It feels like so much has happened since the Minneapolis Teacher Strike back in March. During that time, students and teachers were (obviously) not in school because many were out on the streets protesting. After the strike concluded, the Minneapolis School Board decided to add two weeks' worth of classes to the end of the school year. Those two weeks are almost up as of this week. The reasoning? Because teachers need to face the consequences of going on strike, and students are caught in the crossfire.
Back in April, students attended the school board meeting that voted on the idea of extending the school year. Many of the students objected, saying they have responsibilities like jobs or taking care of siblings. One student yelled "bullshit" to Superintendent Ed Graff, who proceeded to leave the room... and resigned a few days later.
We're now in that "extra two-week" period, but the finish line is in sight for Minneapolis teachers and students. During these two weeks, though, students were without hot lunch, stocked bathrooms (including toilet paper, soap, and paper towels), and many high schoolers faced troubles when their metro cards (that they rely on for getting to school) no longer worked. Also, a heat wave has hit the twin cities, leaving many schools without air conditioning. Due to this, some schools moved to online, remote learning. Yet, many students have already turned in their borrowed electronic devices, leaving them with the question, "now what?"
It seems like "making up lost time" is the right thing to do, but with this decision comes planning, which was ultimately poorly executed, leaving students in a position to fend for themselves when their needs went unheard.
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