Minnesota Student Will Be Continuing Distance Learning For The Rest Of The Year

It's already been more than a month since Minnesota students were last in school classrooms.

DULUTH, Minn. – All Minnesota k-12 schools are remaining closed for the rest of the academic school year.

Governor Tim Walz made the announcement earlier today as a further precaution to flatten the curve of the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s already been more than a month since Minnesota students were last in school classrooms.

Most academic school years in the state end in May.

But with many health experts still expecting Minnesota to see an increase in cases during the pandemic, it has become critical to continue social distancing.

Governor Walz says this decision is heartbreaking for all, especially for the class of 2020 students who are losing out on major milestones.

“You will not be defined by staying home, by missing proms and graduations. You will be defined by understanding how interconnected our world is and about what it means to come together to try and solve hard problems,” said Governor Walz.

This new executive order to close all k-12 schools for the rest of the school year is forcing hundreds of thousands of students and teachers to adapt to distance learning.

This also means school districts will have to come up with plans on how to implement the new learning model long term.

Cloquet Schools Superintendent Michael Cary says “the key piece is considering how we are going to meet all of the different needs of our students. When you work with a few thousand students they have different supports that they need. We are going to need a little time with our administrative team to talk about specific things we need to adjust.”

Transitioning to long term distance learning could come with its challenges.

Due to the lack of broadband, this new normal could be more difficult for communities of color including the indigenous.

This challenge also can have major impacts on rural communities.
the Carlton School district has already taken steps to help eliminate that problem.

“We know the internet is not just a yes or no. Its a quality issue. The Carlton District has provided many families with hot spots that we are paying for to help support them with this,” said Carlton Schools Superintendent Gwen Carman.

Governor Walz also announced he is aggressively pursuing opportunities to expand technology for students and teachers to help allow for a successful academic year under this new distance learning model.

Although schools are closed for the rest of the year, Governor Walz’s Stay-at-home order is still in effect only until May 4th.