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Iowa Department of Education releases document addressing FAQs about Return to Learn proclamation

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced on Friday that schools would need to prioritize in-person learning on the first day of school.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Teachers, parents, and administrators are conducting meetings after Gov. Reynolds's proclamation announced last week pushed schools to prioritize in-person learning.

As a result, the Iowa Department of Education released a document answering several frequently asked questions about the governor's proclamation, as well as Senate File 2310.

For starters, online learning is not explicitly forbidden, but it cannot be a school or district's primary method of instruction; at least not without jumping through some hoops.  The document lays out that schools are only allowed to use remote learning as their primary learning method for these reasons:

  1. If a parent/guardian specifically requests an online learning opportunity
  2. If the school, working with state and local public health departments, determines that specific students or classrooms need to move to primarily remote learning
  3. If the Department of Education and IDPH approve of a temporary move to online learning for a school district, or an individual building, because of public health conditions

You can read the full document below.

Schools can also now choose to temporarily move to online learning if they want to use that in place of a snow day or other severe weather-related school cancellation.

So remote learning is allowed under SF2310 and the governor's proclamation, as long as it doesn't take up more than 50% (half) of the learning done in a two-week period.

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The percentage is determined by the number of students that are doing in-person learning at any given time; in other words, those who are primarily learning remotely after jumping through the necessary hoops aren't factored in.

For example, if there are 100 kids enrolled at a school, but 20 of them are exempt and learning online primarily, the learning time for the remaining 80 will be what's calculated.  At least half of the time those 80 kids spend learning has to be spent in the building.

In other words, actually going to school in person has to take up at least half of the learning done for any two-week time frame without a proclamation from the governor's office explicitly stating otherwise, or if you fit into one of the exceptions listed above.

If you have exceptions and want to move your child's learning 100% online, there are hoops to jump through.

According to the document, parents can request to move their child's learning 100% online if they want.  However, schools aren't required to honor that request unless the child, or someone who lives with or looks after the child, has a "serious health condition that increases their risk of COVID-19," or the child has written verification from a health care provider.  Otherwise, it's at the school/district's discretion whether or not your request gets granted.

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