ANOKA, Minn. — While the Anoka-Hennepin school board members are holding a meeting Monday, members of Anoka-Hennepin Education Minnesota (AHEM) will rally outside, calling for a safe education plan for the fall.
AHEM, in a press release, said that safety and equity to be at the core of education plans for the upcoming fall semester, especially students and staff of color. The union also wants transparency in current and future communications.
“As the district has developed its plan, educators have not heard a consistent message – whether that is about safety, ventilation, educator workloads, child care opportunities, assignments, and more,” said AHEM President Val Holthus. “We want to be back in school with our students safely. We want our school buildings to not only reopen but to stay open safely. We want the district to make sure learning is safe for all students, and working conditions are safe for all educators."
The meeting begins Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Sandburg Education Center.
The Anoka-Hennepin District announced that they would use a hybrid learning plan for the fall on July 31. Under the plan, kindergarten through 12th grade students will attend classes in-person two days each week, and via virtual learning for the other three days of the week.
At that time, the district said more specifics about the plan would be released on Aug. 14.
This week, teachers are scheduled to return to their classrooms to prep for the fall, the same as they would ahead of the class orientation on Sept. 8. Classes are set to begin instruction on Sept. 15.
But many teachers say they haven't gotten consistent messages about plans for the upcoming fall.
The district says they're working with health officials, and that every effort is being made to ensure safety.
Anoka-Hennepin is one of the largest school districts in Minnesota, serving around 38,000 students.
St. Paul and Minneapolis Public Schools have both opted to begin their school year in a remote learning model.