Legislative Advocacy Communications
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Dear Sir/Madam,
On behalf of the MASSP Western Division Principals, we urge you to advocate for further guidance and legislation to support school districts in rural Minnesota throughout our distance learning period due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our schools are working diligently to provide an equitable education for all of our students throughout this process. We are in a position to serve our families just as you serve your constituents in your area. What we are asking is that you take an opportunity to consider a few items as we finish the 19-20 school year and move into the 20-21 school year.
We feel that during this time, we have to take a greater look at our students from the “inside-out”. The social/emotional and mental well-being of our students is of high priority. In the fall, would it be feasible to begin the school year prior to Labor Day to take time to reconnect with our students and cater to their social/emotional needs prior to diving into the instructional portion of the year. We understand that our students will be returning to us, more than likely, without mastery of materials from the prior year. This means our schools will need to take extra time to bring all of our students back up to speed in the fall.
Along the lines of the social and emotional well-being of our students, the subject of attendance and grading comes to mind. We would like to have guidance as to where these topics fall in matter of importance. Can we fully expect students and teachers to perform at the same level they would in a brick and mortar setting? Some schools have implemented pass/fail systems. Some have stayed with conventional grading systems. We have been told that truancy for students is not an option for those students with poor attendance, but we still need to report attendance through this process. What is the true intention of attendance? We want to be fair and equitable across the board between all of our school districts and are looking for guidance and support in making these decisions.
Funding of our schools is of the utmost importance. We have taken on the roles of childcare providers, nutrition providers, as well as, educators. This has increased the financial burden on our schools. We need your support fiscally so we can sustain what schools were intended to do, educate our students.
Thank you for your time in reading this letter. We appreciate the job you have done for the State of Minnesota. We appreciate what you have done for your constituents in our districts. We appreciate your continued support of our schools in rural Minnesota and our Western Division.
Thank you,
MASSP Western Division Principals