Staff Lounge, 73

September 14, 2020

Check-in From Deputy Commissioner Heather Mueller

Ahhhh….September. The start of a new school year. For my family, September has always been our “Happy New Year.” We set goals (resolutions), and we are excited about all of the possibilities that the year has in store for us. This 2020-21 school year is different in so many ways. My husband Dean has taught seventh-grade math for 20 years, and this year he is teaching sixth- and seventh-grade math. My son, Ian, is a senior – a senior – I am on the verge of tears just writing it let alone living it. My daughter, Kendra, is a sophomore, no longer my baby girl. As a family, we are hopeful and sad about this school year. As education professionals and as students, we are sad and hopeful. The decision to invert hopeful and sad in the previous sentences is purposeful, and I think this may be true for a lot of us. As a family, we are hopeful and sad. We are hopeful that the 2020-21 school year will have some resemblance to what we had envisioned for a senior and sophomore in high school. We are hopeful that there will be school events – with people attending, students in classrooms, high-fives, handshakes and hugs, and people’s faces. We are hopeful that students can participate in the activities that bring them joy, and we are hopeful that that our school staff, our school peers, and their families stay well. We are sad because we know that within all of this hope lies the possibility that none of this will happen for our senior and sophomore children – and my heart breaks. As education professionals and students, we are sad and hopeful. As educators, my husband and I miss the full faces of our students and colleagues. We mourn the loss of a true first, first-day of kindergarten for families and the true last, first-day for our seniors. We are sad that school is forever changed. As students, they are sad because they only get to be a senior and sophomore in high school once, and this is true for every grade-level. They are sad because they are worried about building relationships with their teachers, and losing the opportunity to build new friendships in classes. They are sad because they know they have our support outside of school, and know that this is not the case for all of their friends and classmates. As professionals and as students we are hopeful about the possibilities these significant changes may bring to our education system. We are hopeful that we will have new ways of building relationships with our school staff, students, and peers. We are hopeful that we are rebuilding a system that better meets the needs of all students, specifically our students of color and our indigenous students. We are hopeful that we are stronger, and we are better. We each bring multiple lenses to our work with us every day. I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, in-law, neighbor, community member, and an educator. This unprecedented time in our world, and in our schools, has had me vacillating between hope and sadness, sadness and hope. Today, I choose hope.

MDE Donation Drive for People Serving People

Help Minnesota Families Experiencing Homelessness by Donating Items or Money to this Emergency Shelter for Families by Friday, Sept. 18

Our MDE Donation Drive for People Serving People runs through Friday, Sept. 18. People Serving People is the largest and most comprehensive emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness in Minnesota and a dedicated leader in homelessness prevention. After discussions in the MDE All-Staff Meeting and staff input, the Donation Drive for People Serving People was chosen as the collective way for our MDE staff to give back to our community. It is being done in place of our traditional backpack drive.

Please consider donating items needed by People Serving People or consider donating money to the organization between now and Friday, Sept. 18. Items can be purchased and dropped off at their Minneapolis location or conveniently ordered from Amazon.com or Target.com and delivered directly to their shelter. Visit the Needed Items webpage for details on what items are needed, drop-off locations and how to shop online.

If you wish to make a cash donation between now and Friday, Sept. 18, please visit the People Serving People “You Can Help End Family Instability” webpage.

People Serving People offers crisis response and emergency shelter, advocacy, an early childhood development program, family activities, financial fitness, K-12 programs, parent engagement, supportive housing and a technology resource center. Learn more about the programs and services People Serving People provides on their web page.

By supporting the comprehensive services at People Serving People, you are helping children and families experiencing homelessness and other adversities build a strong foundation for their long-term success.

Getting Your Flu Vaccine This Year is More Important Than Ever During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Clinic Options Make Getting the Flu Vaccine for Yourself and Your Family Easy

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever to protect yourself and others from the flu. One of the easiest and most effective ways you can do this is by getting your annual flu vaccine.

Three Ways to Get Your Flu Vaccine

• MDE is hosting one, employee-only clinic on Monday, Sept. 28, 12-4 p.m. at MDE in CC-14 Conference Center A.
  • Employees do not need to schedule times, simply come to the office and enter the building at the Conference Center A entrance. You will need to wear a mask.
  • You will be asked our standard health screening questions, and upon approval, admitted to the vaccination clinic in CC-14.
  • When you are done you will be directed on how to exit the building.

Please note: If you would like to enter the building to also get supplies or pick up items while you are on site, you will need to make an appointment on our Agency Services calendar and enter the building through the West Building Dock Entrance as per our normal procedures.

• All employee and family clinics. Schedule a time for you and family members to get vaccinated. Learn more about the dates, times, and locations of these clinics at mn.gov/flu.
• Choose your clinic. If you prefer, you can also get your flu shot with your health care provider or clinic of your choice.

