Class Is In Session–Somehow
Much was made this past Friday when at a news conference, Gov. Kim Reynolds noted that the presumption was that schools would reopen with in-person instruction, and any school that did not have at least 50 percent in-person instruction would have to come up with a new plan.
The outrage doesn’t make much sense to me.
Months ago, schools were required to submit “Return to Learn” proposals to the state education department, outlining various scenarios…100 percent in person learning, 100 percent on line learning, and a hybrid of the two. The idea was that as we knew more and got closer in time to the start of school, plans could be put in place that made the most sense.
In addition, last month the legislature passed a provision–now, law–indicating that schools should be presumed to be all-in-person…that was the presumed norm, now as in the past, and any deviation from that presumption would require special circumstances.
Schools have been testing various scenarios with their staff, parents and students…all subject to change. Which is why Friday’s outcry made little sense to me. Some complained that if in-person was the presumption, why did schools have to submit multiple options?
Precisely because in-person is the presumption, not the mandate. And plans have to be in place for whatever contingency a certain district, or region, needs to use depending on local circumstances.
But to hear some folks, the governor dropped a bomb Friday that caught everyone off guard. Maybe those who didn’t pay attention to the law or directives…but it shouldn’t have been such a shock. Waivers to the norm can be granted, but anyone who doesn’t think the target should be “back to normal”, even in a new normal, has a different agenda beyond keeping society safe and educating children.
