Governor Walz Wants Students Back in Schools, But Safely

Daily Update Script For Tuesday August 4th:

(Music 5-8 seconds)

INTRO (pre-recorded)

Marie: From Minnesota Native News… this is a COVID-19 Daily Update.

MARIE: I’m Marie Rock.

MARIE:

The “safe learning plan” announced by Governor Walz is all about providing informed flexibility…. to school leaders, parents and teachers.

As we get closer to back-to-school time, school districts around the state are announcing their plans for how they will begin the next school year.

Whether students will be back in the classroom…. Or staying at home and distance learning… or some combination of the two scenarios… will be up to local school officials to decide… with guidance from health officials, based on the number of COVID-19 cases in a particular county.

On a recent statewide program hosted by Northern Community Radio… Minnesota Governor Tim Walz acknowledged that doing what it takes to contend with the virus… is not without a cost.

MARIE:

((Governor Walz TC: 14:00 - As we are learning more about COVID, where it spreads and how it spreads, we can adjust the decisions that we are making. TC: 14”06)) RUNS:06

MARIE:

Still… Governor Walz hopes the state’s “localized, data-driven approach” will give school leaders the tools they need to make the best decisions for their local community.

(cut this if needed) Again, here’s Governor Tim Walz.

((Governor Walz: TC: 15:30 Local schools know what their schools look like. They know the space they have, they know what their filtration system looks like. They know what's happening in their community. And I think that coupled together all of that data and all of that local knowledge and the support that the state is going to give in testing in PPE and masks, all of those things gives us a fighting chance here. And I tell you this as a twenty-year teacher and the parent of a 13 yo, our kids need to be in the classroom. And so when people say gov 100 percent on board with you but there’s an addendum, get kids back to school safely and that’s what I think this plan does. TC: 16:13)) RUNs= 43

You can read the state’s 21-page “safe learning plan” for yourself. It’s posted on the Minnesota Department of Education website.

For MN Native News…. I’m Marie Rock.

For more information go online to M-N Native news DOT O-R-G

OUTRO/FUNDER: (pre-recorded)

Marie: This MN Native News COVID-19 Daily Update is supported by the MN Dept. of Health.