Minnesota public schools on Thursday will get much-anticipated guidance from state officials on what a return to class might look like during the coronavirus pandemic this fall.
The ruling, to be announced at 2 p.m., comes at a time when optimism is fading across the country about whether students can head back to school safely.
In a review of U.S. school reopening plans, the Center for Reinventing Public Education said Tuesday that of 56 out of 90 districts and charter schools plan to start the year with remote learning. Eighteen are planning for a hybrid model while just 16 expect full in-person instruction.
“These decisions represent a seismic shift over just a few weeks, and appear to be primarily in direct response to directives or warnings from county or state health officials,” the research center wrote.
ONLINE, HYBRID OPTIONS CONSIDERED
Minneapolis Public Schools said Tuesday that it, too, was planning to start with fully online instruction in September while also allowing students to get in-person help at school.
Even U.S. colleges are increasingly skittish about in-person classes.
The Chronicle of Higher Education found an even split between those planning for in-person classes this fall and those looking at other options, such as hybrid or fully online instruction.
The University of Minnesota, which last month announced a return to primarily in-person instruction for the fall, said as of Tuesday that just 30 percent of its classes now are slated for some level of in-person delivery.
For Minnesota State colleges and universities, 56 percent of classes now are set to take place in-person.
WHAT METRICS SHOW
Gov. Tim Walz and state education officials on June 18 directed public school leaders to prepare for three different scenarios for the 2020-21 school year:
- In-person instruction with various health and safety precautions but without strict social distancing;
- A hybrid approach in which schools and buses operated at no more than 50 percent capacity;
- And fully online course delivery.
At that time, the state indicated they’d allow for in-person instruction “if state COVID-19 metrics continue to stabilize and/or improve.”
Since then, only two of the five metrics on the state’s “dial back dashboard” — hospitalization rate and diagnostic testing volume — have improved.
Meanwhile, the state is seeing more confirmed cases, a greater percentage of tests are coming back positive, and more people are being infected by unknown sources.
The indicators for case growth, hospitalization rate and community spread are in the “caution” zone.
Much could change though in the almost six weeks before classes resume and health officials hope a new statewide mandate on face coverings will help.
ANXIOUS SURVEYS
Surveys also point to widespread reluctance to reopen schools.
Education Minnesota, the state teachers union, polled its members July 16-20 and found 49 percent of those who responded preferred to start the school year with distance learning; 29 percent favored hybrid classes, 17 percent in-person instruction and 5 percent something else.
The Minnesota Department of Education posted an unscientific survey on its website from June 15 through July 6 that found 64 percent of respondents were “comfortable sending your student(s) back to a classroom this fall.”
Eleven percent said they were uncomfortable and 24 percent were unsure.
Whatever state officials say on Thursday, Minnesota schools will be required to offer distance learning for any students who want it.