Mary Cathryn Ricker, Minnesota's new education commissioner, brings 'solution-driven ambition' to state's schools

In her first weeks leading the Minnesota Department of Education as commissioner, Mary Cathryn Ricker has been spending some time in her past.

There was a visit to her Iron Range alma mater: Hibbing High School, where a long-ago stint as "teacher for the day" cemented her decision to follow her father and grandfather into teaching. This week, she made a stop at Hopkins West Junior High, where she sat in a circle with students, posing questions and evaluating their responses - much as she'd done in the middle schools where she spent most of her teaching career.

http://www.startribune.com/mary-cathryn-ricker-minnesota-s-new-education-commissioner-brings-solution-driven-ambition-to-state-s-schools/505754812/