019Anoka County Historical Society1975 handicapped children's act, special education, students with disabilities, Zielin

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