Bloomington School District: Staffing concerns don't allow for hybrid learning model, will start remote
A student learns from home during the pandemic. (FOX 9)
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Bloomington School board unanimously voted to start the school year in distance learning late Monday night, saying it could not create a "viable district-wide staffing plan" for a hybrid learning model.
“While our hopes and plans were to have students and staff return to school, this difficult decision is based on our goal to prioritize a safe learning environment for students, teachers, staff and families,” the district said Tuesday.
In a statement on its website announcing the return to what it calls “Distance Learning 2.0,” Bloomington Public Schools said the decision came down to staffing levels.
“It became clear in our work that we could not create a viable district-wide staffing plan for a hybrid model that balanced family preferences with staff health accommodation requests, while ensuring a quality educational experience for each student,” said the statement.
Distance Learning 2.0 is a fully remote learning plan with improvements from last spring. The district says it includes direct teacher instruction and independent student work and a combination of virtual meetings, interactive class sessions and pre-recorded videos.