• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / News / ISEA urges state to let local districts make virtual learning decisions

ISEA urges state to let local districts make virtual learning decisions

November 16, 2020 By Radio Iowa Contributor

Mike Beranek

The Iowa State Education Association says schools should be allowed to go online until coronavirus infections subside, without seeking approval from state officials.

More than 40 school districts are currently operating all or some grades under temporary virtual learning waivers from the Iowa Department of Education. Many are struggling to staff classrooms and bus routes because of the number of employees in quarantine. Mike Beranek, president of the state teachers union, says it shows that schools are not immune to the pandemic.

“While there may be less of an opportunity for students to be symptomatic, they are still fully capable of spreading that virus,” he says. “When they go out into the communities they interact with other individuals who may not be following the protocols which are necessary.”

Beranek says the state’s two-week waivers don’t fit the public health guidelines for quarantine and isolation, because not everyone in a school gets exposed at exactly the same time.

“If that requires students to be home for a longer period of time than five days or two weeks, then districts should be able to make those decisions without having to go through the waiver process,” he says.

Last week, Governor Kim Reynolds issued a partial mask mandate for some indoor gatherings of more than 25 people, but it does not apply to schools. Beranek says it should. According to a survey by the ISEA, 40 percent of Iowa school districts do not require students and teachers to wear masks.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Grant Gerlock)

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Education, News

Featured Stories

Senator Ernst says Russian ban shows she’s doing something right

Bill creates new deer hunting season, with AR-15s

Governor signs Iowa Renewable Fuels Standard into law

Jury returns guilty verdict in shooting death of State Trooper

A haboob, a dust storm black out, hits northwest Iowa

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa’s Huckstorf garners national award

Iowa Special Olympics Summer games set to open in Ames

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 5/16/22

Iowa assistant coach Kirk Speraw to retire

Northern Iowa prepares for Missouri Valley Conference softball tournament

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC