Districts to choose their own back-to-school approach in Minnesota, with some key guidance from state officials
Here’s what you need to know about the baseline criteria set by the state.
Erin Hinrichs
Erin Hinrichs is MinnPost’s education reporter. She can be reached at ehinrichs@minnpost.com, and you can follow her on twitter at @Erin_Hinrichs.
Minnesota’s social studies standards are up for review — and BIPOC committee members seek major reforms
This process only happens once every 10 years, and it kicked off earlier this month.
How do substitute teachers fit into back-to-school plans? Demand could spike — or plummet.
If some form of in-classroom learning resumes, the need for substitute teachers could spike. If this fall includes a return to full-on distance learning, the need for subs could plummet.
Minnesota students, alumni launch anti-racist education reform campaigns
Petitions have been circulating on social media the past month or so, demanding school reforms in Minnetonka, Eastern Carver County, Rochester and elsewhere.
Social distancing on a school bus? Industry leaders in Minnesota explore options for a safe return
“Social distancing on a school bus, we feel, is going to be a challenge,” said Shelly Jonas, executive director of the Minnesota School Bus Operators Association, adding she and her colleagues are more interested in having students wear masks and in enhancing cleaning routines.
No police in schools? This Minnesota district committed to an alternative four years ago
“When an officer responds to a situation, their mindset is they want to control it. That’s not what we do here. We don’t control young people,” said Theon Jarrett at ISD 287. “We do our best to support, listen to them, validate them, give them a voice, then get them back to class.”
Despite new calls to fix Minnesota’s educational disparities, major policy reforms aren’t guaranteed in 2020
State legislators came close to passing an omnibus education policy bill during the regular session’s final moments, but it didn’t happen. Now two bills are being considered in the House.
Minnesota’s 2020 graduates take nontraditional ceremonies in stride
This past weekend marked the final wave of regularly scheduled high school graduation ceremonies in Minnesota.
Young kids need to be part of conversations about racism, early childhood educators say. Here’s why.
“Really, the early childhood years are pretty critical for laying some groundwork in equity and justice,” said Amy Betz, an early childhood specialist at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development.
State efforts to close internet gap hampering distance learning aren’t being expedited — at least for now
“This is as important as school buses, as textbooks, as teachers,” said Fred Nolan, executive director of the Minnesota Rural Education Association. “This has become an essential part of providing education, daily, for students throughout the state.”
How COVID-19 has interrupted — and modified — teacher licensure in Minnesota
State lawmakers passed a six-month extension for all teacher licenses that were set to expire after June 30.
After hearing praise and pleas to hit pause, Minneapolis Public Schools board OKs district redesign plan
As board members listened to more than 100 supporters and opponents in a virtual meeting, critics held a drive-by protest outside district headquarters. In the end, the vote to approve was 6-3.
Minnesota school-district leaders grapple with new financial uncertainties amid pandemic
The shift to distance learning has prompted districts to invest in technology, prepare and deliver meals to students and incur other COVID-related expenses even as fee-based programs have been canceled.
Minnesota schools may now host on-site assessments that can’t be done remotely
Assessments related to bilingual and multilingual seals that cannot be proctored at home are now allowed to take place on school grounds. So can certain hands-on course completion requirements.
‘I am very confused, to be honest’: Minnesota students, parents and educators reflect on four weeks of distance learning
Many have settled into a new school-at-home routine. Others are questioning whether this new format is sustainable, or even effective. And many are still stuck in limbo — waiting on devices and reliable internet connections.
Minnesota students will finish the school year from home, but graduation plans remain in limbo
“We want to make sure to do something special for our graduates,” said Superintendent James Guetter of Red Lake County Central and Red Lake Falls Schools.
How many students are still attending school while at home? New numbers paint an incomplete picture.
State education officials are still asking districts to track student attendance. But they’ve granted districts more flexibility in how they do so.
Headed toward a final vote, the Minneapolis Public Schools redesign plan moves magnet schools and boundaries
For now, the board is slated to continue its discussion of the final proposal at its next virtual board meeting, on April 28, with a possible vote to follow on May 12. That timeline could change.
AP exams scheduled for May, IB exams canceled — and students left feeling torn
This is uncharted territory for all involved, and students still have lots of questions — and mixed feelings — about how this will all work out in the weeks ahead.
Amid COVID-19 uncertainties, Minnesota colleges are trying to hang on to prospective students
Admissions officials at Minnesota’s colleges and universities are hoping that all the ways that they’ve adapted in the wake of the pandemic will offer prospective students reassurance — and keep schools’ enrollments on track.
