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08/10/2020  written by Joel Luedtke, Tierney Carroll and Patrice Relerford https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2020/08/distance-learning-will-be-with-us-for-a-while-lets-commit-to-doing-it-better-this-fall/ 

 We have compiled a list of resources and communications from government agencies and education institutions in an effort to provide clarity and support during the evolving COVID-19 crisis. We hope this helps you and your leadership team make informed decisions for your school community. 

Here are some tips to help you keep the scammers at bay.

• New Visions Public Schools are  offering free teaching resources. https://curriculum.newvisions.org/  They have created an extensive Open Educational Resource (OER) collection of curriculum materials, arranged by courses across a wide range of content areas, that help teachers plan more effectively and improve student learning.
• Special Education professionals, Creatively Focused, are offering free consulting/paraprofessional supports to assist during COVID-19 https://www.creativelyfocused.org/covid-19

Are you a parent in need of child care

• https://mn.gov/mmb/childcare/families/

• School House Connection is assisting with children experiencing homelessness https://www.schoolhouseconnection.org/covid19-and-homelessness/
• 4MaTiv is providing transportation Support During COVID-19  assisting the needs of homelessness and distance learning https://www.4mativ.org/
• International Institute of Minnesota – for those serving diverse populations, they are offering language support and family resources. https://iimn.org/

• MDE COVID-19 Updates https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/health/covid19/
• Student Instruction https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/health/covid
• Food and Nutrition  https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/health/covid
• Special Education https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/health/covid19/spedcovid19/
• Supporting Students https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/health/covid19/supstucovid19/

• Minnesota Department of Health https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html
• COVID-19 Exclusion Guidance: Decision Tree for Symptomatic Individuals in Schools & Childcare Programs (PDF)
• Minnesota Department of Health for Schools and Child Care

• Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Childcare Programs and K-12 Schools to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) from the U.S. Department of Education
• Pandemic Flu Checklist: K-12 School Administrators (from the CDC)

• Flexibilities provided to states to bypass ESSA mandated testing for the 2019-2020 school year due to COVID-19 national emergency. States education leaders can find the waiver application here. (March 20, 2020)
• Fact Sheet: Impact of COVID-19 on Assessments and Accountability under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act from – March 12, 2020
• Questions and Answers on Providing Services to Children with Disabilities During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak – March 2020
• FERPA & Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• COVID-19 (“Coronavirus”) Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel from the U.S. Department of Education
• Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Childcare Programs and K-12 Schools to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) from the U.S. Department of Education – March 12, 2020