Coronavirus In Minnesota: Students, Parents Prepare For Sudden Shifts In Learning Models
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A southeast Minnesota school district called off classes Monday to shift into a different learning model, only a week after the first day.
St. Charles Public Schools posted on its Facebook page Sunday evening that due to "recent spikes in COVID-19 activity in Winona County," it would be transitioning into hybrid learning for all students, at least through the end of the week.
READ MORE: Thousands Of Minnesota Students Return Back To The Classrooms
Laura Spitzer, a mother of an eighth grader in the district, says the note came as a little bit of a shock.
"We're all going with the flow," Spitzer said. "We don't know a lot."
Spitzer would like some consistency for her son.
"For a parent, it's hard to see them struggle," she said. "I can't be mad or angry just because otherwise he'll get mad and angry and frustrated and, you know, act out."
St. Charles Superintendent Jeff Apse told WCCO they will re-evaluate at the end of this week, but this is how the school year could go -- making changes on the fly and shifting back and forth between learning models.
READ MORE: How Parents Can Help Kids Adjust To Wearing Face Masks In School
The Minnesota Department of Education has outlined when it's appropriate to transition between learning models, but doesn't detail exactly how those transitions would, or should, be pulled off.
In St. Charles, Monday's canceled classes also included all staff being required to come in to help prepare for Tuesday.
"We're a community that just pulls together, and we try to make the best of everything, so we're just making the best out of everything that we can," Spitzer said.
For all the uncertainty, Spitzer praised the district for its communication with families, and how the administration is handling everything.
