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February 5, 2021
Updates in this email:
School staff who were vaccinated during the first week of the COVID-19 vaccine pilot (between January 21 and January 23) will receive their second dose of the vaccine next week.
With the exception of those who received their first dose at the former Andover site who will now be receiving their second dose of the vaccine at the Blaine site, all educators, school staff and child care workers will receive their second dose of the vaccine at the same location they received their first dose.
Staff who have questions about their second dose should contact support@primarybio.com or 1-833-431-2053. Note that staff may not change locations for their second dose.
As more staff participate in onsite testing programs and get vaccinated it is likely that questions will bubble up. Below is guidance on how to address questions about remaining in school, or engaging with students, while waiting for test results, and if educators should continue to test after they have received the vaccine.
Can school staff still go to work while waiting for test results?
School staff without symptoms or known exposure should continue to go to work while waiting for test results. If a staff member is experiencing symptoms or has knowingly been exposed to COVID-19, they should consult their healthcare provider to get a test and should follow quarantine guidance. For more information, see I Got Tested – Now What?
Should school staff continue to participate in ongoing COVID-19 saliva testing if they have already received one or two doses of vaccine?
Yes, they absolutely should! MDH recommends that educators and school staff who elect to participate in their schools’ onsite testing program continue to do so until even after they receive their second dose of vaccine. It is also important to continue to follow all public health guidance to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The Minnesota Department of Health's recently-updated COVID-19 testing recommendations focus primarily on young Minnesotans - especially those ages 12-25. The recommendations expand the category of people who should get tested to include students returning to school, youth sports, or extracurricular activities, among others.
There is no expectation or requirement that the schools participating in MDE’s on-site testing program offer tests to their students. This was a message for parents to help give them another way to support keeping their school communities healthy and safe.
Minnesota has an extensive statewide testing operation. Parents and guardians have several ways in which they can access no-barrier testing for their children outside of school. This includes more than 20 community testing sites, a mail-order at-home test program, and clinics and hospitals across the state. A reminder, tests remain no-cost to the individual but they are asked to provide their insurance information so the state can seek reimbursement from insurance companies.
Please share information about testing opportunities with families in your school communities. Learn more at mn.gov/covid19/testing.
Approaches to Grow Your Own Educator Programs in Minnesota: Pathways for Paraprofessionals
Minnesota is home to an increasingly racially and linguistically diverse student population, yet the state’s educator workforce has failed to keep pace with these demographic changes. While 34 percent of students in the state are students of color, only 5 percent of teachers are teachers of color or American Indian teachers. In response to these gaps, the state has adopted legislation to remove some testing barriers, made changes to teacher licensure, established various grant programs, and invested in the development of Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher preparation programs. Please join New America, The Coalition to Increase Teachers of Color and American Indian Teachers in Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Education, and local GYO program leaders and participants for a conversation about how Grow Your Own programs in Minnesota are being used to increase teacher diversity and to remove barriers to entering the teaching profession, and about proposals to expand GYO program types across the state. The event will be focused on pathways for adults via teacher residency and other models of teacher preparation.
Audience: School, district and charter leaders, community organizations and advocates, professional organizations, and others interested in strategies to ensure students have equitable access to a diverse and effective educator workforce.
Event Information: Wednesday, February 10, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Registration: Visit the event page at New America to RSVP.
Strengthening Student and Family Engagement Webinar Series
There are three more opportunities in the family engagement webinar series from TNTP, and there is still time to register for the remaining sessions. This training series is supporting districts in creating and maintaining momentum around academic learning through authentic engagement that leads to positive student experiences, increased student attendance, and ultimately, stronger academic outcomes this school year and beyond. The remaining sessions in the series will focus on
- Intentional Culture and Diversity—Whose Voices are We Missing?
- Authentic Collaboration
- Leveraging and Supporting Staff
- Long Term and Sustained Authentic Engagement—Planning Ahead
Please share this opportunity with other leaders in your district.
View the session flyer to find out more about the series, see webinar dates, and review individual session outcomes.
Register for this training opportunity.
For additional questions, please contact Jacqueline Blagsvedt at jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us.
If you need reasonable accommodations to register or participate in this opportunity, please contact liz.vanleer@tntp.org.
Fiscal Year 2021 Literacy Incentive Aid
Documentation for Fiscal Year 2021 Literacy Incentive Aid is available on the Minnesota Department of Education Funding Projections and Trends website. The documentation includes the calculation workbook and a memorandum outlining changes for Fiscal 2021. If you have any questions, please contact Kristine Anderson.
Governor’s Fiscal Year 2022-23 Recommendations
MDE's school finance team has calculated the district-by-district impact of the governor’s recommendations for general education, voluntary prekindergarten (VPK), special education and school support. These have been posted to the Funding Projections and Trends webpage. In addition, runs showing the aid and levy impact of VPK and the equalization proposals for local optional revenue (LOR), referendum, and debt service have been posted.
Assessing Impact through Q Comp Program Review/Evaluation
Q Comp coordinators, oversight teams, and other program managers are invited to a 90-minute webinar on Q Comp program review. This session will provide background to help teams understand what Q Comp program review is and why it is important to program success. Teams will also explore how the design and goals of their programs relate to the review process, and how to measure the impact that learning models (distance, hybrid, and in-person) have had on their programs during the school year. The session will be offered at 9:00-10:30am and repeated at 2:30-4:00 on March 10, 2021.
Register for one of the March 10, 2021 sessions.
If you have questions, need assistance with registering, or prefer to register by phone, please call or email Kristie Anderson, Teacher Effectiveness Specialist, 651-582-8860, kristie.anderson@state.mn.us.
Please contact Kristie Anderson (651-582-8860 or kristie.anderson@state.mn.us) at least two weeks prior to the event to request reasonable accommodations.
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