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.
Education
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.
‘I’m just trying to keep an open mind’: What the first day of distance learning looked like in Minnesota
The remote school day has thrust parents into new roles as ad hoc education assistants and challenged teachers to make their lessons available to all students despite technology barriers, language barriers and more.
Lack of broadband access adds to challenges for school districts in Greater Minnesota
From adding Wi-Fi hotspots to offering grab-and-go flash drives, rural districts are creating ways to help students get schoolwork done remotely.
‘I don’t know what we’d do without it’: How school-based child care for emergency workers has rolled out in Minnesota
Districts responded quickly to the governor’s directive to pull together on-site child care for emergency workers, in an effort to help stem a ripple effect that school closures could have on the state’s ability to respond to COVID-19.
How Minnesota schools are preparing for distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Distance learning is defined by the state Department of Education as each student receiving a daily interaction with their licensed teachers and receiving appropriate, equitable educational materials.
Walz orders all Minnesota schools to close for 8 days; 35 cases of COVID-19 now confirmed
The closure is meant to give districts time to figure out what instruction will look like for the rest of the school year.
What striking St. Paul teachers are saying on the picket line
St. Paul educators say the need for increased student supports — for English language learners, for special education students, for those in need of mental health services — has reached a critical point.
Charter schools that serve immigrant and refugee families watching desegregation lawsuit
The lawsuit was filed by a group of parents in 2015 and is currently in mediation.
State auditors suggest new ways to track effectiveness of funds allocated to high-poverty schools
Staff from the Office of the Legislative Auditor reported to members of the state House Education Finance committee on Wednesday.
Some colleges and universities are bringing the classroom to the workplace
To build career skills, faculty teach fermentation at a brewery, hospitality at a ski resort.
The Page-Kashkari proposal for a constitutional right to ‘quality public education’ finds support at the Capitol
The mix of co-signers on Rep. Rena Moran’s bill indicates that this issue has the potential to transcend party politics.
