St. Paul schools to offer in-person academic support

Frustrated Twin Cities teachers march together on Lake Street bridge

Minneapolis and St. Paul teachers are frustrated and Wednesday they marched across the Lake Street bridge from one city to the other in solidarity.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul schools will soon offer in-person academic support to students in need of extra help, as district officials push for a restart to in-person learning.

Students in St. Paul have continued distance learning to start the school year due to fears over the coronavirus pandemic. However, in a statement on Wednesday, the superintendent said he was pushing for the district to switch to a hybrid model.

The new Academic Support Center at Washington Technology Magnet School will offer some in-person services for students in need of extra help.

The center will be staffed with educational assistants, teaching assistants, retired teachers, contractors, community partners, and volunteers with a background in education.

However, officials note "drop-ins" aren't allowed. Schools will refer students to the center and referred students will be offered between one to four hours of help, based on staff availability. Parents will have an option to submit their child to the center starting later this month.

Areas of support will include math, reading, writing, science, social studies, bilingual immersion, technology to support distance learning, and social-emotional support.

District leaders say the center will follow state guidelines for COVID-19. The district says future sites may also be opened based on need.

Superintendent Joe Gothard said Wednesday he was pushing for in-person teaching to resume but has met a roadblock from the teachers union which is concerned with safety during the pandemic.

The superintendent argues the district has worked hard since March to make sure they had protocols in place to make hybrid model learning a possibility.

Gothard is hoping to meet readiness goals in order to begin hybrid learning by October 19. However, Wednesday evening, teachers from Minneapolis and St. Paul marched along the Lake Street bridge to rally against a restart to classes.

Teachers told FOX 9 they feel districts are moving too quickly and worry that classrooms are safe yet for a return to classes.

The academic support center is set to open beginning on October 12. For more information on the center, you can visit the district's website.