School Reopening Announced
On Wednesday, Governor Walz released his plan aimed at getting more middle and high school students back in the classroom with a target of all schools offering some form of in-person learning by March 8th. The plan is not a major shift from current practice.
We need to safely reopen our schools as quickly as possible. Over the course of the last several months, it has become clear that the science and data show that we can do so. In fact, the Governor's own numbers indicate that transmission in schools for teachers is nearly zero.
The impact school closures are having on student mental health, social wellbeing, and academic achievement has been devastating. The Governor's choice to delay reopening schools until now is going to have long-term consequences, especially for at-risk students.
High level details from the Governor’s announcement include:
On February 22, Middle schools and high schools may begin either hybrid or in-person learning, if they are able to implement the additional mitigation strategies.
If a school with either a hybrid or in-person learning model sees five percent of students and staff sent home with influenza- or COVID-19-like illness within a single week, these schools are strongly encouraged to transition a more restrictive learning model.
Additional mitigation steps include:
- Students encouraged to be tested every two-weeks.
- Physical distancing in the classroom.
- Daily documentation of lunchroom seating for contact tracing.
- Continue monitoring public health situation within school buildings and follow guidelines on learning models.
- Distance learning options still required for families and students that want to continue at-home learning.
It's time to get our students back in school, they cannot afford to wait any longer.
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