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September 11, 2020
Updates in this email:
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has issued a clarification of the recommendation for when children need to stay home or be excluded from school or child care if someone in their household is being tested for COVID-19 or waiting for test results. Please see this memo to schools, local public health, and other stakeholders from MDH.
COVID-19 Decision Tree
For Families: COVID-19 Attendance Guide for Parents and Families (PDF)
As school districts and charter schools navigate this challenging school year, the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board has determined that they will not enforce the 15-day posting period for districts requesting an out-of-field permission. Read the full memo.
Last week, the USDA announced that the summer food service program (SFSP) is extended through December 31, 2020. MDE has published a memo and a Q and A document related to this announcement. Both documents are available on the Food and Nutrition COVID-19 Resources page of the MDE website.
MDE encourages districts to welcome students wishing to return to or enroll for the first time, in their regular, resident public school district. Students may be coming back unexpectedly from open enrollment, charter schools, homeschools or private schools. Their arrival may not be timed ideally for district planning. However, we encourage school districts to be as flexible as possible to accommodate student safety and needs. This could include waiving the January 15 deadline for giving notice of returning to the resident district. For compulsory instruction purposes, the resident district is the default district where instruction must be provided. Please extend a warm “Welcome Home!” to students newly arriving or returning to the resident public school district now and throughout the school year.
October Teacher Development and Evaluation / Q Comp Network Meetings
In October, MDE will host additional networking sessions supporting the implementation of Teacher Development and Evaluation (TDE) and Q Comp. These optional sessions are intended to provide spaces for local coordinators or members of local leadership teams to trouble-shoot and collaborate as we navigate different school scenarios.
Come join other coordinators to discuss TDE/Q Comp implementation topics, including but not limited to professional learning communities, summative or high cycle evaluations, or observation practices, and how these TDE/Q Comp activities are being modified to suit distance learning or hybrid scenarios. Please bring questions, ideas, and any resources to share as this will be a format in which we can all problem solve and learn from each other. Intended Audience – Local coordinators and leaders of Q Comp or teacher development and evaluation (TDE). Space is limited to 100 participants, and facilitators will create smaller groups for discussion. October Session Registrations – Use the links below to register. Tuesday, October 6, 9-10 a.m.
Thursday, October 8, 2.30-3:30 p.m.
Agenda – This is a participant-driven agenda, so no session will be entirely alike. The only limit on the conversation is a focus on local coordinators work to support the educator workforce through the implementation of TDE/Q Comp. Please note: These Q&A offerings will not be recorded. However, we will publish key messages and resources following the sessions. If you have any questions or to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at mde.q-comp@state.mn.us.
Q Comp Program Coordinator Training
MDE's Division of School Support is offering a training session for new and existing coordinators. The session will focus on Q Comp funding, common program questions, the Q Comp Continuous Improvement Model and important deadlines. The session will address any participant questions or concerns.
The session will be offered on two occasions in order to meet the needs of as many districts/schools as possible.
If you have questions or need assistance with registration, please contact Kristie Anderson at 651-582-8860 or kristie.anderson@state.mn.us.
To request reasonable accommodation, please contact Kristie Anderson (651-582-8860 or Kristie.anderson@state.mn.us) at least two weeks prior to the session.
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