Get your flu shot. Get rewarded.
Members will also earn 100 points toward our well-being program for getting a flu shot and reporting it in Virgin Pulse. You must earn a total of 200 points by Oct. 31 and we’ll pay $70 of your deductible next year.

Employee Spotlight Meet Tanya Derby, Complaint Investigator in Compliance and Assistance

Act Now! Complete the Well-Being Program by Oct. 31 to Earn Your Reward If you haven’t already done so, remember to participate in this year’s well-being program to support your health while also getting a reward. When you participate in healthy activities, you earn points. Earn 200 points by Oct. 31, 2020, and we’ll pay the first $70 of your deductible in 2021. Visit the well-being program webpage to learn more about program. How Do You Earn Points? One way to earn points is by completing the health assessment. Learn more about your overall health and well-being by completing the health assessment Virgin Pulse. Need other ideas to get you going? Review the well-being program’s activities list.

Presentation to Offer Deeper Dive into FY21 MDE Budgets

You're invited to attend one of two optional presentations for anyone who is interested in learning more about the FY21 MDE budgets. We hope that you can attend one of the meetings so that we can help answer any questions you may have regarding MDE's budget. All MDE staff were sent calendar Invitations for the optional meetings. Don't have it on your calendar? Here are the meeting options:

• Thursday, Oct. 1, 1-2:30 p.m., Join Microsoft Teams October 1.
• Friday, Oct. 2, 9-10:30 a.m., Join Microsoft Teams October 2.

If you have any questions, please contact Rene Huelsman-Peterson.

Agency Updates Related to COVID-19 Work

Gov. Walz Signs Executive Order Extending COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency

On Friday, Sept. 11, following the advice of public health experts, senior advocates, labor leaders, doctors, hospitals, and long-term care providers, Governor Walz signed Executive Order 20-89, extending the COVID-19 peacetime emergency that gives the state flexibility in responding to rapidly-evolving issues stemming from COVID-19.

Learning Model Portal and Online Tools Launched
MDE launched the Learning Model Portal for school districts and charter schools to report their learning models. The portal is integrated in the District and School Site Verification application, and accessible through the Education Identity & Access Management (EDIAM) system. To help school districts and charter schools in Learning Model Portal, MDE developed a user guide for Learning Model Portal.

On Friday, Sept. 11, MDE launched two online tools that will provide Minnesotans with information on school districts and charter schools this year, the Safe Learning Model Look-Up and Safe Learning Model Dashboard. The Safe Learning Model Look-Up allows users to look up a school district or charter school’s learning model(s). The Safe Learning Model Dashboard allows users to sort learning model data collected from school districts and charter schools.

2020-21 School Year Begins

Tuesday, Sept. 10 was the first day of school for many students. Governor Tim Walz, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, and Commissioner Ricker kicked off the new school year by visiting schools in person and virtually. Tuesday was also the beginning of a statewide Safe Learning Tour. Over the next few weeks, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor will visit with students and educators at schools across the state, including Wyoming, Bloomington, Mankato, Saint Paul, Moorhead, Duluth, and more.

COVID-19 Coordinators MeetOn Wednesday, Sept. 2, a meeting was held for District and Charter School COVID-19 Coordinators. They here they were introduced to the Regional Support Teams, given updates and engaged with MDE and Minnesota Department of Health staff.

COVID-19 Saliva Tests for Teachers, School Staff and Childcare Providers
On Thursday, Sept. 3, Governor Tim Walz announced that teachers, school staff, and childcare providers across the state have received access to their free COVID-19 saliva test, totaling more than 250,000 tests.

On Thursday, Sept. 3, MDE emailed thousands of unique codes that can be used to request a saliva test, which schools will distribute to all staff currently employed by Minnesota’s school districts, charter schools, tribal schools, and nonpublic schools.

Saliva Test FAQs

The Minnesota Department of Education has created a new COVID-19 saliva test frequently asked questions document for COVID Coordinators. This document is separate from the Minnesota Department of Health's COVID-19 Saliva Testing for Public and Private Teachers and School Staff: Frequently Asked Questions.

New Health Resources for Schools Webpage
We've added a new sub-page to the COVID-19 Updates web page, called Health Resources for Schools. This page includes MDH resources, signage for school facilities and information on the Regional Support Teams and saliva tests for school staff. We will continue to add resources to this page, so please check back often.

New Employee

Moi Boudoir, Equity and Opportunity

Separated Employee

Nawal Thabit, Office of Early Learning

Wanted: Your Stories and Shout-Outs

There is a lot of amazing work going on throughout the agency to support our school communities, our communities and each other during this time. If you have a story to share, or want to give a shout-out to one of your colleagues who has truly stepped up during this unprecedented time, please tell us! We will try to use a few of those stories in a future issue of Staff Lounge. Send your feel good story or shout-out to the communications team.

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