Multiple schools in Iowa had already announced they were starting the year online. However, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, today proclaimed that Iowa schools must prioritize in-person learning when classes resume this fall.

During a news conference Friday morning, Governor Reynolds said she will override local school districts and require students to spend at least half of their school time in classrooms.

Reynolds went on to say,

“Iowa law says that in person instruction is the presumed method of instruction for the school year."

 

Reynolds read from the proclamation, which you can read here, saying,

"All state agencies, school districts and local governments are to focus on preparing the state to welcome back students and teachers to school in person this fall."

It also provides clarity for when a school may move to primarily remote learning, authorizing it when:

  • Parents select remote learning as the best option for their family;
  • The Iowa Department of Education in consultation with the Iowa Department of Public Health approves a temporary move to online learning for an entire building or district in response to public health conditions;
  • A school, in consultation with state and local public health officials, determines that individual students or classrooms must be temporarily moved to online learning; or
  • A school chooses to temporarily move to online learning because of severe weather instead of taking a snow day.

Another question answered in this proclamation is that it will also lift some of the restrictions on substitute teachers, para-educators and technical instructors to expand the pool of available educators.

Read more at the state website here.

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