MINNEAPOLIS -- State leaders soon will announce their strategy for schools this fall with the pandemic still a public health crisis. Expected scenarios include in-person classes, a return to distance learning, or a hybrid. But for some parents, all options pose a challenge.

When Minnesota schools switched to distance learning in the spring, Tyrai Bronson-Pruitt of Minneapolis and her wife had to quickly adapt to providing instruction, while staying on top of their full-time jobs. Both parents worked remotely, but with one of their four kids having special needs and two older siblings needing help with daily assignments, it was difficult.

"It was just kind of day-to-day, kind of making it work," Bronson-Pruitt said. "What assignments to we have to do? What do the kids need? How do we do that? How do we re-rig work schedules?"

She said she expects additional challenges if distance learning is part of the plan for the fall.

At the same time, Bronson-Pruitt said health risks for in-person learning are a big concern. Her wife's immune system has been compromised since overcoming cancer. And as an African American family, she said, there are added worries, as the virus has had a disproportionate impact in Black communities.

Bharti Wahi, executive director of the Children's Defense Fund of Minnesota, said no matter the approach, they hope low-income schools aren't shortchanged on resources. Whether it's for building safety, access to healthy foods, technology gaps or parents working on the front lines, she said this can no longer be viewed as a temporary situation.

"We need to think about this as something that may be with us for maybe, potentially a year," Wahi said. "And then how are we resourcing this appropriately? How are we supporting families? And how will we not lose a year of learning and academic support through a lack of planning?"

Wahi said no matter a child's background, educators need to be mindful how jarring this situation has been for them, and that it won't be easy jumping back into learning.

Tahnea Brown is a single mother from St. Paul. She said distance learning created more anxiety for her daughter, who thrives on social interaction. But she, too, worries about the health risks associated with sending kids back to the classroom.

But she said she worries even more about what other families might be grappling with right now.

"My child's school is mostly people of color; there's food insecurity, and sometimes there's violence, and there's stress," Brown said. "So, how much more is this gonna add to these families, and these kids and these parents."

Brown said she especially worries about food insecurity and families becoming more vulnerable due to a lack of nutrition.

Education Minnesota, the state's largest teacher's union, says a survey of its members found nearly half prefer to continue distance learning. Others, including state Republican leaders, have pushed hard for schools to reopen in the fall.

Nearly 22,000 Florida college students could lose critical tuition help under a state House budget proposal.

The plan would cut $3,500 annual grants for students at 15 private schools throughout the state, including three historically Black universities and Embry-Riddle, the nation's top civilian flight school.

House lawmakers tied eligibility for Florida's Effective Access to Student Education (EASE) program to five performance metrics, including a 54% graduation rate and affordability benchmarks.

Bob Boyd, president of Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, warned of fallout.

"It's going to really devastate our sector," he said. "These are students pursuing nursing degrees, becoming pilots, teachers, and they are going to - a lot of them will drop out of their high-demand degree fields because they're not getting this voucher."

House leaders have said their new performance metrics ensure accountability - affecting just 1.2% of Florida's higher-ed students. But Boyd noted that his schools produce 30% of Florida's nurses while getting just 2% of state funding.

Keiser University Vice Chancellor Belinda Keiser said the cuts would hit non-traditional students hardest - working adults, single parents and first-generation college-goers who rely on these grants.

"Thirty-five hundred dollars a year over the next four years will be taken away," she said. "That might cause some of those students pursuing nursing, pursuing Homeland Security, pursuing cyber - and we offer all those degrees - to drop out. And to me, talent should always be one of your best investments."

The Senate's budget fully funds EASE without new metrics, setting up a clash in the conference committee. Lawmakers must reach a deal by April 29 to allow the constitutionally required 72-hour budget review before the May legislative deadline.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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Registration is open for the next information session for the Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences at Texas Woman's University in Denton, where students accepted into the program will study to earn their pilot's license.

The school is the only woman-focused university nationwide with a professional pilot's program.

Clinton Grant, director of the school, explained the program.

"Once they go through all of the steps to get into the program and the semester starts within a week or so they're in an airplane flying," Grant noted. "It's not something they have to wait later as their junior (or) senior years before they get into it. We start them as quickly as we can. So it's a lot of fun."

The program is limited to 25 students in the fall and spring semesters. The next information session is April 11.

During the information session, Grant pointed out he tries to weed out the students who may not be serious about becoming a pilot. In addition to tuition and fees the cost of flight training could exceed over $100,000 and it can take up to seven years to earn a pilot's license.

"Most flight students, they'll become flight instructors," Grant observed. "They turn around and start teaching students to fly and that's how they build their hours. And then once they reach a certain amount of hours they'll be eligible to be employed by a regional carrier."

The aeronauts program is still in its infancy. The first classes were held in the fall of 2024. Grant added as they grow, they will have more options for students.

"We're going to get into some of the air mobility things as well as operations management or aviation management," Grant outlined. "There's a demand in the area for that. So, we will be heading in that direction next."

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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A strike set to begin today has been averted at Western Michigan University, Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, known as WMed.

Its resident physicians reached a tentative deal with the medical school last week.

For nearly eight months, about 200 residents and fellows had been negotiating for improvements in working conditions, including higher salaries and stipends, and more time off.

Mitchell Batchelder - an organizer and field representative with the Resident and Fellow Alliance, the union representing the residents - said the strike notice seemed to prompt a greater willingness from WMed management to reach an agreement.

He emphasized several key aspects of the deal.

"They secured a three-year contract with guaranteed wage increases in each year," said Batchelder. "They got a meal stipend - you know, they're working 24-hour shifts and they need access to fresh, healthy food in order to bring their best while they're working those 24 hours."

He added that the agreement marks a historic milestone as the first private-sector medical resident contract in the state of Michigan.

Batchelder also stressed the impact such a contract could have on W-Med's future, as well as the community.

With this agreement in place, he predicted the institution will not only retain its current top-tier residents, but also attract new talent.

"From a long-term perspective, for these hospitals in Kalamazoo and for the community, this is a really, really great thing," said Batchelder. "Because it can be really hard sometimes to retain and attract qualified health care professionals. And I think this allows them to have an even stronger pitch to those folks."

Batchelder said he believed this private sector deal could also have a significant national impact on unions and labor laws - highlighting what he describes as the imbalance in current regulations.

He noted that many U.S. labor laws are structured in a way that tends to favor employers.



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