Hello from St. Paul, On Wednesday, Governor Walz finally listened to Minnesotans and unveiled a plan to get more middle and high schoolers back in person. While it does nothing to incentivize local districts to reopen, if they are currently in distance or hybrid learning, it does provide a target date of March 8 for all schools to offer some form of in-person learning. While I’m pleased the governor has finally recognized what many lawmakers have known for months – that it’s time to get students safely back in our schools – I’m disappointed it has taken this long for him to move forward. The science and data show that we can reopen schools safely, and we need to do so as quickly as possible. The impact school closures are having on student mental health, social wellbeing, and academic achievement has been disastrous, and I fear the long-term consequences this delay is going to have on our students. As I’ve been saying for weeks, let’s get our teachers vaccinated as quickly as possible and get our kids back to school full time as soon as possible. For nearly every child, there is no replacement for a quality, in-person education. Have a good weekend, Nolan |