MINNEAPOLIS — As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, more school districts are moving to distance learning. But navigating the ever-changing decisions can be rough for both students and parents.
For parent Sarah Bedell, life is understandably a whirlwind. She not only works full-time, she is also mom to 8-year-old Harper who is going to third grade strictly online in the Roseville Area School District.
"It just seems like we're all trying to figure it out as we go," said Bedell. "Staying home for us was the right decision because we couldn't afford to ping pong back and forth."
The Roseville School District started distance learning at the beginning of the year, but transitioned to a hybrid model. Many districts are modifying their learning plans based on the rising number of COVID-19 cases and the ever-changing decisions are keeping parent's heads on a swivel; but the Deputy Commissioner of Education says they don't have any intention to change their Safe Learning Plan that was released this summer.
"Our model is working the best that it can work at this point in time," says Dr. Heather Mueller, Minnesota's Deputy Commissioner of Education.
There are five steps to determine one of three safe learning models and that will vary even from school to school within districts.
"Our goal in this process is to be flexible with the learning plans, but also to be flexible with what we're seeing spread in our community," says Dr. Mueller. "And we've always really wanted to have that localized, data-driven approach and that's what we've set out to do."
So while mom Sarah can keep her daughter Harper at home, mom Laura Evenson's seven-year-old son will switch from in-person learning to a hybrid model within the Forest Lake School District next month.
"You have to allow for that grace," Evenson said. "Everything is changing, day by day, minute by minute."
As the number of Covid-19 cases keeps changing everyday, it's parent's ability to keep juggling their children's education that will have to stay the same - for now.
Dr. Mueller says she'll also keep working with the Department of Health to decide if and when schools need to switch between learning models.